Rainy season is a good time to plant, remove invasive plants, and make a swale! A swale is a ditch that you build along the contour of the land to catch and slow down the flow of water. This will prevent the water from eroding the soil and creating a deep gully. Instead, you can direct the water towards trees and other plants.
Here is Tonji presenting our first swale project!
TRANSCRIPT:
This is our first swale project. We’re collecting the water from the areas — here, the roofs, the run off water– because that area is higher and it slopes down here to the reforestation area.
(So) This swale is about 100 meters and the water comes here, comes out here, at this point, and the water is collected in this swale which is around a hundred meters, to stop erosion inside the reforestation area there.
(Because) That area has a slope, so all the water gets stuck here and collected and is slowly watering the trees that we are replanting as well as the forest area slowly.
You can see this drizzle has collected that amount of water and its going down here and if you follow the swale line a hundred meters then it will hopefully water these plants every time it rains.
(So) These are Talisay and other trees. So this replanted area should be one of the best in the future because it will have a great water supply!
Tonji and Sylvia's Wildlife Refuge 