I Built a Terrace in the Desert

[@KilluahX]

Hey Shaun. I am a Geophysicist and we specialize in looking into the earth and geology without actually digging . Basically your radar and "explosions" stuff. If you can find any geophysicist in your area they might be able to provide you with an ERT(electrical resistivity tomography) that will help you see basically a 2D cut through your ground where the resistivity can show you where sediments buildups, clay, limestone and hardrock and water as well as soil depth are located and how they are running underground. It can show you where that "somewhere" is. The thing with the explosives is called seismics and it can also be used for the shallow purposes. We do it for building sites, remediation, basically anything where people need to see what's in about 10 to 100 meters depth. Radar is usually the option for shallow stuff but since you are on limestone and limestone decomposition sediments(god my english geology is shoddy) it basically "swallows" radar. Would love to help you but coming to the USA seems a bit of an overkill :)

[@jaimzmyers3699]

You can see the investment of the bulldozer in a single video. The diagram with the water flow really helped create your vision for me. I love this channel, and hopefully, you'll be creating videos in your desert jungle in 20 years.

[@laxpolicy9698]

He is ruining the landscape

[@bennybennerson7728]

@@laxpolicy9698ruining a ruined landscape? this isn’t what the land would of looked like a few decades ago.

[@randooom2345]

@laxpolicy9698 he is increasing the amount of water that stays in that area and that will increase the biodiversity massively.

[@andycooper6085]

@@randooom2345 Restoring what would have happened to the water before the trees were cut and the beavers died/moved away.

[@BocatyNovus]

Maybe 7 years 20 ITS top much.....

[@draemalic]

Might want to reinforce those dams with big rock to prevent washout

[@chadeller5588]

To prevent dam failure from heavy rain events, as well as dam-filling sediment buildup, I suggest you read "Water For Every Farm" by P.A. Yeoman. Although he's known for his design principles regarding ideal positioning for dams, what's REALLY important for you at this point are details about the design of an earthen dam. The necessity for a cut-off trench and effective positioning of lock pipe are shown in the related youtube video "P A Yeomans-Building a Keyline Dam (25 min) 1960". I wish you great success!

[@nickfosterxx]

Seconded. PAY is the guru.

[@Falcodrin]

Wouldn't filling sediment be more rich than the local soil is?

[@chadeller5588]

@@Falcodrin Yes the sediment will probably be great soil, and plant roots will stabilize the sediment in place. Eventually it'd fill enough to appear terrace-like, flat, and perhaps even level with the top of the dam. ***This is the intended outcome of low, water-slowing, dispersive structures such as one-rock-dams or check dams, where the whole structure is a spillway.*** However for larger/deeper water-holding dams (where water is captured rather than just slowed), there is more dam height, which means more erosive potential for any uncontrolled water running over or around the dam. The basic idea is that as sediment starts to build up inside the dam, there won't be as much room in the dam to capture water, so a big rain even will cause the now terrace-like, sediment-filled dam to quickly overflow. When this happens the spillway will be tested... if it's not sufficient to handle ALL the water of the entire rain event, then erosion of the dam will start everywhere the water overflows the dam and/or exits the spillway, and move uphill toward the top of the dam, and then down the dam wall. Without timely repair the dam will fail (eventually eroded down to the original stream channel) and much of the captured sediment will be lost. The only way to make a water-holding dam last a very long time is to have a mechanism to release sediment so it doesn't fill up too high. For a water-holding dam, this means either occasional flushing via a horizontal lock pipe, or periodic dredging of accumulated sediment.

[@mrThoreKarlsson]

PA Yeoman Knows its stuff!

[@pixelschiebr]

great advice!

[@margiehughes2463]

May I suggest planting paloverde trees? A desert tree that grows in the deserts of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. It drops bean pods that are good for jack rabbits, deer and birds. It can also provide shade for other plants. Might be helpful in terraforming your land.

