Saving water with mulch

AmeriCorps volunteers help cover an area on Redwood Way with mulch as a water-saving measure.|

Daily Acts and AmeriCorps volunteers worked hard (and had lots of fun) sheet mulching 10,000 square feet of formerly irrigated turf at Xandex Inc. in the Redwood Business Park on Tuesday, March 10.

The project will save 250,000 gallons of potable water every year and will significantly reduce Xandex’s water bill and maintenance costs. The turf transformation will also prevent herbicides and petroleum products commonly used in lawn maintenance from flowing into nearby stormwater drains.

Sheet mulching is the process of layering compost, cardboard, and mulch to suppress weed growth, build healthy soil, and infiltrate rainwater. The project was the result of an innovative partnership between Daily Acts, AmeriCorps, California Conservation Corps, the City of Petaluma, the Leadership Institute, and local businesses including Xandex, Sonoma Compost, and Cagwin & Dorward.

To learn more about sheet mulching or to take part in the City of Petaluma’s Mulch Madness program, which opens on March 15, visit www.cityofpetaluma.net.

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