88 Trees Planted

When freezing temperatures and blizzards were making headlines in the East, students in the West were planting trees at UC Irvine on a warm winter day. The 88 trees were furnished to the Mesa Court housing complex by the Shadetree Partnership and Irvine Ranch Water District. Shadetree’s nursery is located on the campus.

“Mesa Court is one of UCI’s original housing complexes, so many of these plantings date back to 1965,” said Tim Guesman, associate director of operations for Mesa Court. “The goal is to replace them as needed.”

The 16-acre complex has 29 resident halls and is now used primarily for freshman housing. Students volunteered to learn the finer points of tree planting, and then worked hard to give the trees their new home.

Dave Asman, landscape contracts administrator for IRWD and Shadetree representative, gathered with students and instructed them how to plant the Chinese flame trees, California peppers, Canary Island pines, red buds, toyons, crepe myrtles, California sycamores, and Chinese elms. Then the students took over.

“This is a great way to make a difference,” said student Olivia Carbonero. “What better way than to plant trees?”

The California friendly trees were selected from Shadetree’s vast inventory. Information on IRWD’s environmental programs is available on our website.

Water Quality Professionals Judge

Four Irvine Unified School District students had their water-related science fair projects selected for honors by Irvine Ranch Water District. The projects were selected during the school district’s annual science fair on February 26.

The students will be honored at the May 28 IRWD Board of Directors meeting. IRWD Water Quality professionals have participated in the school’s science fair since the 1980s. Judging this year were Melinda Bergen, a supervisor in the chemistry section of the IRWD Water Quality Laboratory, and Michele Drzymkowski, Laboratory Quality Assurance/Quality Control.

Students whose projects were selected are:

• Ryan Long, grade 7, Lakeside Middle School for, “Something’s in the Water”
• Aurnov Chattopadhyay, grade 8, Rancho San Joaquin Middle School for, “The effectiveness of Water Filtration Systems”
• Jocelyn Cheng, Helen Yang, Madeleine Chow and Isabelle Chow, grade 8, Rancho San Joaquin Middle School for, “Pollution and Shrimp”
• Jaeho Kim, grade 11, Woodbridge High School for, “Effects of Eutrophication on the Growth of Macroalgae”

For more information on the IRWD educational programs, visit our website.

Color Galore

Spring is the perfect time to transform your yard into an Always Water Smart landscape and Irvine Ranch Water District can help.

“Landscape water use can account for up to 70 percent of residential water use, with nearly half of this water being wasted through overwatering, runoff and evaporation,” said Nathan Adams, IRWD Water Efficiency Analyst.

By planting a water-efficient landscape, residents can reduce their water bills and have a healthier and attractive landscape.

There’s no need to constrain your landscape to a patch of grass when there are an abundance of water-efficient plants with lots of textures and colors. Native plants are well-suited to southern California’s mild winters and warm, dry summers. They’re less maintenance, use little water and don’t need soil preparation or fertilizing.

If you’re ready to make this transition but are uncertain about what types of plants to use and how to design an Always Water Smart landscape, we are here to help. IRWD has assembled a comprehensive online landscape and plant resource guide. At www.irwdcalscape.org, visitors can create their own water-efficient landscape by selecting plants based on season, color, height range and other options. Visitors can also receive information on design, landscape rebates, irrigation schedules and much more.

Here are some general design recommendations to assist in transforming your landscape:

• Less is more in planting design. Complex designs require more maintenance. Limit the number of plant species and create well-defined planted areas by not scattering plants throughout open areas.
• Consider how much lawn you would like or need. Plant lawn where it will be enjoyed, or forego it altogether and consider lawn alternatives, such as ground covers, decks or patios. Grass is the highest water-consuming plant in the garden.
• If you enjoy seasonal color, consider container gardens with lush and low-maintenance ornamentals, grasses or succulents.
• Look for plants with the same water needs and group these together to maximize water use and allow for better plant health.
• A year-round evergreen garden can be achieved with low-maintenance ground covers such as dymondia, rosemary or star jasmine.

Show Features IRWD 2012 Poster Winner

The 2013 Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Student Art Exhibit is making its way to the Irvine Ranch Water District headquarters office at 15600 Sand Canyon Avenue in Irvine and will  feature the winning art work of Ben Zolner, a Lake Forest Elementary School sixth grader.

Ben’s art work and the other 35 winning posters will be displayed in the IRWD lobby and available for public viewing April 2-9 during regular business hours:  8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

“Art work from schools all over the region was entered into the 2012 ‘Water is Life’ poster contest sponsored by Metropolitan,” said Shannon Reed, IRWD Public Affairs Manager. “Ben was one of the finalists whose art work was chosen for honors.”

The students, their parents and teachers were invited to a ceremony at Metropolitan’s Los Angeles office in December. The winning art work was framed and on display in the building’s rotunda. Winning posters were published in the 2013 Water is Life calendar.

The traveling art show began in January at the Inland Empire Utilities Agency in Riverside County and will conclude in July in Ventura County. Ben will be honored at a future IRWD board meeting and be presented with his winning art work.

More information about IRWD education programs is available on our website.