Date/Time
Date: 09/12/2018Time: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Location
The Garden House at Shoup Park400 University Ave.
Los Altos, California 94022
Pamela Berstler is giving the keynote talk at the Western Horticultural Society September 12 meeting: Rehydrating US: Watershed Approach For Climate Change
Western Hort has been educating and inspiring San Francisco South Bay and Peninsula plant enthusiasts since 1963. If you are not yet a member of Western Hort, this event will cost you $10 at the door.
The Watershed Approach to landscaping proposes rehydrating the soils of the United States by directing rainwater into landscapes that have healthy living soil reducing dependence upon irrigation water by restoring the naturally regulating water cycles. Landscapes play the most significant role in stabilizing climate, especially in urban and suburban settings — and it’s up to those of us who love gardens to spread the word and use the Watershed Approach in their landscapes.
The heart of this discussion is based on the research and experiences of Michal Kravcik and Jan Pokorny, Slovakian and Czech scientists, who focus on the “Green Water Zone” of Plant Available Water, and view water management in the landscape as playing a vital role in world-wide weather patterns. The argument is that a “brown is the new green” ethos in landscape undermines the promotion of gentle rainfall by increasing sensible heat. Sensible heat leads to an expansion of atmospheric water over the oceans, and creates a greater differential in temperatures between the inland areas and the coasts. These factors make rainfall more dramatic, flashy, and coastal, none of which help reduce drought conditions inland.
Every landscape can be improved using the Watershed Approach. Once we understand how it works, we can promise it in every aspect of our lives. Go to Western Hort to learn more.