Santa Barbara City College Schott Campus

Description

The project was a collaborative effort between Watershed Management Group, the Santa Barbara City College Facilities and Operations Department and the Santa Barbara City College Center for Lifelong Learning. The landscape was retrofitted from a traditional lawn to a rainwater demonstration garden with infiltration basins and swales, organic mulch, and water wise plantings. Sprinklers were converted to drip irrigation, and supplemental water is received from re-directed downspouts, resulting in lower resource consumption and maintenance.

This project provided opportunity for technical and hands-on community training in water harvesting techniques during a 3-part series offered through Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) Center for Lifelong Learning. The first session was a introductory class, while the second two were hands-on workshops to build the garden. KEYT TV documented the the 3 workshops: see the link in the "News Sources Link" box.

The garden will serve as an on-going example of beautiful landscaping that requires less water and other resources, while also contributing to the overall health and function of the watershed. For more info on the garden, contact Josh Murray, Continuing Education Facilities Supervisor for the Schott Center: jnmurray@sbcc.edu, 805-683-6217.