Sustainable Environment

Community and school gardens growing food with less water
Lauren Klein, Community Garden Program Coordinator, with support and collaboration from the Marin Municipal Water District, led an education program to support water conservation in over 30 Marin community and school gardens. This included evaluation of individual garden irrigation systems, recommendations for improving water use efficiency, coordination and access to rebate programs for water saving materials and instrumentation use in each garden, and general education to gardeners.

Solutions for plant nurseries and ecologic restoration practitioners
California is perpetually at risk for the introduction of plant pathogens. These diseases can find their way into nursery stock, including native plants that are used for landscaping and ecological restoration. This presents the unfortunate opportunity to spread them broadly in the environment. Janice Alexander, Forest Health Education Specialist, and Bonnie Nielsen, Communication Specialist, in partnership with the USDA Forest Service and Bay Area Phytophthora Working Group, conducted education programs and developed online resources for nursery operators and landscape restoration professionals that guide practices to reduce the presence and transmission of these pathogens. This included the second “Phytophthora species in Restoration Nurseries, Plantings, and Wildlands” science symposium.

Commission partners on environmental education and restoration
The Marin County Fish & Wildlife Commission recommended that the Board of Supervisors fund 13 projects totaling $36,050 on restoration and education about wildlife and fisheries in Marin County. Award recipients included: All One Ocean; Audubon Canyon Ranch; California Department of Fish and Wildlife; Friends of Corte Madera Watershed; Friends of Willow Creek of Sausalito; Gallinas Watershed Council & Miller Creek Watershed Stewards; Marin Audubon Society; Marin Humane Society; Marine Mammal Center; North Bay Trout Unlimited; Point Reyes Station Dance Palace Community Center; Students and Teachers Restoring our Watersheds; Watershed Alliance of Marin; and Wildcare. Read more about these projects in the Commission's Annual Newsletter.

Saving water one home garden at a time
The Garden Walks program was established in 2008, a partnership between the UC Marin Master Gardeners and the Marin Municipal Water District. By the end of June 2017, more than 1500 residential gardeners had been served through the life of the program. Two UC trained Master Gardeners conduct a garden survey at the request of the resident covering irrigation, soil health as well as edible and ornamental plants. The client is given a copy of the garden survey covering solutions to problems in the garden. Sustainable gardening tips are provided protecting Marin’s watersheds as well. Evaluation of the program, using water meter readings, indicate the homeowners use 8% less water on their gardens and landscapes by implementing the solutions in their individual garden survey. Combined, more than 23,000,000 gallons of water have been saved over the life of the program 

 

Testimonials

“UC Marin Master Gardeners and the Water Walks are valuable resources. We are most appreciative of having this expert support available to us to make the best landscape choices we can for the environment.”

“Thank you again for coming out to our property, and for all your help identifying opportunities to manage our forest trees.”

“Many Sleepy Hollow gardens participants are saying your presentation was the best combination of conversation with neighbors and getting genuinely useful and interesting information we have had in a long, long time.”

“I was pleased to be able to attend the Marin County Fair last week and was blown away by the beautiful and informative exhibit in the UC Marin Master Gardener tent. The presentation was great and useful.”

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