(upbeat music) [TOM]: This week on Arizona Illustrated, take a tour of some of Tucson's most sustainable homes.

[EMMA]: I'm really interested in helping individuals at least create landscapes that don't need imported water.

And in some cases, put in tanks and other things that help provide their indoor water use as well.

The other thing we're doing is we're putting water back in the ground.

Our rivers, our Rillito River, our Santa Cruz River used to flow year round, they no longer do.

[TOM]: Learn about a unique loan program created for people of color looking to start businesses.

[KENESHIA]: And so for us to come together and to see more people that look like us, servicing people that look like us, it has opened up the doors.

[DANNY]: Our financial systems work well for a lot of people, but they have disadvantaged people of color historically.

[TOM]: The environmental benefits and visual delights of the local Desert Willow.

[ADAM]: The Desert Willow is native to the Sonoran Desert along wash areas and canyons.

It can take long periods of drought, but it needs more water than the average rainfall in the center of town.

[TOM]: Take a yoga class that blasts doom metal and participants say it's still relaxing.

[FOREST]: It feels easier to just notice thoughts and let them pass by when I'm slightly distracted by this meditative physical experience and the heaviness of the music and the intensity of some of the poses combines for this really cathartic emotional experience sometimes where I just feel things being released and it, yeah, it's really meaningful for me.

(upbeat music) [TOM]: Hello and welcome to another all new episode of Arizona Illustrated.

I'm Tom McNamara.

And today we join you from Watershed Management's Living Laboratory, which is located here just north of Speedway on Dodge.

Now this space is dedicated to exploring sustainability practices in action.

And there is plenty to see from the low-water hand washing stations, to the chickens, to the solar oven.

Now this nonprofit Watershed Management's larger vision is to quote, "envision a world where the relationship between communities and the environment creates prosperity for all and that everyday actions can change the world."

Watershed Management Group is a nonprofit based here in Tucson and we really focused on connecting people to their local environment and really helping people find easy ways to steward their environment.

Everything from our water to our plants and animals, our air, so every piece of our environment that we live in and benefit from that we're looking to help people connect to those and better steward those resources.

[TOM]: Part of that effort is our annual Desert Living Home Tour, where homes and community spaces around Tucson showcase their rainwater harvesting, native landscaping, composting toilets, and other features they have to cut down on water and energy use.

So now, find your inspiration to use nature to create more abundance and comfort in your own yard and neighborhood.

(soft music) (Charles) We're here for the Desert Living Home Tour.

So we're one of 15 sites that people can visit throughout the day.

What we hope people get from the tour is inspiration.

These homes on the tour are finding creative ways to use local water resources and local energy resources.

And what I think of is create abundance in their space.

There's so many conversations about the problems we're facing with, you know, heating cities and the record heat we saw this year.

And then we have been hearing about the Colorado River and strain that is being put on the Colorado River.

People I think are looking for answers right now and ways that they can get involved.

And these homes on the tour are showing what it looks like to be a part of the solution of these challenges.

(David) Today is the annual home tour, the Watershed Management Group puts on.

I've been on it for many years, I think about eight years.

By building basins that allows the rainwater to slow down, percolate into the ground and nourish native plants.

I've planted lots of native plants, a few native trees, and then cisterns to capture water so that I could water fruit trees.

I decided that, you know, I have enough storage here.

Would it be possible to actually live on rainwater?

If not all year, maybe part of the year.

And it looked like it was possible.

Right around the corner is a compost toilet, which is a wonderful water savings thing, flushing toilets uses an awful lot of water and it's into the water stream that then needs to be cleaned out.

So a compost toilet is wonderful and having it outside is nice.

(Emma) I have my own rainwater harvesting business in town.

I do design and install.

I work with homeowners and groups of volunteers to do the projects themselves.

And I helped install this landscape that we're gonna look at here in 2020.

I provide all the tools and materials and expertise and the homeowner helps recruit friends, family, neighbors.

You can read about this stuff all you want, but until you've gotten your hands dirty and seen it in 3D, it's not gonna sink in or really be applicable.

So we have a lot of earthworks, a lot of passive water harvesting, but we also put in a gray water system off our laundry and an active system rain tank off of half of our roof.

(David) There's also solar here on the home.

Solar is very effective in reducing your bill, but also offsetting climate change.

So offsets water.

The reason being that most utilities generate energy by burning something, whether it be coal or natural gas, to boil water that makes steam that drives the turbines.

That's consuming a lot of water.

So the solar avoids that water consumption as well.

Beyond solar, there are some batteries out here in the laundry room.

Those batteries do two things.

I can store excess energy during the day and then put it into the house in the grid in the afternoon during peak times.

