The guest speaker for October was Dan Dagget, an environmentalist, artist, author and much more. Of particular note, is the fact
that Dan has evolved his liberal thinking as a member of The Sierra Club to that of a conservative environmentalist.
The topic of Dan's presentation was one that is very important to those of us living around Sedona, and that
is erosion by water. We all see the damage the heavy monsoon downpours can do around trails and even
our own yards. In particular, we often see the erosion exposing tree roots in washes. The fact is, according
to Dan, trees are a poor solution to erosion control. Much of the area around Sedona fifty-plus years ago was grassland
that supported cattle ranching, and the erosion was under control.
Dan's solution is actually going back to what worked in the past. Bring the cattle back in controlled situations
where they are allowed to roam over the once protected land. Their forage is worked into the barren soil along with their natural
"fertilizer" to effective work the compost into the soil from which the grass can thrive and protect the soil from the effects
of erosion.
Dan's book, Gardeners of Eden, describes the process in great detail with numerous successful examples.