[@dustupstexas]

They're on the list

[@paulmcclaren1202]

Shaun, first I want to say that I admire the effort you are making and its purpose. The fact that you are doing this on your own time and dime is admirable. Things to consider. Water is the most destructive force on earth! A cubic foot of water is approx. 7.5 gallons and a gallon of water weighs 8.3 lbs. So a cubic foot weighs 62 lbs. A heavy rainfall is considered to be 0.30 inches of water in an hour, not unheard of in west Texas. 59% is sheeting. 3.5 acres of drainage area is 152k ft^2 so in one hour an you would have 3,800 ft^3 of water behind your earth dam or 236,000 lbs of water. Assuming your dam has a 12' top, 20' base, 45 degree slopes on either side and is 20' long, you have approximately 94 cubic yards of dirt at approximate 2,000 lbs per yard or about 189,000 lbs. You probably never want more than 150,000 lbs of water behind your dam or it is likely that all that earth you just moved will very quickly make its way to the Rio Grande. I'd recommend that you install a vertical pipe on the upstream side of the dam with the opening approximately 18 inches above the base of the dam and then bend the pipe to go through the base of the dam at a 1% slope. Put a rigid mesh barrier sticking out vertically from top of the pipe to hold back debris. Your pipe should be sized to handle 475 gpm as in a 0.30 inch/hour rain storm that is how many gallons are accumulating per hour off of the 3.5 acres. 1% is to reduce the velocity of the water on the outlet side to prevent erosion, and put lots of rocks at the outlet pipe (riprap) to further prevent erosion. This table tells you how many gpm a pipe can flow at a give slope www.ndspro.com/PDFs/Tech-Spec-Sheets/Table-NDS-Pipe-Flow-Rates.pdf. I'd also recommend that you add a foot of soil to the dam at a time and then run the dozer over it multiple times to compact the soil. This is called compacting in lifts. It is better if you can wet the soil, but clearly that is not an option. You can also armor the slopes of your damn with rocks if you can gather enough. This will add weight and prevent erosion. Do not plant the top of the dam. The roots will degrade the dam and water will find the easiest path through and once you have a leak, it will fail. Sorry to be so long winded. I'd just hate to see you do so much work and have it fail. P.S. my math is rough calculations making many assumptions and I am not an engineer.

[@nickfosterxx]

Great points, great math. Edit: I simply cannot imagine how you do this without metric. Just thinking about it gives me a headache. Hectares, litres, kilos, just move the decimal point. Time to catch up with (literally) the rest of the world. And science. Not judging, just struggling.

[@paulmcclaren1202]

Engineers and scientists in the U.S. use the metric system for just that reason, i.e., it is easier. Unfortunately, the rest of the country doesn't ever seem to want to get behind it. They just can't seem to grasp what a liter looks like in comparison to a gallon. Hopefully, the upcoming generations that are learning both systems will eventually get into political offices and require the change. @@nickfosterxx

[@raincoast9010]

I was thinking a stone armored overflow spillway.

[@MaxxPwrrr]

@@raincoast9010 I was thinking penis pants

[@NightKnight347]

​@@nickfosterxx All those math skills are why we landed a man on the moon first.

[@dianeschmiane]

New subscriber, here! Been a fan of permaculture for the last decade, so it's incredibly inspiring to see you greening the desert here right in one of the most inhospitable landscapes in the US. I just binge-watched your whole channel, and I know that YouTubing adds another level of burden to this project that most don't understand, so thank you from the bottom of my heart for going the extra mile and sharing this journey with us. People need to see that this kind of regeneration is possible, right here in our own backyard... 🌳

[@OperationDarkside]

You seem much more motivated than in your recent videos. It's good to see.

[@Juliuss96]

actions are beeing done thats why

[@Beatvictor]

The vision is starting to pan out 🤗

[@tgsoon2002]

More concrete idea with high chance of success is really motivated.