I can also store energy for use when times get tough.

Sometimes in monsoon season, the power's out.

Sometimes for a day or two, I can utilize that energy during those times too.

There's an electric car in the garage.

That car is charged only with solar energy from the solar system.

So no fossil fuel powers that car and there are no emissions.

Well, I've been interested in rainwater harvesting, growing my own food, gardening.

So I was interested to come and see people who have actually put it into practice in their yards and because I wanted to get some ideas for my yard.

This tour today, it's just a great opportunity for us to go out and see all the different things.

Like she said, put it in practice.

So it's cool, this house is great.

(Eli) The rain store was designed to be a DIY resource center for people looking to do rainwater harvesting.

So we want to sell everything from the rainwater tanks to the collection, how you get that water into your tanks and then how you use that water once you've collected it.

So anybody from an amateur that's just wanting to learn how to do this themselves or somebody that's already done these systems and wants to come and expand it, we want to have all the resources available to them for not only rainwater, but for graywater.

And then again, like I said, once you have that water, we want to be an instrument for how you use that water in your landscape.

So if you want to do vegetable gardening, if you want to grow native plants, if you want to attract pollinators, we want to kind of connect all those pieces and have all that stuff here under one roof.

(Emma) We get enough rain in Tucson every year to support our city, but we don't use that rain.

Most of our urban municipal water supply is coming from the Colorado.

That's taking a lot of energy.

That's taking water out of the Colorado, which is denuding that ecosystem.

And if we were being a little bit more smart about our water use and where we use it from, we could be self-sufficient here in the Sonoran desert, but our infrastructure isn't set up for that.

And so I'm really interested in helping individuals at least create landscapes that don't need imported water.

And in some cases, put in tanks and other things that help provide their indoor water use as well.

The other thing we're doing is we're putting water back in the ground.

Our rivers, our Rillito River, our Santa Cruz River used to flow year round.

They no longer do because of groundwater pumping.

As this work spreads throughout the city, we could actually start to see flow return to our rivers, which is something that inspires me.

And like, I hope to see in my lifetime, I live two blocks from the Santa Cruz, so it's an extra near and dear to my heart.

[TOM]: For more in-depth coverage of water issues facing Arizona, check out the AZPM original podcast, Tapped.

This season focuses on how we get water from where it is to where we want it.

It's the return of AZPM's acclaimed podcast, Tapped.

Discover the untold stories of Arizona's most precious lifeline, water.

Join us on a journey through towering dams, deep wells, and vast reservoirs, revealing the extraordinary lengths we go to harness this finite resource and unraveling the secrets of Arizona's water infrastructure.

Tapped season two, available now wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

[TOM]: The Community Investment Corporation is changing the lending game for Black, Indigenous, People of Color in Southern Arizona.

They're offering interest-free microloans using a unique community-based approval process.

Now, it focuses more on stories and on strict financial requirements, and it's helping to alleviate lending disparities among BIPOC entrepreneurs.

So we're actually here at the Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona filming some of their training videos this morning.

So it's really exciting just because this is one of our newest clients at Regal Fierce Media and we're really excited to work with them.

(Luke) Okay, Rolling.

(Host) Hello, friends.

Thank you for joining us today.

(Katrina) So what motivated us to start this business is ultimately to have the freedom to be able to choose kind of what we do with our career, to be able to work with different businesses here in Tucson and ultimately to be our creative selves on every level.

And I feel like together as a unit, we all have different skills.

So this is why we are the perfect trio as BIPOC business owners, because we all bring something unique to the table.

(Daniel) So it was difficult.

We actually went to a regular financial institution, you know, first try to get funding, but we didn't have the history, we didn't have the credit as a business and we got denied.

So really finding the CIC and the BIPOC loan really set us up for the future.

The BIPOC Community Managed Loan Fund is a loan fund specifically for entrepreneurs of color.

It's a 0% loan fund that requires no collateral, has no fees and doesn't depend on credit.

(Keneshia) And so when you're thinking of reaching out to BIPOC people, a lot of times you see most organizations, the head of the organization is the person who's going to save the world.

And so for us to come together and to see more people that look like us, sevicing people that look like us, it has opened up the doors.

(Danny) Our financial systems work well for a lot of people, but they have disadvantaged People of Color.

Historically, BIPOC ownership of businesses is not equal to their percentage of the population.

We're pretty sure there is not a fund like this that's locally and community managed across the country where it is community members who are actually making the decisions.

(Mariela) Are you guys comfortable moving forward with the top two submissions to get approved?

Yes.

Awesome.

When we thought about what this committee looked like in going forward, one of our biggest things is we don't want anyone who is in finance and in banking.

