Brad Lancaster

Brad Lancaster

Brad Stewart Lancaster (born March 15, 1967) is an expert in the field of rainwater harvesting and water management. He is also a permaculture teacher, designer, consultant and co-founder of Desert Harvesters non-profit organization.

Lancaster lives on an eighth of an acre (0.05 Ha) in downtown Tucson, Arizona, where rainfall is less than 12 inches (305 mm) per annum. In such arid conditions, Brad consistently models that catching over 100,000 Gallons (379,000 Liters) of rainwater to feed food-bearing shade trees, abundant gardens, and a thriving landscape is a much more viable option than the municipal system of directing it into storm drains and sewer systems.^[1]

A recent project in 2009 involved acting as a representative for the U.S. State Department on an educational tour in the Middle East.^[2]

Lectures

Lancaster lectures at the ECOSA Institute, the University of Arizona, and Prescott College. He has been a guest speaker at the annual Bioneers Convergence; Green Festival USGBC’s Greenbuild Conference; Texas Natural Building Colloquium; the New Mexico Xeriscape Conference; the Green Festival; the 2009 Water Conservation & Xeriscaping EXPO; the New Mexico Organic Farming Conference and various Audubon Expeditions.

Design

Lancaster has designed integrated water-harvesting and permaculture systems for multiple projects, including the Tucson Audubon Simpson Farm restoration site; the Milagro development; Stone Curves co-housing project;^[3] and the Tucson Nature Conservancy water-harvesting demonstration site.

Interviews

• Harvesting Rainwater by Not Letting It Go to Waste, National Public Radio (NPR), 10 January 2008
• Brad Lancaster: Dancing in the Rain, New Dimensions Media, 30 October 2006
• Grow With the Flow: Legal Uses of Graywater, Carol Steinfeld, Natural Home and Garden, March/April 2008

Books

• Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond, Vol.1
• Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond, Vol. 2

Published Articles

• The Ecologist
• Chelsea Green

Awards

• 2008 Award of Excellence/Personal Recognition from American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association
• 2005 Arizona Department of Water Resources/Tohono Chul Park Xeriscape Contest Award, First Place – Homeowner under $10,000 ^[4]
• 2005 Arizona Department of Water Resources/Tohono Chul Park Xeriscape Contest Award - Best Water Harvesting ^[5]
• 2005 Arizona Department of Water Resources/Tohono Chul Park Xeriscape Contest Award - J.D. Di Melglio Artistry in Landscaping ^[6]
• 2001 City of Tucson and Pima County Good Neighbor Award
• 2000 Tucson Weekly voted Dunbar/Spring Organic Community Garden the Best Neighborhood Garden

Website

www.HarvestingRainwater.com

See also

• Permaculture
• Geoff Lawton
• Paul Wheaton
• Bill Mollison

References

• Glennon, Robert.(2009).Unquenchable: America's Water Crisis and What To Do About It (pp. 189–190). Washington, DC:Island Press.
• Katz, Sandor Ellix.(2006).The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved (pp. 100–101).Chelsea Green:White River,Vermont.
• Namrouqa, Hana (April 16, 2009)."Experts Recommend Rainwater Harvesting to Solve Jordan's Water Shortage". The Jordan Times, p. 3, Vol.24, No.10173.

Footnotes

1. Telis, Gisela."The Care and Watering of a Neighborhood"Tucson Green Magazine January 2008, p.13
2. Khan, Fouzia (April 21, 2009). "American Speakers at Earth Day Celebrations". Saudi Gazette, P.3.
3. Hamilton, James L., Stone Curves Development Manager, personal communication, February 10, 2010
4. Poole, B. “Design With the Desert in Mind”, Tucson Citizen, March 2006, p.4A.
5. Poole, B. “Design With the Desert in Mind”, Tucson Citizen, March 2006, p.4A.
6. Poole, B. “Design With the Desert in Mind”, Tucson Citizen, March 2006, p.4A.