BECY 2018 Is in Full Swing

6/15/2018

First year Youth Leader, Jordan Sene, from the BECY Nogales group shared her reflections on the first weeks of work this June. They BECY Nogales group has spent their first two weeks building erosion control structures. Read below for Jordan's reflections and for more information on the types of erosion control structures she discusses.

Journal Entry
by Jordan Sene

Entering the program I had no expectations and I did not even really have a clue about the type of work we were hired to do. I had the idea that I would be doing manual labor in extreme Arizona heat all summer. However, BECY offers something greater than that.

During the first days at work I met my coworkers, community rules that everyone agreed on were established and I learned how to safely use our tools and equipment. We were trained on the the basis of the program: the three pillars of restoration which are watershed, ecosystem, and community.

I have become reconnected with the world around me and I recognize that one small change can make a big difference. Our entire ecosystem is closely connected and it is one great interweb of land, water, food chains, and animals. We as people are a part of this scheme as well, and our actions have significantly impacted our home.

Overgrazing and not taking care of our resources has caused the water supply to dwindle and erosion creates huge headcuts and massive channels on the sides of mountains. One rock dams, trincheras, zuni bowls are hand built to detain water so it can sink into the ground creating aquifers. Slowing down the water gives plant life an opportunity to grow which brings back pollinators and other animals because the food chain is reestablished. Working on rock structures has demonstrated to me the value of teamwork, especially appreciating each member’s perspective that they contribute to the team.

Be on the lookout for more blog posts from our BECY participants in Patagonia, Douglas, and Nogales as they help restore the landscape in the Arizona-Sonora Borderlands. Visit the BECY webpage for more information about the program.

For more information about the erosion control structures Jordan mentions in her journal entry, click on the PDF file below for diagrams and explanations about how they work. Visit our Watershed Restoration page for more information about the erosion control work we do at Borderlands Restoration Network.