Jayleen De La Cruz
Staff Writer
To help address the need for water conservation, the California Botanic Garden held a workshop for beginners, “Getting Started, Lawn Removal and More,” Saturday.
Around 40 community members attended in person and online to learn how to replace their lawns with drought-tolerant landscaping.
California Botanic Garden Executive Director Lucinda McDade led the class.
“People can start doing this by growing California native plants and exploring waterwise options,” McDade said.
As class began, people received free pamphlets and guidebooks to help them in the process of choosing which plants to use for their drought-tolerant lawns.
The presenter went into detail about how if people are looking for a way to save money and still have their lawn looking pristine, they should look into a waterwise way of doing so.
“Turning your lawn into a waterwise ecosystem is a stepping stone for native land,” McDade said. “It helps plants survive on sunny, cold, and rainy days.”
McDade informed the class about the different ways to start remodeling their gardens, the positive and negative consequences of reconstruction and the ecological benefits it would bring.
By the end of the presentation, participants expressed how beneficial a waterwise way environment would be.
La Verne resident Sherry Hogue said how the community and classes have been beneficial to everyone.
“Claremont has been a leader in changing to native plants,” Hogue said. “These changes will eventually lead us to have a better way of living and help us improve our ecosystem.”
La Verne resident and professional landscaper Stephanie Green also enjoys having classes like these offered.
“Classes like these give people high levels of knowledge and the best part is that everyone is welcome,” Green said. “Resources like these not only help your environment but the region you live in.”
Home and life improvement classes are offered at the California Botanic Garden. The goal is to live in a community where both the residents and the environment thrive.
California Botanic Garden Assistant Director of Visitor Engagement for Community Education Jennifer Scerra said the reason for hosting these events are to help the community succeed.
“Whether that be through yoga, art, or nature, our goal is to help people see the beauty in our region through our native plants and help people to learn how they can help them flourish,” Scerra said.
California Botanic Garden is available for everyone to come and learn about California’s native plants by offering a wide range of plants for people to explore, enjoy and learn. The Garden’s goal is to help people remodel their laws to a waterwise ecosystem to help the region thrive.
“Your lawn should use less water and still look good with water restrictions,” McDade said.
The California Botanic Garden is open Tuesday through Sunday. For more information visit calbg.org.
Jayleen De La Cruz can be reached at jayleen.delacruz@laverne.edu.
Jayleen De La Cruz is a sophomore communication major with a concentration in public relations and a staff writer at the Campus Times for Fall 2023.
