In the summer of 2015, Daily Acts partnered with the City of Petaluma to host an educational lawn conversion workshop at two neighboring residential properties in East Petaluma. Daily Acts staff were joined by volunteers from local tea company, Traditional Medicinals and the general public to completely transform both landscapes in one short day. Between the two properties, volunteer’s sheet mulched 2,350 square feet of water-thirsty lawn and converted the overhead sprinklers to drip irrigation for planting. Over 100 drought-tolerant plants were installed to create a beautiful model garden to inspire the neighborhood to convert their lawns into this diverse ‘new normal’ for front yards.
In addition to saving roughly 36,875 gallons/year, this project provided a great opportunity for volunteers to learn about the benefits of storing rainwater in the landscape through the installation of a swale. By disconnecting the downspout at one of the residences, the rainwater collected off of the roof will now be re-directed into the garden where it will slow, spread and sink into the landscape instead of running off into the storm drains. Through this hands-on educational experience, participants were empowered to transform their own lawns into multi-function, water-wise gardens.
“Staff had great energy and all our goals were met. I learned how to get rid of the grass in a green friendly way, which was huge because I had been wanting to get rid of it for so long but didn’t know what to do. We were pretty overwhelmed. Staff and experienced volunteers helped us a lot with picking plants and learning how to sheet mulch. We love our new yard!” – Jena Basiliades, Homeowner
