Ocean Friendly Gardens
What does a garden and hard surfaces like driveways have to do with the ocean?
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 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 the dry seasons or save it to water veggies, preventing it from running off the property.
Review the OFG Sign Criteria (checkbox format; click here for version with CPR intro). If you meet them, post your garden to the online OFG Map and apply for a sign.
What OFG resources are available here:
-
Sign, Sign Criteria, Online Tracking Map
-
Activist Toolkit, Brochure, How-To Book, Program Components
-
Volunteering, Videos
Check out the OFG sign criteria and order a sign (pictures at left) at the online OFG Map. Posting you information will not only show you deserve a sign, it will allow others to learn from you. The data everyone posts, added together, shows the positive impact we are having on water quality, water supply and watershed function restoration.
Ocean Friendly Gardens Activist Toolkit - how to run the OFG Program Components, templates (flyers, etc.) & more. Connect to it here.
Ocean Friendly Gardens Brochure - download a copy.
Ocean Friendly Gardens How-To Gardener's Guide Book - order it here.
OFG Program Components:
Basic Classes: are organized by Surfrider Foundation chapters and are taught by landscape professionals. They are the first step in the program to learn the basic components for developing a successful garden. Learn more.
Hands on Workshops (HOWs): offer an opportunity to train OFG Basic Class attendees, Surfrider members, other NGOs, government and landscape professionals in sustainable landscaping principles and practices in an existing garden or retrofit in process. Learn more.
Garden Assistance Programs (GAPs): provide hands-on help to assist people in applying what they learned at a Basics Class, HOW or came up with themselves that follows the OFG Sign Criteria (see below) - like a barn raising! Learn more.
Lawn Patrol: takes its name from Dawn Patrol, the early-morning check of waves done by surfers to see if it’s worth going out. Lawn Patrol is a neighborhood walk, led by a person familiar with OFGs, that’s open to anyone who wants to develop an understanding of what makes an OFG. Learn more.
Volunteer :
Want to get involved with Ocean Friendly Gardens? Contact your local chapter to see if they are conducting the Ocean Friendly Gardens program.
Check out a couple of Ocean Friendly Garden videos and articles:
"Slow The Flow: How To Make Your Garden Act More Like A Sponge" (video features San Francisco Chapter-OFG)
Ocean Friendly Garden's by Pamela Berstler of G3, The Green Gardens Group
An Ocean Friendly Garden street at Elmer Avenue in the San Fernando Valley
National OFG Program Coordinator, Paul Herzog, interviewed by Los Angeles City Stormwater blog- click here
Article on OFG Program in Watershed Management Group's newsletter ("Get Your Garden Out Of The Gutter") - click here
January 26 2012
OFG Taking Root in Pacific Northwest With Soil & Water Conservation Districts
Ocean Friendly Gardens Basic Class GAP HOW
Surfrider chapters in Oregon and Washington are working with watershed restoration agencies, expanding on the traditional "rain garden" design model and putting on hands-on trainings.
December 16 2011
Making LA City Hall Lawn Ocean Friendly: Occupations for Occupiers
LA Times writer, Emily Green, has written a blog post today about re-doing the landscape at LA City Hall supports both the Ocean Friendly Gardens principles of CPR - Conservation, Permeability and Retention - and hands-on trainning components through building demonstration gardens.
November 10 2011
Chapters Get Federal Funding To Create School Ocean Friendly Gardens
The U.S. Department of Fish & Wildlife's Schoolyard Habitat Program provides up to $8,000 for projects by schools or organizations serving kindergarten through 12th grade students. Funds can be used for: habitat restoration; outreach and education; planning and training in cooperation with community-based groups. The Program serves the Pacific Southwest Region of the U.S. Two California Chapters, Ventura County and South Bay, are participating.
November 09 2011
Barrels Of Fun For Jersey Shore Chapter Hosting Rain Barrel Building Workshop
The Jersey Shore Chapter hosted a build-a-rain-barrel workshop on a rainy October night in the coastal town of Brielle, NJ. Over 25 enthusiastic people turned out from the community to build and take home their very own rain barrel and learn about what they can do to protect the water quality of our ocean and waterways. The chapter is embarking on a mission to develop an Ocean Friendly Garden Program tailored for the East Coast.
