Greening the Desert Oasis; Our New Property

Geoff takes us for a tour of the new site, "Greening the Desert Oasis," which is adjacent to the original GTD project site.
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About Geoff: Geoff is a world-renowned permaculture consultant, designer, and teacher that has established demonstration sites that function as education centers in all the world's major climates. Geoff has dedicated his life to spreading permaculture design across the globe and inspiring people to take care of the earth and each other and return the surplus.
About Permaculture: Permaculture integrates land, resources, people, and the environment through mutually beneficial connections - imitating the no waste, closed-loop systems seen in natural systems. Permaculture applies solutions in rural and urban contexts and at any scale. It is a multidisciplinary toolbox including agriculture, water harvesting and hydrology, energy, natural building, forestry, waste management, animal systems, aquaculture, appropriate technology, economics, and community development.
#permaculture #greeningthedesert #greeningthedesertproject

[@Strooisuiker]

Lovely update! Could we please get an update on Abla's garden too? I have been wondering how she has been for the last 3 years :)

[@tobimadara2864]

Neighbor garden update pls

[@peggyhelblingsgardenwhatyo7920]

Greetings, Geoff, from Windermere, Florida zone 9b USA 🇺🇸 I've been watching your videos for about 4-5 years. I have so enjoyed the development of this project. Your name recognition grows more and more each year. My channel is mainly small gardening and Vermiculture, but I've mentioned your name and more people are now coming back with, "Wow, that guy is incredible!" And they're right! I'm 72 and still gardening and raising worms 🪱. I hope you have MANY more years of creating and teaching the masses.🌿💚🌿

[@louisegogel7973]

That is very exciting to have permaculture and esp Geoff’s wisdom spreading more and more! TYVM

[@jaywald9872]

I resonate with your posting . I have been watching Geoff Lawton for the past 12 years . An absolute inspiration he was to carry the torch of Permaculture and bless the world with how creative you can view the world through its lense . Cheers

[@gardentours]

I wonder how Abla is doing. Please could you bring an update. It was very impressive what she was doing on her property.

[@yusuf5033]

I believe this is how you shape a place to live in the best possible way. It is already looking great, but I can't imagine how great it is going to look like when it is completed. More often updates on youtube please :)

[@trevorstewart8]

Hi Geoff. I have read a little bit about middle eastern "air-conditioning" and one improvement you could employ is to add a cool water pool at the base of your central staircase/ventilation shaft. This directs the incoming air over the pool to infuse moisture and cool the air as it circulates through the house from bottom to top. It maybe possible to connect this pool to your outside swimming pool by buried pipe to keep the indoor pool replenished and circulating with the pool system outside.

[@estebancorral5151]

That is called a sasabil. A good example is in the Alhambra of Granada, Spain.

[@PkSage89]

These videos are so extraordinary i can't help but get emotional at some level. I started saving and spamming them all over the place. They are, in the climate crisis we face today, some of the few videos online that with great definition convince me that not all is lost, that a lot can be saved if these design practices are adopted, and adopted essentially everywhere. Previous generations had rendered their forests to desert, and your literally bringing life back to such desolate soil. I wish my life was many times longer because these are the things i would dedicate it to.

[@aron8949]

❤❤❤ favorite project in the world!

[@DIYHOUSEANDFARM]

This place is stunning! Nice idea with the chicken compost. Gonna try this. Love your instructions. Thx for sharing.

[@katharinawagner6361]

Thanks for sharing. Please tell the people: amazing work. Don't stop. It gives hope to many people all over the world.

[@jeff6899]

I agree, Katharina ! And Geoff's zeal & enthusiasm for this work can be contagious !!

[@CharlesGann1]

Had to laugh when you mentioned a rough spot here or looking trashy there...Compared to the start up its already an incredible site. Amazing work in this challenging location

[@CharlesGann1]

Great update. Incredible expansion and development at this point. After so many rough years in getting this initial project off the ground it has developed into a quite posh destination. LOL Have been watching this since Greening of the desert orignal. Still saddens me to think what it could have become. Thank you and Nadia for using that as a positive and these results. You and all who have !aborded and supported this project deserve all the blessings and credit of showing how a harsh degraded wasteland can be healed into a wonderful enjoyable productive living space, with an amazing positive impact not only globally from foreign students but most difficult and important from local students and emulators. This is always the last group to convince and see adaptation. That is one of the biggest achievements of this site is the local adoption. Total WOW, a long time in some respects but a short time to alter the original site.. plus the exponential expansion from earlier influence on this site which will shave a decade off advancement of this portion. Congrats!

[@TheModernHermeticist]

You're a wizard Geoff.

