Download the “California Watershed Approach to Landscape Design”
APLD CA and its members have ardently embraced the principles of the Watershed Approach to Landscapes. In 2018, the California Watershed Approach to Landscape Design handbook was published and put into the hands of our members. This handbook is the foundation for the Watershed Wise Landscape Professional (WWLP) Trainings offered by APLD CA in collaboration with G3: Green Gardens Group.
Next, a successful US EPA WaterSense labeled certification training session, taught by Pamela Berstler of the Green Gardens Group (G3), took place in West Sacramento on November 7 & 8, 2019. Forty-seven APLD CA members and professionals who design, install, maintain, and manage landscapes attended this intense training.
We learned so much about soil health and how we can create and maintain life-filled soils.We stepped through a multitude of equations to determine plant water requirements, irrigation scheduling, irrigation system auditing, water budgeting, rainwater harvesting and more!
WWLP Participants Observing Distribution Uniformity During Irrigation Audit. Photo by Soleil Tranquilli.
Some Sacramento District Members Enjoying How to Determine Reference Evapotranspiration Zone for Location in Group Exercise. Photo Cheryl Buckwalter.
The Soil Party Group Exercise: Every Organism Has a Function in Healthy Living Soil. Photo by Cheryl Buckwalter.
Once we wrapped our heads around all those acronyms (TLA, PAW, MAD, IWR, ETo, DPWR, DU, TIRT – to name a few!), participants really enjoyed the small- and whole-group exercises!
In addition to the APLD California Chapter’s generous support and that of our fabulous Sponsors, this WWLP training was made possible thanks to contributions by the City of West Sacramento, City of Roseville Environmental Utilities, Regional Water Authority’s Water Efficiency Program, and the California Water Efficiency Partnership – A Chapter of the Alliance for Water Efficiency.
So you may be asking, What’s Next?
An Educational Tour to Demonstrate the Watershed Approach to Landscaping & Stewardship in Action
The Sacramento District planned the Show the Flow Tour for March, 2020. Given current state mandates and concern for our members and the public, this tour will be rescheduled in the fall.
This is not your typical “landscape tour”. The Show the Flow is an educational exploration of public, commercial, and private landscapes where professionals and subject matter experts will tell the story of each landscape and the best practices used for designing and building resilient landscapes that sequester water and conserve resources. Thanks to the Chapter’s support, a video documentary will be produced as an ongoing educational tool.
Tour Objectives: Raise awareness, educate, and motivate professionals, suppliers, maintainers, and policy makers to take action and become watershed stewards. From the tiniest bungalow, to native grass bioswales with ancient Valley Oaks, to the Regional Sanitation’s Bufferlands restoration sites, each watershed is interconnected.
Stay tuned for more information about the 2020 Show the Flow Tour because watershed stewardship is the responsibility of everyone who touches and impacts landscapes.
banner photo by Soleil Tranquilli