October 27 2011
Building Your Core With OFG Professional Training
Ocean Friendly Gardens Basic Class HOW
Through a state grant, the Santa Barbara,CA Chapter sponsored a "Core Concepts Workshop," Ocean Friendly Gardens training geared toward professionals. It attracted reps from government agencies, landscape pros, non-profits and academia interested in grasping the fundamental calculations and communication techniques for sustainable landscaping.The Workshop was developed and is lead by G3/The Green Gardens Group.
August 16 2011
Santa Barbara OFG Series Steps 2 & 3 Next: Site Evaluation Hands-On Workshop & One-Day Pro Training
After a successful Ocean Friendly Gardens (OFG) Basics Class in Santa Barbara, we return there for the next steps in the Whale Tail License Plate grant-funded OFG Series: a Hands-On Workshop on Site Evaluation on September 11 and a training for professionals on October 25.
July 25 2011
Last Chance To Enter Your Ocean Friendly Garden In The 2011 National Greenscape Challenge
There’s only one week left in the Cali Bamboo, Surfrider Foundation 2011 National Greenscape Challenge Contest. Inspired by the Foundation’s Ocean Friendly Gardens program, contestants are encouraged to submit photos and descriptions of their landscapes and gardens that were designed with Surfrider Foundation’s OFG method of CPR: conservation, permeability and retention in mind.
July 12 2011
Hands-On Workshop to Follow OFG Basics Class in Santa Barbara
With a great OFG Basics Class in the books, Class attendees will use the (new) knowledge to evaluate a site for how well it "applies CPR - Conservation, Permeability and Retention" - the principles behind Ocean Friendly Gardening. Everyone is welcome to attend the Hands-On Workshop, not just Class attendees.
June 14 2011
Santa Barbara Ocean Friendly Gardens Program Kicks Off With Basics Class
Ocean Friendly Gardens Basic Class
The Santa Barbara and Isla Vista Chapters launched their OFG Program with a OFG Basics Class. It's the first part of an OFG Series, to be followed up with a Hands-On Workshop on Site Evaluation, Garden Assistance Program Workday, Lawn Patrol and one-day training for professionals. The Series is funded by a grant from the California Coastal Commission through its Whale Tail License Plate program.
June 02 2011
O.C. and Long Beach Launch Lawn Patrol
Ocean Friendly Gardens Lawn Patrol
This first neighborhood walk in Orange County helped develop people's eye for what is and is not an Ocean Friendly Garden. It was also a chance to see if there are others gardens that qualify for an OFG yard sign - or are close and would want some help from volunteers to qualify!
April 11 2011
“Garden Raising” Brings Out Neighbors & Surfrider Members
Though Surfrider is not raising barns these days, we did do a "garden raising" yesterday. The couple that owns the home and garden mentioned how the experience made things a lot less intimidating. Now they can help the new neighbors they met and the ones they already knew do the same at their homes. This street is doing its part to create cleaner surf.
April 01 2011
Surfrider Teams with ELLE Magazine & Aveeno at School OFG
The Surfrider-West LA/Malibu Chapter partnered with ELLE Magazine and Aveeno to transform a 2,000 sq. ft. grassy "carpet" in front of a school in Santa Monica, CA into an Ocean Friendly Garden. It'll be a great learning tool for the elementary students, their parents, the school district and the neighbors.
March 31 2011
Garden Assistance Program (GAP) Workday to Launch OFG in Long Beach & Orange County, CA
The Long Beach Chapter, in collaboration with the Huntington and Newport Beach Chapters, are co-launching their OFG Programs. The Chapters have put the call out to volunteers for the garden workday on Sunday, April 10 from 10am-4pm to learn while actually helping the homeowners create an Ocean Friendly Garden.
March 03 2011
OFG Launches in South Orange County, CA with Mini-OFG Class
Ocean Friendly Gardens Basic Class
Tree Of Life Nursery, the great native plant nursery in San Juan Capistrano, approached us about holding a shortened version of the Ocean Friendly Gardens Basics Class and then head out into the nursery and explore the natural wonders surrounding the nursery.
