Watershed Friendly Landscape Alliance
G3 has created this affiliate non-profit organization to fulfill two immediate functions:
- Lead the nation in developing Watershed Wise workforce development training projects and programs in partnership with agencies, non-governmental organizations, educational institutions, and others; and
- Implement Watershed Friendly Landscape demonstration projects.
We thank the following Program Partners who have made it possible for G3 to grow and foster the mycorrhizal network necessary to transform our environment.
Metropolitan Water District (MWD) of Southern California
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a consortium of 26 cities and water districts that provides drinking water to nearly 19 million people in parts of Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties.Metropolitan currently delivers an average of 1.7 billion gallons of water per day to a 5,200-square-mile service area.
The mission of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is to provide its service area with adequate and reliable supplies of high-quality water to meet present and future needs in an environmentally and economically responsible way.
In 2013, G3 Qualified Trainers will be organizing and teaching the California Friendly ® Landscape Classes for MWD throughout Southern California.
Bevilacqua-Knight, Inc. (BKi) / Los Angeles County
Bevilacqua-Knight, Inc. is a technical consulting firm for the energy and transportation industries specializing in bringing new technologies from lab to market. Building on 30 years if energy consulting experience, BKi continues to pioneer and move energy and environmental innovations into use to tackle critical challenges of our modern world. The firm serves a broad range of governmental and utility clients at the federal, state, and local level.
G3 provided consulting services to BKi in fulfillment of their contract with LA County to develop the LA County Drought Tolerant Garden Handbook, a guide for successful adherence to LA County’s Drought-Tolerant Landscape Ordinance. The G3 Project Team was led by G3 Certified Professional, Stephanie Bartron.
The River Project / Water LA
The River Project is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to planning for natural resource protection, conservation and enhancement in Los Angeles County. TRP’s mission is to encourage responsible management of our watershed lands and revitalization of our rivers for the social, economic and environmental benefit of our communities. Through outreach, advocacy, scientific research and hands-on educational programs, TRP provides communities with the tools to reclaim their riverfront lands.
The River Project’s Water Los Angeles: Rainwater Harvesting Project (Water LA) facilitates widespread implementation of residential stormwater harvesting in the City of Los Angeles.
G3 is consulting on standards and homeowner outreach, conducting Site Assessments at most or all of the homes, and leading Watershed Basics Classes and Hands-on Workshops in Sheet Mulching, Planting & Irrigation, Sponge Garden Building, and Curb Cutting. The G3 Project Team is led by G3 Certified Professional, Marianne Simon.
Surfrider Foundation / Ocean Friendly Gardens
The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world’s oceans, waves and beaches. Founded in 1984 by a handful of visionary surfers in Malibu, California, the Surfrider Foundation now maintains over 50,000 members and 90 chapters worldwide.
G3 works with Surfrider Foundation to develop, promote and expand its Ocean Friendly Gardens (OFG) Program nationwide, including the creation of OFG Yard Sign Standards. OFG uses C.P.R. (Conservation, Permeability, Retention) on landscapes to revive local waterways and the ocean.
West Basin Municipal Water District
West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin MWD) is an innovative public agency that provides drinking and recycled water to its 185-square mile service area. West Basin MWD purchases imported water from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) and wholesales the imported water to cities and private companies in southwest Los Angeles County.
Since 2008, G3 has been engaged on two contracts with West Basin: (1) Ocean Friendly Landscapes curriculum development and teaching Watershed Basics Classes. (2) Ocean Friendly Demonstration Gardens throughout the West Basin MWD service area.
In 2009, G3 Certified Professional and licensed landscape contractor, TS Greenery, installed the G3-designed Edward C. Little WRF OFG Demonstration Garden in El Segundo, CA. In 2010, G3 Founding Member, Marilee Kuhlmann, designed the Donald L. Dear West Basin MWD Headquarters in Carson, CA.
