Site Assessment 101: Landscape Revisioning

This is a class that empowers homeowners and others interested in taking steps to making a landscape, parcel or even a patio more sustainable and beautiful. We will learn how to observe, measure and evaluate qualities of a current landscape, and then employ techniques to make long term changes in the terrain, drainage, and plant choices and placement to increase habitat, bloom, productivity, soil biology, and water infiltration. We discuss many different water sources and their benefits and use.

Santa Barbara has had a low rainfall year (9 inches to date) and government officials assure us that we have a two year supply of water from Lake Cachuma and other sources. However, our aquifers are not being completely recharged, aquifers throughout the nation are depleted, and now is a perfect time to embrace low-cost and climate-friendly sources of water. This is the opposite of sacrifice- rather, it is embracing our sense of place and living well while protecting our watershed. This class guides us to reflect on our personal choices and gives us the tools to do so.