Isla Vista Surfrider to hold an Ocean Friendly Garden Basics Class

Ocean Friendly Gardens (OFG) is a program that promotes sustainable gardens that reduce run off into the ocean. IV Surfrider’s goal is to retrofit an Isla Vista garden into an OFG with the help of interested students and community members. Next Wednesday May 2nd, Surfrider will hold their first Ocean Friendly Gardens Basic Class to spread awareness about the importance of OFGs.

IV Surfrider is holding their OFG Basics Class on Wednesday May 2nd at 8 pm in the Graduate Student Lounge on the second floor of the Multicultural Center on the UCSB. IV Surfrider is hoping to contribute to the education of the community about pollution and conservation and to introduce the OFG concepts to those interested in helping with the retrofit. The class will focus on the importance of reducing water use for private and public landscapes by utilizing native plants and modified irrigation systems. The Basic Class will also highlight how to reduce contaminated water runoff to the oceans and other watersheds by incorporating permeable and water retentive soils and hardscapes.

The Surfrider Foundation’s mission is the protection and enjoyment of oceans, waves, and beaches through a powerful activist network. The IV Surfrider chapter creates both a social network as well as a program in which young people can take personal responsibility for the environment they inhabit and make a difference in their unique local community.

Coastal Fund is a student-funded, student-run organization that serves to preserve, protect, and enhance the terrestrial and marine habitats associated with the UCSB shoreline. Since the fall of 1999, Coastal Fund has granted $1.68 million to over 400 local projects and programs.

For more information on projects and funding opportunities visit www.coastalfund.as.ucsb.edu/index.php.