Friday, January 11, 2013

Surfrider Garden Assistance Party this Sunday!


Surfrider to Hold Garden Assistance Party in Ocean Beach this Sunday Jan. 13

WHEN: Sunday, January 13 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

WHERE:
4895 Orchard Avenue, San Diego, CA 92107 (At the end of Cable Street)

WHAT: As part of Surfrider Foundation’s Ocean Friendly Gardens campaign, the San Diego Chapter will be holding a Garden Assistance Party (GAP). Lead by garden experts, Surfrider volunteers will get hands-on experience reworking a home’s landscaping to apply the guiding CPR criteria of the Ocean Friendly Garden program – Conservation, Permeability and Retention. Anyone who enjoys the beach in San Diego is familiar with warnings of toxic storm drain runoff after a rain. Participants in Sunday’s GAP will learn how to create a landscape which conserves water (and money!) and prevents ocean-polluting runoff

The location of this particular Garden Assistance Party has special significance as well. The home belongs to the wife of the late Mike Dormer, a well-known cartoonist and creator of the surf-themed Hot Curl comic strip. The series was named for the famous 6-foot statue Dormer and a friend erected at Windandsea beach in 1963, depicting a paunch-bellied surfer looking out at the ocean. 

VISUALS: Volunteers will be planting native species from one-gallon pots, laying down mulch, installing a decomposed granite walkway, creating a dry stream bed with cobblestones and fine-tuning the irrigation system. The day will provide the perfect hands-on training for any San Diegan wishing to learn how to landscape with the ocean in mind and willing to get a little dirty! Media are invited to interview Surfrider San Diego’s Ocean Friendly Garden Committee Chair Susan Krzywicki as well as participating volunteers.

WHY: In Southern California's semi-arid climate, pesticides and fertilizers can build up on lawns and gardens only to be washed down streets and storm drains into the ocean as toxic runoff during infrequent rains. By opting for plants native to Southern California's Mediterranean climate, capturing and reusing rainwater, and incorporating permeable paving and mulch so water can soak into the ground, Ocean Friendly Gardens restore balance to the water cycle and provide natural habitat for local wildlife. 

WHO: Surfrider volunteers, conservationists, garden enthusiasts, beach-lovers – all are welcome to participate in this hands-on, educational event designed to keep the San Diego coastline clean and healthy for all who enjoy it. 


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