La Tercera School Landscape Transformation
“Weaving Webs of Wonder”

Click on map to see PDF design.

Are you part of the La Tercera School community? We want your voice and perspective to be incorporated into our landscape design! Please take 2 minutes to answer our survey to provide your comments and feedback on our upcoming project:

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Daily Acts, through the Climate Resilience Schools Program, is working on a landscape transformation with La Tercera STEM Elementary School in Petaluma. This K-6 grade school campus mostly consists of lawn, blacktop, playgrounds, and some mature trees within the center of campus that offer shade.

As part of this transformation, 10,625 square feet of lawn was sheet mulched this summer by Daily Acts and Conservation Corps North Bay.  In collaboration with Sonoma RCD and The Water Folk, four newly installed rain tanks will store 8,000 gallons of rainwater to be used on site. The excess from two of the tanks is being redirected into two rain gardens instead of being sent to the storm drain.

We are committed to engaging with the school community throughout the installation process, attending back to school night, gathering input on use of space, sharing resources and conversing with teachers, and hosting two community planting days! Stay tuned for upcoming event information.

Progress Photo,  August 2024: The rainwater tanks have been installed!

This project aims to create a landscape that demonstrates water conservation by applying native plants, mulch, rainwater catchment, and drip irrigation. Our efforts will support the school’s goals of embracing hands-on learning, supporting a student’s full academic potential, and sharing learnings with a wider audience as we work together to inspire and educate the campus community and beyond. The project is slated for completion by the end of 2024.

SIGN UP FOR PROJECT EMAIL UPDATES

POTENTIAL PROJECTS FOR LA TERCERA SCHOOL

climate resilience

Rainwater Harvesting

Rainwater harvesting is the capturing and storage of rainwater that runs off hard surfaces such as roofs. Gravity pulls water down through the gutters into the storage rain tank. Overflow from the tank can be directed to rain gardens, where the water can infiltrate the soil and refill aquifers. This FREE water, that would have otherwise been lost due to run-off, can be stored and used to water gardens and landscapes long after the rainy season has passed.

Raingardens & Stormwater Management

Stormwater is water that falls onto the landscape during a storm, and often runs off into storm drains, picking up pollutants on its way. Benefits of capturing this water within your landscape are: improved air quality, habitat enhancement, extreme heat island effect mitigation, and higher property value. Rain gardens are small basins made in the landscape that help to retain water after a storm, allowing for deeper soil penetration and better soil health.

climate resilience

Irrigation Efficiency Upgrades

Irrigation efficiencies are strategies aimed at minimizing the loss of water due to evaporation leaks, and runoff. This may include upgrading irrigation timers to a more efficient water delivery that reduces consumptive use while maintaining the same amount of healthy and attractive landscape. By switching irrigation times on existing irrigation systems to morning or evening when temperatures are lower, less water is lost to evaporation.

Lawn Conversion

Lawn Conversion is the removal of a monocrop landscape and planting low water or native plants. The shallow roots of turf grass compact soils limiting water absorption when it rains. Runoff picks up any chemicals or fertilizers from your yard and transfers them to local streams. With the installation of native species or low water use plants, roots are given a chance to grow deeper and create systems that hold water in the soil and lessening runoff.

EXAMPLES FROM RECENT INSTALLATIONS

Rain Garden at Miwok Park

Pollinator Hedgerow at Miwok Valley Charter School