[@randomfaz3867]

This is excellent, seeing it coming along. I'm very interested in the trellising setups as you make them.

[@gratitude2054]

WOW! I love to watch the development of these properties, you inspire me thank you Geoff, I have a lot of work to do to this property I am sucking as much information off you as I can absorb, I hope I can develop my property near Gympie Australia, as well as you have in the desert lol, my soil is nasty clay.

[@aaaaaa2206]

Ideas: -Clay is ideal lining material for a new pond or a cob house. -The Tucson swales and earth banks were built to capture rain and provide shade decades ago in the desert without any expertise from of the builders. Now there is a small forest at the site.

[@louisegogel7973]

Soaking up I would say, it has a much more permaculture ring to it and positive image to boot! 😊😊

[@Reyajh]

Always love to see this site,. It's just stunning, so inspiring... Was just thinking, perhaps you could create a netting and use it to catch and direct the leaves of the trellis area by the pool, as they fall, back towards the outer areas, to become mulch. Then maybe, one could just walk by when the leaves are falling heavily and whack the netting to push the most of them to the outside...

[@louisegogel7973]

Nice idea!

[@mashiamapefoodforest]

Wow what a wonderful work . This encourage my self to work more harder when practicing Permaculture. I am in South Africa zone 10a with red Sandy clay soil. My soil is degrated . My mission is to rebuild it with Permaculture . We learn from you Geoff Lawton, and one day we will take your course.

[@angietaylor5311]

You’re a champion, truely ♥️

[@09conrado]

If that solar chimney doesn't quite work properly you could always extend it to increase the draft, easy enough. Exciting new part of the project, I'm in awe of how energetically you lot have taken this on. Love it.

[@Alchemyforall]

09conrado it seems the spiral staircase acts as a funnel. Very cool idea.

[@trevorstewart8]

@@Alchemyforall : Have a read about ancient Arabian "air-conditioning" . This follows those principles with the addition of directing the incoming airflow over a cool "basement" pool of water at the bottom of the stairs. This chills the incoming air and charges it with moisture that is circulated throughout the house. You could do this in California too and dispense with your costly electric air-conditioning system.

[@Alchemyforall]

@@trevorstewart8 Excellent. Thanks

[@dayax3335]

I'm amazed how simplicity is the mother of all beauty. Thank you Sir.

[@Alchemyforall]

Congratulations on the gift of the property next door. You and the team are continuing to achieve life-changing examples of possibilities and showing us others. Thankyou so much. Just goes to show there's power in collaboration, 'cause the abundance you're drawing to this project is because it involves others ie: community and common ground. Thanks again for your effort.

[@higheriam]

Thank You

[@carmenortiz5294]

Incredible how much green there is, since work started quite a few years ago.

[@TheBarefootedGardener]

It’s true once you get a taste of Permaculture design, that you can’t “unsee”… I have a new project that is at this point just ornamental horticulture to screen & buffer from the road but I’m looking at the driveway and the slope into these gardens and grading it such that the water can kind of swale into the ground… And I haven’t even taken a PDC course (yet)

[@davidb9059]

Fantastic

[@pinkelephants1421]

Just a thought Geoff, why not expand overall productivity of the site & reduce the heat island effect of the hard landscaping by trellising the driveway and parking areas? You'd still get the benefit of downhill rainwater runoff. Whole host of fruit bearing trees and vines that could be trained over trellises.

[@louisegogel7973]

🤎🧡💛🌟🌴🪴🌱🌿🌸🌱🌿🌺 Beautiful vision and work Geoff and everyone who is participating!

[@louiseswart1315]

I would keep the whirly dome part shiny to keep pigeons, etc. off of the roof to have cleaner rain water runoff. Thank you for sharing the progress of work at this site. There is much to learn here.

[@roryturnbull2522]

That pool looks amazing. If you could post details of the filter bed depth/size and pump/piping layout that would be even better. Love your work Geoff!

[@53peace]

Just discovered your channel and absolutely hooked! How very inspiring and what a lot of hard work being put in. Best wishes to all of you to make every desert on this planet into green paradise!

[@Michael_McMillan]

I love these tours!

[@wildlifegardenssydney7492]

I loved the tour and all your concepts to fruition. The use of every opportunity plus gravity to irritate the food forest from the hardscaping , composting toilets, the natural pool and greening the desert is terrific. The place already looks delightful. The natural pool and plants chosen will be gorgeous. Will that air pump action with the aquarium pump keep out the mosquitos out of the pool? Trellising the vegetable garden and pathways will conserve moisture and make everything so much cooler. I hope you will trellis and provide shade and some shelter and protection (cat) for your hardworking chickens. I am looking forward to your next update already.

[@michaelmitchell8567]

Stunning!

