OCEAN FRIENDLY LANDSCAPE
REDONDO UNION HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS CELEBRATE THE DEDICATION OF THEIR OCEAN FRIENDLY GARDEN
Students at RUHS celebrated the ribbon cutting dedication of their new water wise ocean friendly garden. The new garden will save 80% of the water used in the space. The coordinated efforts of the OFG partnership helped to create a garden that restores the natural California landscape and uses water more efficiently than turf landscaping. The garden is located on One Sea Hawk Way (on Diamond Street) for students and visitors to enjoy. RUHS students will monitor the flora and fauna as part of an ongoing science curriculum. Full funding for this garden was provided by Metropolitan Water District, the Department of Water Resources, and California Water Service Company.
RUHS OCEAN FRIENDLY GARDEN WORKSHOP
On Tuesday, December 4, 2012, students from Redondo Union High School participated in an ocean friendly garden (OFG) workshop to learn how to sheet mulch. Students worked with G3LA's Pamela Berstler and Surfrider Foundation's Paul Herzog to calculate the size of the roof and amount of runoff, conduct a soil test, lay out paper, collect mulch (from reused materials on school property), and spread the mulch across the landscape area.
NEWS! Ribbon Cut to celebrate opening of Demonstration Garden at L.A. County Fire Station 171 in Inglewood
West Basin Director Gloria Gray, Inglewood Mayor James Butts, City Council Member Eloy Morales, Fire Chief Daryl Osby, and others celebrate the completion of the new ocean-friendly demonstration garden at Fire Station 171. The new garden employs bioswales, a smart controller, drip irrigation, native and drought-tolerant plants, permeable surfaces, and more to help reduce the yard's water use by 80%.
NEWS! West Basin and Inglewood Fire Department break ground on ocean-friendly demonstration garden at Fire Station 171.
West Basin Director Gloria Gray, Assistant Fire Chief Claus, and Mayor James Butts break ground on the water-efficient demonstration garden being installed on the nearly
12,000 square foot yard at the Inglewood Fire Station. The new garden is replacing cool season turf grass with climate-adapted and native plants and permeable pavement, cutting its water use by 80% and reducing the amount of maintenance needed. 8.30.2011
What does "Ocean Friendly" mean?
"Ocean Friendly" revolves around conservation, permeability and retention, all with the aim of conserving water while still creating aesthetic gardens.
Description of Project: This project will be designed to address runoff problems and reduce outdoor water usage by 20 to 50 percent by providing weather-based irrigation controllers (WBICs) and management solutions. The water savings alone will have a significant financial impact on high-end water users, delaying the need for new water supplies at a cost far below that of obtaining those new water supplies. The targeted landscape sites will include large landscapes, schools, parks, home owner associations, business parks, facility landscapes, street medians, and residential sites over 1,500 square feet that are the top water users in the area. This project will be implemented throughout West Basin's service area with a heavy emphasis in the City of Malibu where there are a significant number of large landscapes and an Area of Biological Significance. The project has several components including:
- Provide centralized WBICs to large landscapes (1 acre or greater)
- Issue "Smart" controller rebates for residents
- Conduct residential landscape workshops
- Create "Ocean Friendly" demonstration gardens
Objectives: The primary objectives of the program are:
- Increase water supply reliability
- Improve water quality
- Conduct public educational workshops
- Increase water awareness through water efficient demonstration gardens
Benefits: The benefits to this project occur in the following ways:
- Water Conservation (20-50%)
- Runoff Reduction (by up to 70%)
- Public Education
- Use of Efficient Technology
- Area of Biological Significance (City of Malibu)
Partnership: West Basin has partnered with the Surfrider Foundation to help implement this project. The Surfrider Foundation introduced the "Ocean Friendly" idea, which is the concept of using plants that are native to the Santa Monica Bay coastal region for residential and other landscaped areas.
Duration: 2008-2011
To learn more about the Ocean Friendly Program, contact the Program Manager, Gus Meza at gusm@westbasin.org.
OCEAN FRIENDLY WORKSHOPS
Learn how to make your yard ocean-friendly and drought-tolerant in one of West Basin's Ocean-Friendly Landscape workshops. Classes are held on a Saturday morning at a location within our service area. Workshops are FREE, but you must register. Visit www.sbesc.com or call Grace at the South Bay Environmental Services Center at 310-371-7222, ext. 206 to register.