Olive, lemon and palm trees provide shade over the small garden where Abu ElHajj recently started growing carrots, tomatoes, beans and herbs.Surrounded by arid cliffs and a harsh desert landscape, it seems an unlikely place to start cultivating food. 'Geoff taught us how to work with nature, not against it'- Abu ElHajj Facing drought and rising temperatures, Jordan is on the frontline of climate change. Overgrazing and inappropriate cultivation practices have contributed to increasing … [Read more...]
Celebrating 10-Years at the Greening the Desert Project, Jordan.
The Greening the Desert Project started with the purchase of land about ten years ago, and it expanded slowly until that mounted into exponential growth. Things started at the top, literally, with a large water tank that feeds a shower/toilet block just downhill. The toilets are dry composting, supplying fertilizer for plants on site, and the greywater from the showers and sinks goes to a nearby reed bed. The reed bed, still high in the landscape, is then able to send gravity-fed irrigation to … [Read more...]