California’s New Front Yard Workshop Sold Out at UCSC Arboretum
Atop the foothills of UC Santa Cruz, the Arboretum was the perfect setting for the California Native Grasslands Association to hold the California’s New Front Yard Workshop on Thursday, February 11th, sponsored by Ecological Concerns Inc. The workshop sold out and seating was tight. Luckily, everyone at the event was excited for a day of learning.
The morning session consisted of a series of interesting lectures by seasoned professionals speaking about a variety of topics to help homeowners, landscape professionals, and public agencies alike, better understand and achieve new sustainable models for front yard landscapes.
- Landscape Design: Martin Quigley, Director of Gardens and Grounds, UCSC Arboretum
- Plant Species Selection: Brett Hall, California Native Plant Program Director UCSC Arboretum
- Sheet Mulching and Lawn Removal: Dakotah Bertsch, Landscape Designer & Project Manager, ECI
- Drip Irrigation, Rainwater and Grey Water: Jon Laslett, Senior Project Manager, ECI
In the afternoon, participants broke into groups and enjoyed hands-on demonstrations and tours from each of the presenters. This is where participants were able to enjoy the grounds of the Arboretum, get a more in-depth and hands-on sense of what their projects might look like and how to do it themselves, and discuss any lingering questions.
It was a great turn out and hopefully many of the students left with confidence to tackle their projects, inspire others, and add to the matrix of ecological landscapes in our beautiful area.
- At the entrance to the arboretum, participants mingled and talked with industry experts.
- From Left to right the Q&A session with a panel of speakers: Jon Laslett, Sr. Project Manager and Ecologist at Ecological Concerns Incorporated; Dakotah Bertsch, Landscape Designer and Project Manger at Ecological Concerns Incorporated; Martin Quigley, Director of Gardens and Grounds at UCSC Arboretum; Brett Hall, California Native Plant Program Director at UCSC Arboretum.
- Dakotah Bertsch demonstrating how to do sheet mulching properly.
