When we arrived at Eric Kalsta’s ranch, it gave a false impression. It was hot and heavily covered in mosquitoes. But once the sun started to set and it cooled down, the shimmer of the land started to be seen. The group stayed up late reading in Eric’s guest cabin, getting ready for the next day’s class and adventures.
When morning came, we ate breakfast and met Mr. Kalsta for the first time. He took us on a tour of his property, sharing his current restoration projects and recounting the land’s and familial history. One of the stories he shared was about the early settlers and their horses. He said that once automobiles became more popularized, many people abandoned their homesteads and everything on them. This led to a mass of wild horses which degraded the ecosystem. Exacerbating the issue is the current seven-year drought – Mr. Kalsta’s land gets only four inches of rain per year. One way he is combating the loss of water was by building a pond, which has helped to restore the groundwater and native species.
We completed a work project for Mr. Kalsta. For our project, we built rock dams in the gullies of his hills. These structures sit horizontally in gullies and are basically walls made of rock. Their overall purpose is to help slow the water when it does rain. My group built around 10, and all of our material came from the surrounding area. After a few hours of work, I remember thinking just how little effort can make a big difference.
We finished, ate lunch, and went to a nearby river to cool down and have class. We returned to camp where Mr. Kalsta met us again. I asked him questions about his property and, more specifically, what he does with his sheep. He told me that he sells the wool to military clothing companies, as it is in high demand. He also told me that he rents out his property to other farmers, for them to grow their crops, though he will be giving the land a break for the next year. I thanked him for letting us work on his land and he left. I found this conversation to be beneficial for me as it answered my burning questions.
That night, I woke up around 3am and saw many constellations and the Milky Way. It was super nice because there was little light pollution. The next day, we said our goodbyes and drove off to the next site.