[@dustupstexas]

@tgsoon2002 Exactly

[@marctorr5551]

I love what you are doing shawn. I have a small 23+ acres of Chuhuahan desert that is just south of the Organ Mountains Desert Peaks National Monument in the area North of Las Cruces, NM. Similar to yours but not nearly as much grass, no ocotillos, mostly creasote, mesqite and other various desert plants. The land slopes from NW to SE where there is an arroyo on the east side running north to south. I have access to a tractor with a frontoader and blace in back and that is it, so progress is slow with a lot by hand. I am lucky that at 72, I have the strength and stamina to do hard work. Recently, I learned about a particular tree that is not indigenous but thrives in sandy soil, extreme cold as well as extreme heat both of which we both have. The tree is commonly called "yellow horn" and the scientific name is Xanthoceras Sorbifoium. It bears nut seeds in pods after a beautiful flowering phase around May. They may become a significant cash crop due to the seeds medicinal and health properties as they are loaded with healthy oil. I was given a small bag of seeds from a friend Jeff Anderson who works for NMSU Agriculture department. He had a small bag full that had to be planted soon or they loose germination viability. I have planted them around the berms I have made and have many more to plant. Check them out, seeds are available from Maple River Farms in Minnisota. Take care and keep up the great work.

[@victorygarden556]

This is how you form the ecosystem for sure. I do this stuff a lot with self sufficient fish tanks and the whole “each species attracts 8 more on average” is basically true. Enable one species to get a serious foothold by getting a keystone beginner, and build off the keystone species. It will make a functional ecosystem for the things around it if this particular tree is a home run for the ecosystem. Extreme environments require extremophiles like that and they enable the more normal plants by taking the land and making it more hospitable.

[@traildude7538]

Every time I see those stream beds I think of putting low loose rock check dams all along them, then increasing their heights as they fill with sediment. I love repairing erosion gullies that way and see those stream beds almost makes my fingers itch to be stacking rocks!

[@threeriversforge1997]

Good stuff! One thing I'd worry about is the water pushing through that fine soil on the dam. Water's really good at eroding away bare ground, even when there's a high clay content, because it just doesn't stop looking for that path of least resistance. Rock armoring on all three sides is going to pay huge dividends, imo. I would also recommend smaller check dams along the channel just so you create speed bumps and small pools that act as a shock absorber. Not only will these take a lot of the energy out of the water that hits the main dam, but you get the added benefit of trapping water in small pools higher up in the elevation so it can percolate down into the ground and be used by plants all the way along the path. With just the dam there, all the water that runs down the channel gets free rein until it hits that dam. While that might not seem problematic, in non-torrential showers, the small rock dams can provide hydration over a longer stretch of the valley bottom. Does that make sense? In short, I guess, you just can't go wrong by putting more obstacles in the path of the water, forcing it to earn every step of the way off your property!

[@fightme5305]

A plant you might want to consider planting are bachelor buttons. They are native to that area also can help attract beneficial animals if you want

[@kevinbarnes218]

This fact didn't pass me off.

[@fightme5305]

@@kevinbarnes218 what does that mean like it not good or its interesting

[@atoth62]

@@kevinbarnes218 ??

[@PankajDoharey]

You need deciduous and hardy Fruit Trees. to build an ecosystem. i.e Pomegranate. Also US has great examples like Imperial Valley California.

[@Ifyouarehurtnointentwasapplied]

Most Fruit trees don't grow in the desert with 1 water every 10 months​@@PankajDoharey✌️

[@brendafosmire6519]

I had not watched for a few weeks. So much progress. From not knowing how to rent and use a dozer to master. So quick.

[@dustupstexas]

Master is a wee bit generous. I'll settle for "not totally incompetent"

[@beelot1511]

@@dustupstexas awwww.. don't put yourself down too much, man. you are doing great!

[@laxpolicy9698]

Master at destroying a natural hillside. None of this is accomplishing his goals. He’s just ruining the land.

[@BeyondMillennium]

@@laxpolicy9698 He's surrounded by 40,000 acres of desert preserve. I think that hill will be fine bro. Besides, the end goal will be a lusher desert landscape.

[@davsan315]

​@@laxpolicy9698it looks nasty now, wait to see the results. It will be so much better.

[@jamesw6069]

The Q&A format of this one is great. Added a lot of context which makes the story more compelling.

