by Martin Carrion van Rijn
PRESIDENT, APLD-CA Sacramento district
While the recent severe drought conditions have passed, California’s semi-arid climate and cyclical weather patterns mean that landscape designers must always plan for the future. This understanding is shared by the City of Sacramento Department of Utilities, which has proposed a partnership with the APLD-CA Sacramento District in developing programs to educate the public about sustainable landscape design and practices.
Cheryl Buckwalter and I have consulted with several city representatives to incorporate landscape design assistance into their River-Friendly Landscape Rebate Program, similar to the partnership the APLD Bay Area District has with the Contra Costa County Water District. We are confident implementation will happen soon.
Representatives have also discussed the possibility of expanding the rebate program to include residential landscape design assistance for disadvantaged communities, which would be implemented by volunteers and the City.
We are very excited about the positive impact these collaborations with the City will offer the Sacramento region and APLD members. Our goal is to strengthen the influence of APLD in educating the public about the benefits of sustainable landscapes and the beauty they can bring to our communities.