Orginally from Sacramento, CA, Chadwick Bowlin is a senior studying Sustainable Environmental Design. Recently, Bowlin completed a revamp of Berkeley's African American Theme House front yard. 

"I did research about what drought-tolerant plants would work for the space, based on shading and water needs, and drew a site plan and planting palette. I even chose what mulch and gravel I liked from suppliers. I then used a fund from the Berkeley Student Cooperative to buy all the materials to renovate the front yard. Me and others who lived there planted the new garden, poured mulch and gravel, and I installed a new swing bench, automatic drip irrigation system, and solar LED night lights."

"I did this project because I am interested in landscapes that require little to no water." As result, Bowlin implemented a drip irrigation system that, as the name implies, drips limited amounts of water to plants. By placing the water system very close to the roots of plants, evaporation is minimized and large quantities of water are saved in comparison to other irrigation methods. For Bowlin, the drip irrigation served his current and future plants well as they needed little water to establish. 

"These sorts of landscape decisions are not only economical, but also will allow cities and green spaces to be more resilient in the face of climate change and more periods of drought."

Check out this gallery of photos displaying Bowlin's project from start to finish.