Ocean Friendly Gardens Jan. 19th – General Meeting Presentation
Where: Don the Beachcombers, Sunset Beach
When: 6:30 pm on Thursday, January, 19th
What does a garden and hard surfaces like driveways have to do with the ocean?
LEARN WHAT YOU COULD DO. . .
Urban runoff from them is often the primary source of ocean pollution, and it can contribute to flooding. But where do the pollutants come from?
• pesticides, herbicides, synthetic fertilizers and sediment (soil)
• oil, engine exhaust and brake pad dust
• dog poo…etc.
It can run off the property during rain storms and during dry periods, with sprinklers overwatering and overshooting the landscape. The use of gas-powered equipment to mow lawns, prune and haul away over-planted and improperly spaced vegetation generates air pollutants, eventually settling onto roofs and streets and gets washed into waterways. Every 8 months, 10.9 million gallons of oil runs off streets and driveways and into our nation’s waters – equivalent to the amount lost in the Exxon Valdez spill.
But gardens can be beautiful, resourceful, wildlife-friendly and prevent runoff. Vegetable and fruit gardens can do this, too.
Here’s how: The Ocean Friendly Gardens TM (OFG) Program educates and assists people in “applying CPR – Conservation, Permeability and Retention – to their gardens to revive their watersheds and oceans:”
Conservation of water, energy and habitat through a native plants (add allow some climate adapted plants , spaced for mature growth.
Permeability through healthy, biologically active soil, and utilizing materials for – or making a cut in – driveways, walkways and patios that allow water to percolate into the soil.
Retention devices like rain chains, rain barrels and rain gardens retain water in the soil for
