WaterSmart Landscaping: Protecting the Future of Freshwater Inflows for Galveston Bay

Summary

The WaterSmart Program of the Texas Coastal Watershed Program has shown that resilient, water-conserving, low-polluting landscapes can be both very beautiful and functional. The WaterSmart Program will use an integrated, targeted approach to include: installation of a minimum of three demonstration landscapes in highly visible locations; conducting a minimum of two hands-on workshops to accompany at least two of the installations--one will be aimed at an audience of critical decision makers who can influence local and regional policy and the other will focus on non-professionals, including homeowners; create a series of unique, innovative videos prepared for YouTube that will illustrate aspects of WaterSmart, eco-friendly landscaping such as lawn reduction, alternatives to turf grasses, soil preparation, plant selection and landscape maintenance; and develop interpretive signs located at the demonstration sites, educational materials, brochures, and fact sheets. Additional information will appear on the WaterSmart website at http://watersmart.tamu.edu  to provide continued education; and through various forms of social media to promote community engagement and audience building, keeping critical information and support timely and up to date while reaching an even larger audience.