[@nathanwall8169]

I finally donated money . More to come . Feels like something that's useful to donate to in so many ways . God bless

[@ourcozygarden]

Exciting new space to transform over time 🎉

[@shortbean1886]

I love what you are doing 😀 this planet would be so much better if everyone realised what you are doing is the way to live and better the planet .

[@LineupLegend]

This Man is brilliant. Wish I had a fraction of his knowledge.

[@peartreecottagefarm8089]

Love this, keep up the hard work. My grandson 13 and I have been doing work with Penny Pyatt from the Sydney Permaculture Institute and we are coming to visit next year and help out

[@Beysek]

1 like for your professional guidance, 2nd like for helping Palestinians, 3rd like for sharing this with us

[@jorgearenillas4]

Wow! It's improving so much. I love it. Thank you so much for sharing!

[@gardentours]

Absolutely stunning 👍🏼 Nice to see those mudbricks before they become a house 🏡

[@EricSeider]

Looks incredible, such an amazing progression. I can’t wait to get back there and see it again in person. ❤

[@edwardtddo7890]

Just awesome!

[@Raj-yy7xx]

Would love to find out more about the design functions of the Natural pool system. I was on PDC 2.0 course where it was mentioned, but would love to see it's inner workings and design for this practical working example. Like volume ratio of aquatic planting and sand filter zone to pool. A separated pool and filtration zone is very aesthetically nice. Enough to convince my wife that a natural pool with clear water is quite doable.

[@felipevilches7128]

👏👏👏👏👏 Thank you Geoff!

[@bluesmoke8714]

I like your videos, even though the desert I live in is extremely different climate, it seems every video has 1 highly unusual insight that expands my collection.

[@6burbia599]

Can you speak to the costs associated with this project and how the project is funded? It is beautiful and inspiring

[@laraandrews9710]

Great work

[@ArsasSternenkatze]

Love your videos and your voice is also so nice and calming to listen (I actually fell asleep and enjoyed the video refreshed a second time, after I woke up 😅)

[@spritzpistol]

Great to see this project grow. It’s looking so much more green and lush every time there’s an update. Bonus with the sloping site, and how amazing the different varieties of shrubs and trees; not putting all your eggs in one basket! That pool looks soooo inviting, all a fantastic oasis in a vast dessert 🎉.

[@rkh7904]

So exciting and now I know where the chickens have been relocated.

[@anitahamlin2411]

I love this project.

[@mechanics4all405]

fantastic, its great you were given another beautifull site,to make excellant place for students courses etc,well done Geoff

[@jaywald9872]

Was looking forward to your next upload . WOW , Incredible what has been in the works . so great that the previous property has now expanded . Greening the Dessert is one of my top most rated Documentary to date . Keep up the incredible work

[@songweaver6076]

So Happy for ya! you have inspired so much regreening in your life! Thank you!!!

[@jbiliHacker]

I just finished the first category of the PDC and it's pure GOLDEN knowledge. Just wanted to thank you for all your efforts! I'm going to follow the entire course SETP-BY-STEP. God Bless you & the entire team working behind you. Respects!

[@timeparticles]

I looked over Jordan and what did I see, expanding the greening to the Mediterranean Sea...

[@abundand]

Thank you. I strive towards creating similar things. And you teach and inspire.

[@KeystoneJul]

🙂 I think I'm dreaming too! And yes, I also wonder how it will look later, when everything was washed by rain and the plants had some time to grow up and over...

[@tuffy2242]

Wow !! Really GREAT work! And in such a short time 👏👏 well done, I say! It’s really beautiful. Questions: I would imagine you have frost there, how do you deal with frost and citrus/lemon or avocado or other frost sensitive trees? I live in a subtropical climate as well and have found that keeping the lowest branches on helps, but, we still have to cover with tree wraps and lights and so forth... Secondly, I notice the chicken coop and debris piles have no rat proof enclosures (the chicken wire I see doesn’t keep them out... are there no rodent issues ? Or do the chickens eat them...? Can the cat I saw in the background take care of all of it?! I don’t imagine there are a lot of natural predators left in that area.... Thanks 🙏

[@MaxSwedenAgroforestry]

Sounds on you like it's one of your dreams comming true :-)

[@createandliveyourbestlife]

Wonderful project Congratulations, 🙋🏻‍♀️🇦🇺🙏🏻

[@JackPitmanNica]

Jumping into that pool was the first thing I thought of when Geoff showed it from the roof!

[@TheEmbrio]

Probably needs a trellis to make access less tempting !

[@JackPitmanNica]

@@TheEmbrio Right!!