[@bennywebb]

Yes, came here to say the same thing. Stefan (I think that’s his name) asked some great questions.

[@beakerfish72]

In other videos I have seen about revitalizing land from desert to green. They control the flow of water. They make bowls or wells for water to get trapped in. They use the slopes for the water to run into these wells or bowls. Where the bowls are placed are plants grow. Keeping as much water in the area and being a part of the groundwater is important. The bowls act like beaver dams in that they keep water in the area longer which allows life to grow easier in the area.

[@donwilson4934]

I think there is an Andrew millison video where a man builds 10 ponds across the decline watershed of his land. The creek below would only run half the year. Now it runs all year long and he has mirrored Mother Earth using her model to rebuild the land.

[@adammac4381]

Johnson hand held sight levelling tool,,,pocket size ,,, 20 bucks at hardware,,, you'll love it for this type of work.

[@edstimator1]

I figured that one out very early in my building career. It’s a very useful tool. Well worth the cost.

[@sarantissporidis391]

Nice work buddy. I am from Greece, and there's quite a few places around here, and throughout all the Mediterranean region facing similar problems. One solution you should consider is planting carob trees within that torrent area. Carob trees need less water, they are heat resistant, fire resistant, they produce a lot of organic natter to enrich the soil, and their fruit attracts many animals. You really should consider this, you know my country is literally baked under the sun each summer and we have like 300+ days of sunshine every year, so believe me l know what I'm talking about.

[@icybud]

Sounds cool. Wikipedia says they need 350 bis 550 mm water per year. Do we have that?

[@sarantissporidis391]

@@icybud My guess is that if you plant them in the rainy season inside that torrent they will probably make it. It's quite a hardy species, they do well in a typical Greek environment, that is lime stone rock, poor soil and months without rain. Plus we have lots of thorny undergrowth species and shrub that would cope with the conditions over there.

[@karinlindblom2934]

I have no clue about how they would work there but as you say their fruits are very useful for a lot of animals. Added to that, they are beautiful to look at. I love those trees. Tere is only one thing to consider and that is if they will reproduce in a way that would make them an invasive specie. I think that would be really bad.

[@sarantissporidis391]

@@karinlindblom2934 Actually they are rather slow-growers ergo they don't strike me for an invasive species.

[@jrkorman]

High potential to become invasive. A species like the Carob could disrupt the native plants.

[@wanderinggiraffe9299]

I really appreciate your friend asking the questions he has been. It's helped me understand so much, and I think it's a great vehicle for you to share really interesting info

[@HTOP1982]

21:59 To be able to push more material, you have to release the ground. For that you'd need a ripper fitted to the Dozer.

[@patrickmurray8451]

On monday 1 /22/24 It looks like you are getting some rain. I hope you discover that you are retaining water. Im rooting for your success

[@GeoffHou]

For the ponds and terrasses: if you have the option to add a standpipe and pipe through the wall (12" size), that would recommended. Also add a stone spillway which is about 8 inches or more lower than the top of dam. It is recommended to keep the top of the dam 16" higher than the level which is controlled by the standpipe.

[@GordonKnight-x3m]

This dam construction is a long way from needing a standpipe and a spillway.

[@josea7804]

5:39 If you angle the pipe slightly up you’ll need to keep cleaning sediment from the inlet as it will slow the flow velocity and allow for the sediment to settle. To manage sediment in the pipe you want enough velocity that no deposition occurs, the problem is that you then need good erosion control in the outlet to avoid scour

[@olsim1730]

I believe he is making a sand trap type dam/pond therefore silt settling upstream is desirable?

[@Zackfed96]

@@olsim1730 the worry is that the sediment will be settling in the pipe. you want water that is flowing through the pipe to be constantly cleaning the pipe of debris. the only way that would be possible is if the pipe is angled down.

[@pappafritto]

@@Zackfed96this was my thought too

[@kirksinclair6088]

the pipe should have at least a 2% drop down stream to keep the pipe clean. you dont have enough head pressure to assist in cleaning the pipe.

