Saturday, February 23, 2002

Submitted by Calvin Finch, Ph.D., Manager, Conservation Division, Water Resources & Conservation Department, SAWS, and Horticulturist

VIVA BOTANICA

            If your neighborhood, church, club, or youth group is involved in a landscape beautification project and you would like to attend Viva Botanica on April 6 and 7 as a group, compliments of SAWS, you have that opportunity in 2002.

            The San Antonio Water System is going to sponsor scholarships for up to 500 youth and adults because Viva Botanica this year is featuring the dedication of the new xeriscape garden. It is a plot of 15,000 sq. ft. illustrating the seven xeriscape principles of good planning, organically enriched soil, reduced turf, efficient watering, extensive mulch, good maintenance, and well adapted plants.

            SAWS customers can receive 10 cents per square foot (minimum of 1,000 sq. ft.; maximum of 5,000 sq. ft.) if they convert their St. Augustine lawn to xeriscape. New homeowners can get the same rebate if they preserve native landscapes or select xeriscape. The xeriscape garden at the Botanical Gardens is designed to be a model to give people ideas on the mix of plants they might use. You will get to see plants that are established in the market plus the new plants that are being tested in the Botanical Gardens’ research effort.

            In addition to the new xeriscape, Viva Botanica is a festival of displays, music, horticultural lectures, youth activities, and food. If there is something that you think your group would learn from and help carry information on xeriscape back to your neighborhood, contact Karen Guz at SAWS for the simple one-page application. She can be contacted by e-mail at klguz@saws.org; by phone at 704-7479; by fax at 704-7569; or by mailing the request to Karen Guz, Conservation Division, San Antonio Water System, 1001 E. Market, San Antonio, TX 78205. She will send you an application that is due by March 15. Your group does not have to be a SAWS customer.

            SAWS hopes that attending Viva Botanica and touring the new Xeriscape Demonstration Garden will inspire community groups to beautify their landscapes while conserving water. Therefore, we will consider current gardening activities, current conservation activities and potential community impact from attending the event. SAWS wants representatives of all neighborhoods in and around San Antonio.

                Applicants will be asked to complete a simple budget on the application form to let us know what type of assistance you will need. We will provide entry tickets for the event and consider other associated expenses to get to the event as a group. Please also include any in-kind resources your group will be using for attending the event such as staff time, transportation, or food.

            The applicant must agree to accept certain responsibilities:

1.      Groups bringing children must provide adult supervision for the children at all times.

2.      There should be a minimum adult to child ratio of six to one.

3.      Groups must be responsible for all travel arrangements.

4.      Groups must be responsible for refreshments for the group. Food is sold at the event and should not be brought into the Botanical Gardens.

5.      Groups must provide a list of members attending the event with names, addresses and phone numbers prior to receiving their sponsorship tickets.

6.        Each group receiving sponsorship will be asked to sign in at the SAWS display during Viva Botanica.