G3 Certified Professionals, and licensed landscape architects, Alison Terry, John Tikotsky, and Tom Rau lead the G3 Project Team designing and implementing the West Basin OFG Demonstration Gardens. Ten gardens will be built throughout the West Basin service area. The Inglewood Firestation 171, Malibu Bluffs Park, and Manhattan Beach Strand, already have been completed. In 2013, completion is expected on Gardena Fire Station 158, Carson Community Center, Culver City High School Auditorium, Hawthorne City Hall, Hermosa Beach City Hall, and a site TBD in Palos Verdes.
City of Oxnard
The City of Oxnard is the largest city in Ventura County. The City is located about 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles and 35 miles south of Santa Barbara.
G3 provides consulting services to the City of Oxnard developing Custom Conservation Programs (“Cash For Grass”) and implementing Homeowner and Professional Classes.
City of San Buenaventura (Ventura) Water
The City of San Buenaventura is better known as City of Ventura. In 2005, the City Council unanimously adopted a visionary General Plan that the Ventura County Star praised as “a model for other communities.” During the current economic crisis, the City Council has focused on delivering key services within available means and promoting sustainable prosperity.
G3 provides consulting services to Ventura Water and City of Ventura Public Works Dept. for design projects and on-call program development. The G3 Project Team is led by G3 Certified Professional, Tyrone LaFay.
Generation Water
Generation Water is an environmental non-profit organization headquartered in Los Angeles whose mission is to build a pipeline of diverse, well-qualified young people for the career opportunities of the green economy, particularly focused on water efficiency. Generation Water provides young people with training and on-the-job work experience as they embark on a career in water, sustainability, the skilled trades, or a STEM-related field. Also, Generation Water completes a wide-variety of water conservation, pollution prevention, and landscape sustainability projects.
G3 collaborates with Generation Water to provide training through a Watershed Wise Custom Program emphasizing the concepts and practices underlying holistic (sustainable) landscape assessment, design, and stewardship using a watershed model. The G3 / Generation Water: Water Efficiency Professional Training Program is the first step in creating a Los Angeles Landscape Evaluator Qualification Program.
City of Pasadena Power & Water
G3 worked with the City of Pasadena Power & Water and Pasadena Public Works Dept. to renovate a highly-visible public site at the corner of Catalina & Union Streets through a Hands-on Workshop (HOW) on Sponge Garden Construction. Look for more classes in Rainwater Harvesting as we seek other public sites on which to build Sponge Gardens.
San Diego County Water Authority
The San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) is a public agency serving the San Diego region as a wholesale supplier of water from the Colorado River and Northern California.
G3 is consulting to Surfrider Foundation’s San Diego Chapter on a Proposition 84 IRWMP grant in which Surfrider is partnered with SDCWA and the City and County of San Diego to develop and implement residential landscape standards under the Water Smart Landscape brand (with Ocean Friendly Gardens sign criteria embedded) and conduct public outreach through classes, Hands-on Workshops, and Garden Assistance Party Workdays at residential sites.
Las Virgenes Municipal Water District
Las Virgenes Municipal Water District (LVMWD) provides potable water, wastewater treatment, recycled water and biosolids composting to more than 65,000 residents in the cities of Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, Westlake Village, and unincorporated areas of western Los Angeles County. G3 provides LVMWD with various Homeowner and Garden Steward Classes.
Olivenhain Municipal Water District
Olivenhain Municipal Water District (OMWD) is a public agency providing water, wastewater services, recycled water, hydroelectricity, and the operation of the Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve.
In 2010 G3 consulted to OMWD for redesigning the landscape at their headquarters in partnership with Mira Costa College Horticulture Program and Surfrider Foundation’s San Diego Chapter’s OFG Program. In 2011, a team led by G3 Certified Professionals, Amelia B. Lima and Nan Sterman, created a conceptual landscape plan for the OMWD headquarters in Encinitas.