We want people that are going to come and really have a heart for this community.

And so our committee and the program that we run is narrative based, it's character based, and that's the heart and soul of what we do.

Yes, hair looks beautiful.

I love the curls.

So when we looked at who are the judges for our submissions, it was all People of Color.

And also women.

And I felt like it was a very well, diverse team of people looking at our submissions.

And I think that really made us feel comfortable.

We are focusing on the people and if we took more time to focus on people and what they're doing and how they are impacting the community and the people around them, then we would get to see who people are.

Ultimately, I think that was the most unique part about CIC is that they truly were asking us who we are and why we want to be able to receive these funds and what we're going to do with them.

(Danny) It really is flipping the general loan process on its head.

Instead of asking for all of that documentation and and data upfront and then, you know, deciding whether somebody is worthy.

What we do is we actually leave the financial part to the end, and it's more relational and less transactional.

And I think, really that agency really makes a difference.

(Keneshia) I think the best part of applying is you don't have to have everything upfront.

So if you don't have your financials and you need some help with your P&L's you get that help on the back end.

(Keneshia) We are excited to celebrate the BIPOC Loan Fund Two-year Anniversary, and as a committee we are excited to bring everyone together.

One, so our committee can see each and every recipient of the BIPOC Loan Fund.

But two, to celebrate our BIPOC entrepreneurs here in Tucson.

And we want to sit back and take some time to celebrate those that have made it with us and then really let our businesses know that we are here to support you.

We see you and we can't wait to celebrate you.

And so these are the businesses that have been funded so far, and a lot of them are here in the room today.

(Katrina) I would say that the nice part about our BIPOC community and kind of what CIC is doing for us all is that they're giving us a safe space to come together and celebrate each other, to be inspired, to be innovative and also to share resources.

(Daniel) I think it's been really cool just seeing all these people who had an idea of business and they got a chance to start it, you know, they got a chance to get funding and pitch it and they're excited.

(Luke) Having a myriad of kind of views and cultures and everything It just kind of it creates innovation within the community, it's just like, let's get some new perspectives in here and really try to push the boundaries on different projects that you know, a lot of times have been largely ignored.

(Danny) Banks are actually missing out on some great entrepreneurs and we need more experimentation and innovation in finance to find ways to get disadvantaged, under-resourced entrepreneurs and find ways to be able to lend money to them.

I truly do believe that if we continue to pour into us as BIPOC business owners, we are only going to continue to elevate the Tucson economy and it's going to be a really fierce opportunity for all of us.

[TOM]: Looking around Watershed Management's Living Laboratory didn't take us long to find a Desert Willow tree and chances are there's one somewhere near where you are in the Sonoran Desert, which points to the fact that thousands of plants can be grown here successfully.

The Desert Willow is a good one.

It produces flowers and that feeds wildlife.

And yes, it is relatively easy to grow.

(Adam) Welcome to the Tucson Botanical Gardens near Grant and Alvernon.

My name is Adam Farrell-Wortman and I'm the Horticulture Manager here.

This is the is the desert willow Chilopsis linaris.

The desert willow blooms all summer long when it's healthy and happy.

Because it's blooming all summer long it's going to have blooms and seed pods at the same time.

This tree is seeded through the wind and so when the seed pods dry out they've got a little sail attached to them that can catch the wind and have them flutter down.

They do also provide seed for our native birds.

[Birds calling] Once the flowers get pollinated, they'll drop, but still having a lot of the petal left.

And that's one of the Desert Tortoise's favorite foods.

And that's one reason why we chose this space for the habitat.

We built it right underneath one of its favorite foods.

In addition to attracting pollinators, it also provides seeds for a gravinus bird, birds that eat seed.

And then it's also attracting bugs.

And so there's plenty of birds that eat bugs.

And so it's going to be a place for those birds as well.

The desert willow is native to the Sonoran Desert.

Along wash areas and canyons, it can take long periods of drought.

But it needs more water than the average rainfall in the center of town.

It is a deciduous tree, so it will lose its leaves in the wintertime.

But because it blooms all summer long, that's one of the reasons why the desert willow is such a popular landscaping tree.

It's also one of our natives that was first adopted in the horticulture industry for cultivation.

Horticulture has been breeding desert willows now to have different hues in their color.

So they range in purples and pinks and things in between.

[Bird calling] The other nice part about this tree in the home landscape is that it's one of our few native trees that don't bite back.

So the desert willow doesn't have thorns or spines and doesn't have an irritating sap.

If you want this plant for your landscape, a native desert willow, if it's happy and in its ideal situation, it can hit up to 50 to 60 feet high, which is quite a large tree.

