Statement of Purpose (11-14-02)

A NEW LANDSCAPE ETHIC
To change the prevailing attitude toward the Southern California landscape; to re-establish a sense of place rooted in our bioregion and its natural systems: geography, soils and microclimates and the various plant communities native to them. To rediscover the intrinsic beauty of this landscape, its seasons and colors. To promote a new understanding of the habitat and water conservation values of native plants.


To foster a distinctive Southern California style of sustainable landscape planting, in which native plant communities have first priority, particularly in sensitive areas such as adjacent to extant native habitat and along the river corridors. To encourage wide use of appropriate locally native plants, and selective use of well-adapted native cultivars, native hybrids and Mediterranean species. To engender a sense of stewardship of the landscape.


To encourage local government and institutions to develop urban forestry programs with emphasis on native plants and weed management. To encourage growers, nurseries, landscape contractors and maintenance workers to propagate, plant and maintain native plants and eliminate noxious exotic weed species. To encourage developers and landholders to employ native and Mediterranean plantings. To encourage agencies and organizations to promote and implement the landscape ethic. To encourage relevant educational outreach to groups such as youth, home gardeners, opinion leaders, design professionals and public officials. To encourage local jurisdictions to adopt appropriate landscape ordinances.



ROLE OF THE LANDSCAPE ETHIC COMMITTEE AND THE WATERSHED COUNCIL
To develop an approach that identifies different levels of habitat, landscape and garden and the types of sustainable plant palettes appropriate for each. To identify target audiences, objectives and programs to promote the landscape ethic.


To define the Watershed Council’s role in the process of changing attitudes, policies and practices and promoting and implementing the landscape ethic, and to develop a work plan for the Council’s involvement over the next one to two years.



SERVICES
The Watershed Council regularly conducts sustainable landscape seminars for landscape architects and designers. Visit this link to view information on past seminars and for check back regularly for news about upcoming events.