San Jose Fire : Our Response


We have designed a Water Retention Landscape Plan for a 17 hectare property on the San Jose burn area, and are now implementing it. We are including the project report here, if you are curious to learn more. Mirador Design [pdf]

On this degree of slope, our swales are very narrow, and have a .4-.6% slope within the swale.

Saraguru crew with Zia. Don Ramon, in the white hat, is 70. He is still a powerhouse!

Narrow swales, with a slope within the swale of .3-.6 % to help rainwater in a strong storm move off the mountain safely without furthering erosion. The vetiver grass forms a barrier subteraneally and above ground. Roots grow 4-5m deep and form a thick web.

Vetiver planted above and below a break in the land that is threatening to slide.


About Zia Parker

Transition skills for earth~body healing : We provide workshops, training, and private sessions in applied knowledge for healing the land and healing our bodies, and understanding the connection between them. The common thread in all of these offerings is that they help us shift our way of being in the world so that we sense and are sensitive to the living world around us. Thus, enabling us to integrate the information coming to us-both from our bodies and the earth-and respond with contributions toward a healthy, harmonious balance with all beings.