[@nickfosterxx]

Yeah. What the heck?!

[@barrybariangaming4312]

I look forward to seeing the native plant life respond to the increase of ground water after the next few rain events.

[@markday5797]

Shaun, this world needs more people like you, 😄😄😄

[@pauldurkee4764]

There are probably a lot of people who would like to do something like this, but they don't have the means to buy the land. Wouldn't it be great if the government gave parcels of land to people to do this sort of thing.

[@TomBTerrific]

@@pauldurkee4764they did they called it homesteading. Also mining claims.

[@dustupstexas]

Thanks!

[@tzrunnerau]

Don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile as much as you did in this video.

[@Sharlenwar]

I can't wait to see what grows there in 2024 here.

[@teslatrooper]

Stephan making you explain things gave me a much better idea of what's going on. Keep him around.

[@macktaylor1955]

Looking great. I can't wait till you get rain!

[@jacko644]

Hugely improved video and presentation! You can tell you really put some thought and a lot of effort into it! Well done!

[@Warbird_Construction]

Shaun. Buy an o ring kit, additional fuel filters, hydraulic filters, fuses, and hydraulic oil for that dozer. A good amount of your break downs will be those items and they are relatively inexpensive to keep on hand to get you back up and running quick.

[@CHMichael]

I read all these suggestions about plants. Time for a nursery setup to give new plants a fighting chance. Great job. The bulldozer is gold

[@SVHummingbird2]

I just subscribed and really like what you are doing. I left a comment on a previous video that you might consider pond liner on the upstream side of the dams with a rock overlay to prevent the soil erosion. This along with the stand pipe should give you a longer life for your dams with minimal investment.

[@brianhenry4404]

Easy to see why you are successful at most everything you put your mind to. Your patience, research and common sense approach are interesting to watch. Not afraid to fail, not afraid to admit when you do is also not a common trait. Picking up operating the dozer rather quickly! Keep up the hard work! People are learning valuable lessons from you.

[@valentynzadoiannyi5652]

this is so exciting to see the results! i will be paitiently waitig for this day when we see PLANTS GO CRAZY!!

[@davidstakston1950]

I'm waiting for the heavy rainfall take out the dams. Don't all earth dams fail in the future.

[@MiguelCM_98]

Something I learned while making this dams at the ranch that you should do them so that the water doesn’t drieout fast. This Is you need to dig on the side where the water is going pile up. You need to dig until you rich good soil like caliche or clay.

[@andrewbaggaley5728]

Shaun you’re the best man. We all want you to win keep going!

[@NevadaFarms]

I have something that will help the soil to hold moisture. Check out Bio char. Take wood burn it to a charcoal, Quincy the fire don’t let it burn to ash then leave the char pan on top of the soil. Eventually it will work into the soil and the charcoal absorbs holds moisture keeping the soil with moisture longer through the dry part of the year.

[@BullgearRCvideos]

Glad I read through the comments. I was about to suggest biochar myself

[@NevadaFarms]

@@BullgearRCvideos thank you, I think it’s viable. My auto correct is not viable keeps changing correctly spelled words to other words.

[@BreakingBarriers2DIY]

Wow this is really going somewhere. I admire the right amount of risk management thinking without paralyzingly progress. You also manage the multitude of inputs and learning without getting either stubborn or the opposite unthinking following someone else’s ideas. I’m so glad you share this with us.

[@davetyler5597]

Looking forward to seeing your work project, in a rain storm

[@stevetaylor2702]

I love these projects; seeing nature find its way back to life. However it takes time so does anyone watch similar project videos that they could recommend. Would be great to feel Shaun isnt alone!