[@diannerobinson7858]

If you run a dehumidifier outside from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. you could pick up 70 litres of water every night. If you put a valve in the bottom and mount it on your roof, put a line down into a cistern. Bury the cistern deep. Always cool.

[@estebancorral5151]

And if you plan to use electricity the cost would be enormous and defeat the purpose of putting a Permaculture site.

[@RoyatAvalonFarms]

That's a beautiful site already. I can visualize it being even better with your design implementation. Best wishes. I look forward to seeing updates in the future.

[@naumanzakir8005]

Please do separate videos on recipes of plaster applied on outside and inside walls plus recipe and how to make mud bricks, etc and roof.

[@shanemillard608]

This is very nice! Thanks for the video.

[@richermorin]

this is amazing

[@Gustav4]

A HM course and 500 cows and you are golden on the greening the desert mission.

[@urbanflorjancic661]

Waw, cant wait to visit😊

[@rickthelian2215]

Nice, what other manures do you have access to besides the chickens?

[@diannerobinson7858]

Your pool is brilliant!

[@marenmacmichael6988]

Where does the water come from that you have delivered to the property?

[@lesliekerr7952]

So wonderful to see all this progress! So much going on and it seems that your pace of progress (and influence!) is accelerating! Yay! Caused me to wonder about the status of the original “Greening the Desert” project you did all those years ago on contract to an NGO. Any updates available?

[@ivanerwee165]

Hi there as always awesome. I would like to know what water you have used for the pool thanks.

[@RussianBot382]

Do you have any instructional videos or recommendations on building straw bale / mud brick homes?

[@jesserahimzadeh4298]

It’s amazing to see this project spread! The only thing I’d say is that the LED lighting is said to be very agitating. I’ve felt this first hand beyond the studies that found this. Maybe the low wattage requirement is the driving force. Just an idea!

[@louisegogel7973]

Interesting, I know it really bothers me when I have led lights in cars right behind or passing me from the opposite direction shining so intensely when I drive at night. I’ve been wondering about these lights. Perhaps there is a way to soften their intensity without losing their benefits.

[@dhoffman4955]

Absolutely beautiful!

[@purposeful142]

Allahumma barik alaih ❤

[@markrodrigue9503]

The pool is next level

[@estebancorral5151]

Since you are in Jordan, you should have put in a Malkhaf ( wind catch tower.)

[@joankirby1944]

Verry interesting thank you.

[@debbiekelly6835]

Impressive!!

[@RichardFalkner]

Great update! Geoff, are you able to collect rainwater in the high tank you showed at the end?

[@rossr6616]

fabulous!

[@VanillaAttila]

What binding material did you use to make your stone walls?

[@Ruby-K]

Dear Geoff, could you pls explain the cost of purchasing the new property and the ongoing costs of repair, rebuilding, restructuring. Especially would like to know how much it costs to build strawbale with mud bricks (which assume are free)with timescale to build this new house, many thanks.... 🌳🌴🌳🌴🌳🌴🌳🌴🌳🌴🌳🌴🌳🌴

[@releventhurt]

Love to see this work in Isreal too someday

[@richardkrause9385]

Hell Yeah! So cool man

[@famulan3479]

Hi Geoff, I was watching your other videos, about fruit trees planted by the side of the road. Concerned about the exhaust fumes that might be absorbed by the fruits. Is there any video where you elaborate on that? Thank you. Galina

[@Im-just-Stardust]

Thank you so much for everything you have done. I had a quick question which confuse me a little. Is Food forest the same as permaculture?

[@barnabyvonrudal1]

Very nice! Any connections to the power grid? Or all power is locally generated?

[@aljazkuzner]

Nice! Im so inspired. Im wondering if there is any intake of fresh air builded in the house to be dragged in during summer time.

[@bsdslacker]

Has there been water accumulation underground? I don't see swales anywhere. Would be good to know how water is getting harvested.

[@strauchdieb7628]

Truly amazing, but how did you manage to “inherit” your neighbors place?

[@kezzatries]

Looking great Mate. But come on that air bubbler and extension lead could be much closer to the wet area, to make it easier to electrocute someone. NOT! Love y'a guys work. Did you put in multi glazed windows?. Oh and curious do you get snakes coming on the property? Because of the vegetation?

[@MrGigi-dz9cv]

Beautifull house.

[@genejitsu3305]

How are they financing the developments? Still a charity project or ?

[@TheEmbrio]

The first site was self financed, bought. Then courses and learning internships. Then the café and airbnb accomodations. This new site is their family home they just purchased from the neighbourgs.

[@genejitsu3305]

@@TheEmbrio nice.

[@mickkelly4032]

NOW that's a Beard.!!! What a man

[@naumanzakir8005]

Would you be uploading natural building course or guidelines videos?