Generally speaking, in an urban landscape you will not see it get that big.

It grows rather quickly, a lot faster than most of our desert trees.

When you're redoing your landscape or if you're in a new property that you're developing, it is one of the trees you can start appreciating right away with with blooms and providing shade.

This tree is for a space that you want to cover a lot of ground, you want to create a lot of shade.

This is the tree for that.

[Bird calling] [TOM]: Doom Yoga is no ordinary yoga class.

Every Sunday evening, participants gather in candlelight to practice yin yoga with loud doom metal blasting from the speakers.

So now we find out what makes this combo so appealing and so mentally and physically beneficial.

(Alexsey) Thank you all so much for being here.

My name is Alexsey.

This is Doom Yoga, essentially Yin Yoga.

Remember the goal here is to let gravity do the work.

Once you're in the pose, sink in, if you need any help, raise a hand, I'm right there for you.

Doom Metal is low frequency bass but slow and repetitive and loud.

Yin Yoga is uncomfortable.

You feel like you're being pulled apart and I think sitting still and just being with yourself is very difficult for a lot of people.

And the Doom Metal being so clotting and repetitive, it's almost like an anchor that you can latch onto.

It builds mental resilience.

I'll cue the pose, make sure everyone's safe, everyone's good.

But I don't talk in the middle.

I hope to let people naturally allow all those thoughts and pain and whatever's going on in your brain and your body to feel it all.

To have a safe space where it's dark, it's candle lit.

You know there are people around you, but you don't see those people around you and they can't see you.

So you have that sense of community, but you can stay in your own little bubble.

It all comes together really nicely in that sense.

Any type of student you might imagine has come through my class, you know.

I've had all age ranges, just all body types, everything.

(Chris) I do a bikram style yoga and I like doing different styles, but this one, it's much more restorative.

In some poses you can fall asleep, so it's a good check-in, so I like it once a week.

Get in touch with myself, I guess.

(Theo) I love flow yoga classes, but a lot of times as soon as we get into a pose and I start to get benefit from the stretch, then we want to move on to something else, so this way I get to sink into a pose and it's just kind of the perfect way to end the week.

(Forest) It feels easier to just notice thoughts and let them pass by when I'm slightly distracted by this meditative physical experience and the heaviness of the music and the intensity of some of the poses combines for this really cathartic emotional experience sometimes where I just feel things being released and it's really meaningful for me.

(Don) I work a desk job, I'm in IT, so being able to do Doom Yoga on Sunday nights and then leading into my work week just really sets me in a really good place.

Mentally and emotionally as well, it just really kind of centers me and gets me prepared.

(Alexsey) You know, the tenets of yoga they're all about non-materialism, going back to the community, being kind, and I thought to myself, especially after the pandemic happened, that like, felt like the yoga thing to do, to let people pay what they want free or just, you know, donation based.

People are dropping down 20s left and right, you know, and since I started, we've raised about five grand or so for local non-profits.

I get this question a lot, you know, is it easy for beginners, for my body type?

As long as you're not hypermobile or something like that or your doctor has specifically told you don't do yoga, it's basically open for anyone.

As long as you can sit, you're good for this class.

Even if you want to come to this class and just take a nap for an hour while listening to Doom Metal, that's totally chill.

[TOM]: Before we go, here's a sneak peek at a few stories we're working on.

I try to spend at least one day a week still skateboarding.

I go out and skateboard at the park with my friends.

When I'm skateboarding through an empty swimming pool or down the sidewalk and I'm drawing lines on my skateboard, the abstract pieces can kind of be like that sometimes when I'm working on them.

So it's cool, it's neat to see like how things come up to the surface from your past and influence you in ways.

I was taking pictures of skateboarding and documenting skateboarding along with learning about fine artists like Ansel Adams and Cartier-Bresson photographers.

So I feel like my creativity began a lot with that.

I graduated with a degree in Intermedia, but then when I left school I really wanted to paint.

I knew there was something in me building up within me and then when I graduated it was like I didn't have to answer to anyone anymore and just kind of let the painting come out.

This is the desert hackberry, Celtis Pallida.

It is a native desert shrub.

It is fruiting out right now and you can eat them.

They're a little sweet with a seed crunch.

They're high in antioxidants, calcium and vitamin C. These fruits are also very important to fruit eating birds and other animals like squirrels or rabbits when they drop on the ground.

The desert hackberry is deciduous so it loses its leaves in the winter time.

It grows to be in the neighborhood between 15 to 30 feet high.

[TOM]: Thank you for joining us from Watershed Management's Living Laboratory.

I'm Tom McNamara.

We'll see you again next week.