Students Kill School's Lawn, Demonstrate `Xeriscaping'

ASHLAND, Ore. - Principal Patty Wixon and teacher Tim Brandy smiled over the gang of 10- and 11-year-olds as they did their best to kill the lush green lawn in front of Walker Elementary School.

"My parents are really excited," said Willy Van Ausdal, 11. "My dad said, `Wow, let's do it in our back yard."'

What's going on here? In a word: "xeriscaping."

It's a word coined by Denver's water department 10 years ago from the Greek word xeris, or dry, and landscaping.

"It's catching on everywhere as people discover that even a wet state can have a dry period, and as people realize that by cutting water use, water systems can frequently cut down the amount of money they have to spend," said Cris Call, a conservation specialist for Denver Water.

"Xeriscape does not mean rocks and cactus," she added. "I've seen houses where they've taken out the lawn and replaced it with rock. We call that zeroscape. It's just ugly and not energy efficient. True xeriscape can be beautiful."

Southern Oregon is going into its eighth straight year of drought, and by August, there could well be no water in this town of 16,000 for thirsty things like lawns.

"Since Ashland is so low on water, we are teaching Ashland to use drought-resistant plants so we can use our water for things we really need, like drinking," said Mikey Ensor, 10.

"Even if the drought ends, this makes sense," Brandy said.

The idea came to Walker Elementary from Joyce Ward, an architect whose daughter, Deven Ward-Thommes, is in Brandy's mixed fourth-and fifth-grade class. Ward guided the children as they designed the project.

The kids rounded up donations and materials from local people and businesses and picked out the plants from a native plants nursery.

"Part of the idea was to get kids feeling they had power over their environment," said Ward.

The $1,300 project was embraced by the city of Ashland, which donated $500 because it fits in with efforts to cut water use.

"The kids that are working on that project are giving gifts to their children," said Mayor Cathy Golden.

Without conservation, the city will outgrow the reservoir on Ashland Creek in four years, she said. But water-saving shower heads and toilets and xeriscaping will give the city another 15 years, providing as much water as building a $20 million dam.

"Our parents' generation did a great deal of consuming natural resources, I think primarily because they didn't know there was a limited amount out there," Golden said. "Our generation has no excuse."

Lawns and landscaping account for about half the water used in summertime, said Dick Wanderscheid, city conservation director.

"We hope to educate people, especially new commercial construction, to use low-water landscaping," he said.

That's the job of Robbin Smith, who works for Wanderscheid's department. The xeriscaping at Walker helps her show people what they can do with less water.

"I hope people will be patient and understanding, instead of driving by and saying, `My God, what have they done,"' Smith said. "It takes a little bit of time for it to mature and look visually acceptable."

The children spread old cardboard boxes over the lawn, then covered them with layers of sawdust and bark. The cardboard will decompose and work into the soil.

"It kills the grass but leaves all the micro-organisms that are good for the soil," said Jennifer Hunter, 11.

In place of the lawn, the kids planted species that don't need much water. Many of them are native to the Siskiyou Mountains that surround their hometown. Shrubs include manzanita, dark star ceanothus and common snowberry, and trees are madrone and black locust. Ground cover is prostrate manzanita.

"We'll put plaques on the plants," said Ea Jacobson, 11. "Then you'll be able to go up in the hills and recognize them."

Brandy will water the plants by hand until they send roots deep enough to survive on their own.

The initial stage includes a small plaza in front of the school library, where kids can meet for outdoor classes, plays and after-school chats. Over the years, kids will work their way across the front of the school, adding a gazebo and more plants.

"We're going to start a new fad," said Ea. "I can't wait until it's all out there. It'll be really neat."

"It's going to be one big role model," said Stefan Phelps, 10.

"At first, I didn't think it would really happen," said Nakia McCullough, 10. "It's really amazing. We really can do it."