In a three-day construction adventure to cut heating and cooling costs at the Pine Ridge Indian reservation, volunteers (coordinated by Trees, Water and People and Aqua Engineering) pulled on their construction gloves and started hand digging holes for 10-foot tree plantings, and prepared trenches for the new drip irrigation system that would sustain the trees.

The project began because Trees, Water & People, the Oglala Lakota College, Youth Opportunity, and the Pine Ridge Area Chamber of Commerce all came together to form the Oglala Oyate Alternative Energy Partnership (OOAEP). This partnership recently put together a proposal to help solve the heating and cooling issues many poor Indian reservation families face?EUR??,,????'??+that as much as 70 percent of a family?EUR??,,????'???s income could be spent on heating alone.

Construction began on an early May Saturday morning.?????EUR??,,?EUR It was an ambitious effort?EUR??,,????'??+20 homes in this Pine Ridge community were to be provided with trees and irrigation systems in a single day. Every house was given five trees (four cedars for windbreak and an ash for shade).

Because of the time constraint, volunteers worked in two teams; while one team constructed the irrigation point of connection to each house, the other team worked on getting the drip irrigation lines to each tree. After the final connections were made between the two teams, each system was tested and operated.

As the Saturday evening sky clouded over and rain clouds threatened, the last of the trees were planted and the irrigation was completed. Just as Gus Yellow Hair was to lead a celebration for the tree planting, rain poured down and the celebration had to be moved indoors. Buffalo stew, speeches, singing and dancing rounded out the evening celebrations.

A training session on how to operate the system was provided for each of the families on Sunday morning, prior to the volunteers?EUR??,,????'??? departure. The construction team arrived home mid-afternoon Sunday with lots of pictures and many fond memories.

• Parry Webb and Brent Neubauer organized Rain Bird?EUR??,,????'???s donation of drip emitters, ball and flush valves, Y-strainers and various other drip equipment.
• John Inman, Inman InterWest Inc., arranged for backflow prevention devices from Wilkins, and the donation of drip lateral tubing from Centennial.
• Bryan Juwig coordinated Lasco?EUR??,,????'???s donation of pipefittings.
• Ray York and Kevin Witzel from Ewing Irrigation donated the rest of the materials needed such as copper tubing, teflon tape, pipe cement, and the other essentials.
• Aqua Engineering, Inc. provided staff for installation and covered transportation and travel expenses.