Communicating complex ecological information to laypeople is frequently a challenge for ecologists especially if language is an issue. We authored English/Spanish maintenance manuals for a street in a Latino neighborhood that is a demonstration for the first water recharging street in Los Angeles that incorporates native/drought-tolerant plants into the landscaping.

In sunny Southern California, future water supply is an increasing challenge. In the San Fernando Valley, the large groundwater basin is overdrawn and areas within it are polluted. In Sun Valley, a predominately Latino neighborhood, tributaries of the Los Angeles River run nearly unchecked through the urban neighborhood on stormy days, cutting off access to schools and malls. In an area without sidewalks, women with baby carriages struggle over asphalt streets; people with walkers shuffle the same asphalt edges.

Problem: in a community with pedestrian unfriendly streets and a portion of an historic river running through the neighborhood, can we create a stormwater infiltration street and effectively transmit the maintenance information for the facilities and landscaping to the residential homeowners in a user-friendly format.

Results/Conclusions

We created a text that incorporates all the information and responsibilities involved in the newly landscaped yards/parkways/facilities by house. The manuals include everything from care of rainbarrels, trench drains, permeable pavers and permeable concrete to natural pest control, weeding, mulching, and plant care and all without overwhelming the ordinary homeowner. The plant care sections include basic information for watering and pruning that most horticulture books lack. The appendices for each address include detailed drawings for construction, landscaping, irrigation, as well as results from soil testing, a list of native plant nurseries and a bibliography. A laminated field guide for common garden insects is part of the homeowner’s binder. Additionally, an 11”x17” Maintenance Checklist encapsulates the yearly maintenance tasks in a spreadsheet for easy planning.

The first training session for the homeowners has occurred in April 2010, but it is too early to determine if the manual is readily used. The reactions of the homeowners suggests that the additional help is very much welcome.