Every day is EARTH DAY at YPG

‘Every day is Earth Day at YPG,” says U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground Public Affairs Officer Mark Schauer. Although referring to the wildlife diversity at YPG and its ongoing efforts to be good stewards of the land, the children at James D. Price Elementary School in YPG had the chance to contribute to those efforts in a big way.

On Thursday morning, children gathered just outside the school to learn from YPG Wildlife Biologist Daniel Steward and Natural Resource

Specialist Reed Rider about a new way to plant and grow trees without irrigation. With the use of Groasis Waterboxxes, tree saplings can grow with a reliable source of water as each Waterboxx efficiently collects and stores water in a way meant to mirror how plants grow in nature without irrigation.

Asking students what they knew about the desert, the kids confirmed that “the desert has rocks,” “the desert is dry!” and “it rains here sometimes.” Although every plant needs water, Steward explained to the children that native plants have adapted very well to the desert and don’t require much water.

By planting Ironwood trees, Palo Verdes, Honey Mesquites and Desert Willows, the native trees should fare well with the Waterboxxes.

Natural Resource Specialist Reed Rider shared that the saplings came from seeds in Yuma, were grown in greenhouse in Flagstaff and brought back to YPG thanks to a collaboration with Arizona Game and Fish.

“These have now been here a month, so they’ve had a month to adapt to being outside in the weather and have responded well,” Rider said. “They did not look this green; they look much healthier now

so this is also part of our experiment going forward in the future. We probably shouldn’t go straight into the ground, they probably need to be acclimated, watered, given an adjustment period to life outside.”

The children had a blast helping set up the Waterboxxes and planting the saplings for Earth Day, but what they might not realize is that their work is helping YPG experiment with Waterboxxes in the hopes of one day going to a xeriscape landscape–meaning a landscape that practices water conservation.

“It’s good for the environment, it’s good for YPG,” said Daniel Steward. “We’ll be watching them as we’re growing them and we’re really hoping that if this is successful here, we can put it to use in other areas in the range.”

AS THEY PLANTED TWO PALO VERDES, wildlife biologist Daniel Steward explained to the students that it’s important to have the trees planted pointing north and south since the sun rises in the East and sets in the West.

THE GROASIS WATERBOXX is meant to provide water for trees without irrigation. Instead, it collects and stores water that is slowly used by the trees. Even though it doesn’t rain much in Yuma, the Waterboxx should be able to reliably provide water for the trees.

NATURAL RESOURCE SPECIALIST REED RIDER helps students assemble “armor” for the trees, which will prevent rabbits from trying to eat them.

PHOTOS By SiSKO J. STarGaZEr/YUMA SUN

PHOTOS BY SISKO J. STARGAZER/YUMA SUN DANIEL STEWARD SHOWS STUDENTS the plants they’ll be growing: Ironwood trees, Palo Verdes, Honey Mesquites and Desert Willows.

STEWARD AND THE CHILDREN PLANTED the trees first and then gently placed the Groasis Waterboxx over the trees so that they’ll grow surrounded by the source of water that the Waterboxx will be offering throughout the summer.