The Dola Project

A wealthy woman named Dola decided to address some larger problems faced by the US. She knew she could not work alone on such big issues, so she recruited a group of seven young people in their late twenties. The group became known as Team Dola. She explained that the group of seven would not do all the work on a selected project. Instead, the group would recruit experts who could do most of the work. In other words, Team Dola would initiate a project that others would implement. Their first of four projects involved desalinating Pacific Ocean water and pumping the fresh water into rivers to supplement irrigation. The second project addressed the problem of wildfires by replacing traditional controlled burning with mulching. A third project arose from their concern for missing persons. The fourth project addressed the problem of sinking cities, with focus on New Orleans. The young members of Team Dola approach their tasks using unconventional and offbeat methods with surprising successes. They engage allies from multiple government agencies, members of the Navajo Nation, California farmers, and even Louisiana politicians. They also manage to have fun and experience romances and disappointments, all while growing into a close–knit formidable team that successfully addresses our nation's pressing problems.

-- Cecil Thomas