Drought: UC Berkeley students create low-water templates for San Lorenzo yards
Contra Costa Times
By Rebecca Parr
06 April 2015
Photo: Jane Tyska

DOWNLOAD GARDENS FOR SAN LORENZO BOOKLET HERE.

The Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Department at UC Berkeley partnered with the San Lorenzo Village Home Association and StopWaste to compile a 134-page booklet entitled “Gardens for San Lorenzo.” The beautiful booklet contains color photographs, watercolor paintings, illustrations and drought tolerant plant identifications. There are also recommendations for four drought tolerant garden designs. 

The collaboration started when home association board member Steven Kirk approached the Department's Professor and Chair, Louise Mozingo, to see if there was interest in students creating drought-tolerant garden plans for San Lorenzo yards.  The conversation gave way to the creation of the Landscape Architecture course 245:5 in the Fall of 2014. The course was instructed by Dawn Kooyumjian.

The course was funded by StopWaste and the San Lorenzo Village Home Association. StopWaste awarded a $7,000 grant to cover most of the cost of the class. The homeowners association contributed an additional $1,000. The students who contributed to the research, design and production of the booklet included: Elizabeth Bailey, Rebecca Correa, Yael Hadar, Han Zhen Li, Wan-Chi Luo, Kathleen O'Leary and Katrina Ortiz.

The team developed four low water garden templates for the San Lorenzo Village. They will be displayed April 25th at a landscape expo.  UC Berkeley printed a limited number of the the booklets. Copies can be checked out at the San Lorenzo Library. Association members can borrow the book at its office. Also, the booklet is available as a pdf download online.

East Bay MUD and StopWaste are considering reprinting it for wider distribution. Though the templates were designed for San Lorenzo, they could be adapted throughout the East Bay flatlands.