The lawn at 1538 San Nicholas St. in Ventura vanished last week in anticipation of the Ventura Surfrider Ocean Friendly Gardens Garden Assistance Party Workday on May 12. The GAP Workday is the fourth and final event in the creation of an Ocean Friendly Demonstration Garden through a California Coastal Commission Whale Tail Grant for the County of Ventura. Since March, the grant has enabled more than 35 people to attend a Watershed Basics Class and Hands-on Workshop: Site Evaluation, as well as subsidizing a professional training Core Concepts Workshop. People who received scholarships to the Core Concepts Workshop are paying it forward by assisting G3’s Pamela Berstler and Renee Roth (Ventura/Santa Barbara G3 Regional Coordinator) in fulfilling the mission of the grant: to build an Ocean Friendly Garden in a highly visible residential site through neighborhood involvement, sparking change within a community. Learn more about what’s happening by reading the OFG Article Ventura Breeze 5.2.12 contributed by John Burke, a.k.a. LAJOHNNY, licensed landscape architect and recent CCW Ventura survivor.
Since the grass on this property was mostly kikuyu and warm-season bermuda, a sod cutter was employed to remove the bulk of the organic matter on top. In preparation for the Workday, homeowner and environmental advocate, Dan Long, will be tackling some hand removal of the largest clumps of remaining grass roots and stolons. Dan also is arranging delivery of the materials: plants, compost, mulch, paper for sheet composting, and downspout redirecting supplies. Oh, and good food too!