Announcing the spring 2012 Ocean Friendly Garden (OFG) series Are you ready to transform your tired, brown and water-thirsty lawn into a beautiful Ocean Friendly Garden? Or are you an OFG class alumni and would like a refresher? The Surfrider Foundation’s Ventura County Chapter is co-hosting an educational series with the City of Ventura open to all Ventura County residents. The series is funded through a grant from the California Coastal Commission Whale Tail. March 10 - Basics Class: 9am -12noon Location: Ventura City Hall Community Room Participants will learn the fundamentals of OFG, their garden’s relationship to our watershed and how to do their part in reducing urban runoff pollution. Learn how to apply CPR to your yard: Conservation of water, energy and habitat through native plants; Permeability through healthy, biologically active soil, and techniques that allow water to percolate into the soil; Retention devices like rain barrels and rain gardens that keep water in the soil for the dry seasons or save it to water plants, preventing run off. Space is limited so register today. Refreshments and a continental breakfast will be served. March 25 - Hands on Workshop: 9am -12noon, location to be announced Held on-site at a local resident’s home where participants will conduct a site evaluation and design a garden. Practice how to test soil type and compaction, calculate runoff from hard surfaces and learn how to harvest the runoff. Refreshments provided. May 12 - Garden Assistance Party: 9am -12noon, location to be announced This workshop will transform a front lawn from a water-thirsty monoculture to a water-thrifty beautiful OFG. We will go back to the same property as the Hands on Workshop and implement the design we developed. Learn how you can apply this to your yard. Refreshments provided. To Register for the above classes: Space is limited, to reserve your spot RSVP to vcsrf.oceanfriendlygardens@gmail.com or call Jill Sarick at (805)652-4501
Want to take it a step further? April 24th: Core Concepts Workshop is an all-day training, geared toward professionals: the landscaping sector (designers, architects, contractors and nurseries), water supply and water quality agencies, environmental nonprofit staff and academia. Fee: $250. There are a limited number of $200 scholarships for County-based residents and businesses. Scholarship recipients will be asked to pay it forward by volunteering with the OFG Program. To register please go to: http://www.greengardensgroup.com/programs/professional-paths/core-concepts-workshop