Mar Vista is a small community in Los Angeles. One of those communities that no one has heard of – best described as what it is between. Just under three square miles with 35,000 people, nestled between Venice and Culver City, not at the beach but an easy bike ride to the beach, with one important characteristic – a very dynamic and involved community council that urged the formation of a green committee.
Never underestimate the power of a grass roots effort. The committee became a way for community members with a passion for eco to find each other – and there area lot of us. Banded together, we wanted to do something significant to celebrate Earth Day 2009, something that would make a difference – more than just a party.
Los Angeles is in the midst of a drought. Our plight with water really just a microcosm of the dilemma we are facing as a planet. We decided to create a garden tour of drought-resistant and edible gardens to demonstrate that water conservation could be an opportunity rather than a hardship. We had no money, just the passion, skills and networking talents of a small group of people.
The Mar Vista Green Garden Showcase that resulted opened 44 gardens to the public. Four walking maps inspired people to take the tour by foot or bike and the gardens were posted on a blog with pictures and profiles. We rejected the conventional paper flyer and used emailed flyers, social networking and neighbor-to-neighbor outreach at the local farmers market. A community member donated a press release and then it seemed that everyone knew someone and the word got out. Suddenly, we were on eco blogs, radio shows, local newspapers, the Los Angeles Times and even NPR.
The tour attracted 1,000 visitors! They arrived with notes from the blog and a clear intention that they were eager to embrace change. The requests for information and resources continued long past the tour and the blog continued on as a community eco-“water cooler.” The interest was so strong that the Mar Vista Farmers Market gifted the Mar Vista Community Council (MVCC) a dedicated booth for the Green Committee and now we present a weekly guest.
The results caught the attention of Los Angeles city officials as a best practices example of what can be achieved and evidence that the public is ready to support conservation. It earned us the opportunity to dialogue with the Department of Water and Power, the Department of Public Works, and the Department of Sanitation and participate in pilot programs.
The great news? The 2010 tour will highlight the many lawns that have been eliminated following the tour and the water we have saved as a community.
Sherri Akers is a passionate environmentalist and Co Chair of the MVCC Green Committee. She lives in a home renovated with solar panels, drought resistant landscaping and a multitude of energy efficiencies.