[@1000orsowords]

This guy is interesting youtube.com/@polyculturefarms?si=pyxLfcZ3eX1mmOcC

[@GarnersGeckos]

I can imagine that a couple trees that drop leaves annually taking hold will really increase soil quality in those areas. I can’t wait to see the first few planted. Mulch and hay may be useful 🤔

[@Remo303-c9i]

I've been around earth-moving long enough to get a few winces and headaches watching ya but it's your project and your learning-curve will remain exponential for a while. Best Wishes! (Dave/PHX)

[@knucklessg1]

We need more terraces! They are fantastic on their own for letting the water sink into the terrace, especially if you combine it with a few swales. You could continue adding terrace layers around this pond and putting fruit trees on each terrace! Check out growing hardier trees like the Texas Black Persimmon and White/Red/Black Mulberries. You can clone your mulberries very easily, and start spreading clones around your property! You should also look into planting several pioneering species. Black Locust has great edible flowers, and Honey Locust has edible seeds. They are nitrogen fixers and very hardy trees. You can also get other edible plants that fix nitrogen into the soil and begin adding additional nutrients for surrounding plants. Seaberry and Serviceberry are both other great edible berry nitrogen fixing bushes.

[@dustupstexas]

One day for the fruit trees. There's a lot of steps between now and then

[@abigail01441]

​@@dustupstexas Mulberries will grow in spit. Mulberry seeds will sprout and grow in the dry cracks in a sidewalk. Mulberries are a really good suggestion for getting biology started.

[@knucklessg1]

@@dustupstexas you can get your locust and mulberry trees started very early by putting just 1 of each variety on the first terrace you did today! As the trees grow, you can take cuttings when you're ready for the bigger fruit tree initiative!

[@verdtre4573]

Lots of pond pondering this episode.

[@patrickcronin6829]

Can’t wait to se the results in 1,2 and 10 years. I think you will inspire many people to do the same not only in the desert southwest, but in similar geography worldwide. Thank you for sharing and documenting this!

[@ObeyaPrototyper]

Thanks for your agile mindset and approach. Plan for failure so that you maximize your learning ❤

[@dustupstexas]

I appreciate the support

[@iam4iamWe]

I think this is a brilliant plan

[@zainzyklon8661]

So I have now watched all the videos in the playlist and would do some things differently. My suggestion is to use your sandbagging machine but with jute bags and not these non-biodegradable white plastics. You have to make sure that you only fill 2/3 of them so that a wall made of them is strong. A bulldozer can be used to clear the area where the dam is to be built so that the bags are placed deep enough and not just at ground level. In some videos you have shown that there is a river near your site. Have you ever thought about putting a pipe in the river and running it up to your highest pond and running the pump by wind power like in the old westerns? And there is research being done on changing the climate in deserts and increasing the frequency of rain in the desert by planting Simmondsia chinensis plantations.

[@weiserEsel]

Watching the whoel Series from the very start. Just wanted to note that your intro is super awesome. I really love it. Keep it up! We're all with you here.

[@aidandavies7232]

It's aaaaaalll coming together!!

[@BubbaPordlaw]

I'm so happy you decided to tackle this project on a much larger scale. My confidence level of success has been greatly elevated after watching the last two videos. Also glad to hear you mention that you have taken in to consideration what the worse-case rain event might be. Up until now I was seeing everything as "temporary" just waiting until a decent monsoon rolled in. Great video! BP

[@danielhughes6896]

I think its unlikely that those ponds will hold water long enough to use it for irrigation. But if the goal in infiltration then it will do that very well.

[@nicolasb.4229]

I look forward to your video every time I open this website. Keep killing it man! Keep shaping the world.

[@tammywehner3269]

add oodles and gobs of "vegetable matter" . compost, wood chips, dead plants and plenty of manure. the more moisture retaining stuff, the better.

[@user-curtisingreenville]

New to channel and finally getting to most recent video. I love what you are doing. I will be tuning as your project moves forward. So far it is super interesting and definitely a learning experience. The progress is real and enjoyable in seeing it all come together. Love the channel and love what you are trying to accomplish.

[@sentwistle4325]

@HarvestingRainwater (Brad Lancaster) would love what you're doing!

[@svetlanapil8089]

I love the fact that you are not just thinking it through, but listen to other opinions, mentally fitting it to your situation and act only when all the details are in place. Diagrams help so much to see and understand what's going on. You are doing fantastic job!

[@frankoptis]

I love the progress in this video: A clear path to success!

[@txredline203]

Nice work Shaun. The dozer is a game changer. It moves so much material in a short time. Not to mention the soil composition is very diverse. Having great input , evaluating the information, and building a written project plan allows you to set goals and see the results/rewards of the hard work. Keep moving forward with your projects and the results will be great.

[@laxpolicy9698]

Now he’ll be able to do irreversible damage across the entire property!

[@mariarogers813]

Very interested in what you're doing! Wishing you all the luck 😊

[@martincatoniryan1638]

It's all coming together. Congrats , Shaun! I've been watching your videos for a long time, I'm glad that the project is going forward and you are still working on it and haven't given up! Keep up the good work, man!!

[@danbeerman2388]

Stoked to see your progress. Amazing project. Its motivating to see people applying principles to work with the land, also this comment section is 🔥. Great suggestions from folks for further reading/edu on the subject!

[@yidavv]

Loving these videos. And the back and forth between you and the camera guy (new to the channel, im sure he does more than just camerawork) and you explaining all the plans, him asking questions its such a natural and organic way to learn from this video. Really enjoyed learning from those discussions, he is like us, as in not knowing too much about geology and such so his questions are our questions, really appreciate his inquiry. Keep up the great videos, i watched your first video about why you want to do this project and you are the type of person that makes the world a better place despite all the odds against us. Thank you for your valuable contribution.

[@Wood-Renovations]

Shaun showing an impressive amount of grace and patience.

[@Scotty-kc1co]

again tnxz and respect from the netherlands, europe !

[@robertdewar1752]

Keep up the good work Shaun. I hope it all comes together and works out well for you and all the volunteers.

[@anthonydooley3616]

Making the terrace will create a lot of extra dirt, which can be used to make a dam. 6 inch PVC pipe can be glued together in sections for a drain pipe. You can put a valve in the PVC pipe and keep it closed unless you need to drain water out. Your draw is deep enough that you should make the dam at least 10 feet high. More water storage for when there are months without rain. You need a liner inside the dam if you expect it to hold water. Once you have standing water, plants will sprout up naturally and it will attract wildlife.

[@chuckymcchuckface8768]

I'm watching from North Down, Northern Ireland. The funny thing is, we here have way too much water. Little sun but loads of rain. Like rain between the showers. It's funny watching Shaun fight for every last drop.

[@greggarner8776]

Absolutely incredible channel. You’ve got me hooked here, Shawn. This is an absolutely fascinating content that speaks to everything I’m interested in about. You’ve got a great eye to “value” aspect of this project which I think the world needs more of. Not letting perfect be the enemy of great. I can see a world where roaming, AI programmed, solar-powered gentle-giants give a helping hand to the land and overcome the indifference of sedimentation on the plant-world. I hope this years El-Niño gives you the rain you’re looking for and you can show how to scale this. The world needs more people like you.

[@dustupstexas]

Thank you!

[@henrywycislo9454]

A great first effort. Once you build all this - you get to watch what happens in an average rain. Very large rain event throws everything off - no matter the plan. You're in action and built a small pond. Let the good times roll.

[@LubomirFotev]

Keep going, step by step. It will work

[@mrright1068]

The dozer really helps. Love seeing the progress you can make with it. I cannot wait to see how this works. You are inspiring people to try the same thing on some inexpensive desert land.

[@gardentours]

Two days ago I discovered your channel and in between I watched all the videos ✅ Thank you very much for filming your journey to grow a desert forest 🌵🌱🌳 Some years ago I bought a place which used to be a parking for trucks. Since that time I'm trying to grow a food forest on this plot. Mainly grow soil and make it fertile so that something grows on the concrete, gravel and sand. The place is very small compared to your 320 acres but it's quite a job. I'm so glad that I filmed it because sometimes I think I haven't achieved anything but the videos tell me that there is some progress. I hope that you continue showing us your progress on KZbin even when it is quite time consuming.

[@benmccormack9736]

Yes Shaun!!!

[@Prober61]

look at how the beavers do it. They are the true professionals in the natural world. if I wasn't a 62 yr old cardiac patient I'd be there with you. You need to spread seed for grasses with deep roots on top.

[@sharonandrews4910]

SO impressed with how your dozer skill has improved.

[@suburbanbiology]

Great work as always! I love how the earthworks are coming together. Let’s hope Texas gets some of those winter rains now!

[@Budvb]

Old school ocean floor here, early stage of earths creation before dirt… I ponder if one finding sea shells as one digs the earth. FYI I am no expert just calling it as I see the land.. some how u need water and then compost… new to this channel and looks as later into the series for my first look upon its adventure.. I would build a small shelter and try to get some type of tap into an aquifer.. most that under ground water is probably old sea water, no way an underground water source is getting filled by what I see is a small amount of rainfall in a year, from the aquifer a pond small stream and start building compost… you are gonna need a lot of carbon in the ground to grow from. ,y guess to big to fast is gonna burn you out… I will stay on for this adventure!

[@sandmanxo]

Incredible progress, and hope to get out there this year to both help and learn for my land as well.

[@The_BigDaddyLuv]

What you’re doing is an inspiration to me and countless others. Keep it up! You totally ROCK! 🎸

[@texasranchadventures]

I’m half way up to the top of the mesa on our 20 acres. Once I’m done with driveway, I’ll be hoping to dig a pond and follow your terrace idea. 🙏🙌

[@cesartabasa3204]

Amazing determination to make the land productive. Keep going. Good that in your country you have the right equipment to use.

[@baytownbert2]

How exciting to see you posted an update!

[@GregWestervelt]

Excited to have found this channel and the vision you set for this project. Great feedback from your guests in comment forum, keep the vision. God bless.

[@DevDoesAThing]

glad to be here shaun thanks for the updates !!

[@stephenschwake524]

This is my favorite video of your series so far!

[@linneawestberg6435]

Stunning video quality and views Shaun! I loved watching the conversation and discussion between the two of you, it felt more including and conversational. Ive been watching your videos from front to back, first to last over the last two weeks and am so exited to keep up with your trials and tribulations over time. Cheers from a soon-to-be biology teacher in Sweden☀️🌷

[@CesarCamposSk8]

Man, I been fallowing your progress for a year. Your work is awesome! I wish you and your project the best, and I’ll keep watching your videos as soon as they come out.

[@orlandoboneshirt7582]

Enjoy watching your progress.

[@Bunterpartybuss2000]

I really love your project of building a dessert forest! I wish i could do something similar or help. Always had a passion for moving large amounts of dirt and building dams to store water. Sadly, it's not possible where I live and 1 ocean away :D Keep up the great work and i hope that trees grow soon.

[@iwanoutmans3537]

I admire this project. I’m really curious how it turns out. I’ll keep following it. Keep up the good work!

[@stephenlyssy9047]

Love the Q&A session helps give a broader understanding to your vision! Keep up the great work, very inspirational!

[@marctorr5551]

When are the Q and A sessions?

[@gbizzle4355]

I've been waiting Shaun! Hope your well

[@FallofftheMap]

It’s really informative watching you think through these problems and make decisions like this.

[@lazrus7049]

Thanks!

[@dustupstexas]

Likewise!

[@channelfour6098]

Wishing the best of luck for you please don’t give up!

[@jovitaaguilar3316]

I’m glad to see that you are assessing the contour of the land!

[@sheilam4964]

Looking real good. Thx for doing this, filming it and sharing it with us. 👍👍👍👍👍

[@MadMikael]

I found your first video this morning. This evening I've found that I've watched them all. I must say, your effort is impressive; you're actually going out and trying something. I'm also very appreciative of you not only sharing your successes, but your failures as well; we learn as you learn, and I suspect that if you keep with this project, it could prove to be (even more) valuable learning material. I'm glad to see your mood has improved, I hope it stays that way. Food for thought: Some may think you're nuts, some may think you're foolish, and some may think worse... but I would argue that was similarly thought of many of the visionaries/pioneers in history during their time, and now they're celebrated.