SmartGarden Project Heads to Parks and Recreation Commission

A water conservation demonstration garden called SmartGarden – the Mill Valley Public Library’s latest endeavor to provide opportunities for experiential learning – heads to the Mill Valley Parks & Recreation Commission on March 4 for approval. Like the Fire Department’s fire resistive garden, the SmartGarden is a demonstration garden intended to educate the community about rain water harvesting and water-wise gardening techniques using native plants. The Library will offer workshops to community members to learn how to apply these practices at their own home.

The SmartGarden project, propelled by a $40,000 state grant secured in 2014 through the California State Library’s “Pitch an Idea” program, seeks to promote the need for water conservation and management and to educate the community about how to do so through harvesting water and using sustainable, native plants.

The project builds on the momentum of SeedSmart, the Library’s innovative and hugely successful seed-lending program.

The Commission reviewed the initial design plans for SmartGarden at its November 5, 2014 meeting, and will review the “90 percent design” on March 4. If the Commission approves SmartGarden, it will be built in four stages in an outdoor space adjacent to the southeastern edge of the library, with the first two stages expected to begin in April and finish by June. Stages three and four will be completed as funds become available.

“Libraries are evolving fast, and SmartGarden is a great example of that evolution,” said Kristen Clark, the Library’s operations manager. “Libraries are no longer just repositories of information but guides to experiential learning. With the SmartGarden (and the seed library), people get to use all their senses in the pursuit of knowledge. They can take that experience home with them, whether it is by installing their own rain catchment system or planting seeds from our seed library.”

The project will harvest rain from the Library roof using a rain catchment system, with overflow water being diverted into the SmartGarden, consisting of garden beds containing native plants, edibles, medicinals, and other beneficial plants that can be used for educational purposes.

Each garden bed will feature a different learning experience, promoting the importance of native plants and the necessity of water management. Complementary programming – workshops and other events – on subjects such as foraging wild seed and permaculture techniques will offer additional opportunities to enhance visitors’ knowledge and understanding of sustainability issues.

The idea for SmartGarden is rooted in the water-related challenges Mill Valley faces, from the ongoing drought conditions statewide and flooding in low-lying areas during rainy months to pollution from stormwater runoff – the most common cause of water pollution.

Mill Valley’s unique microclimates foster the growth of a rich diversity of indigenous plants whose preservation plays a crucial role in allowing the ecosystem to cope with and adapt to environmental stressors.

The City Council has made preserving this natural environment a City priority, and the MV2040 General Planupdate identified as a goal to “increase the community’s knowledge and understanding of ecologically significant and sensitive natural communities, natural processes, and any corresponding hazards in areas where the natural environment and human settlement meet.”

With those criteria in mind, Library staff seized on the need to educate the community about sustainable gardening and water conservation.

SmartGarden comes on the heels of SeedSmart, its seed lending library that encourages community building through the sharing of open-pollinated, heirloom, and locally adapted seeds. Since late April, patrons have checked out more than 1,900 seed packets and 22 volunteers have committed to help with the program.

While the grant pays for most of the SmartGarden, the Library hopes to land a significant number of donations of funding, services and materials. They’ll also need volunteers, the latter of whom will be the backbone of an operation to maintain the garden and to lead education tours of the garden, a critical component.

The Library plans to collaborate with a host of local organizations on the project, including Marin Master Gardeners, Mill Valley Streamkeepers, and Marin Municipal Water District. “This is a garden for and by the community,” Clark said. “We know that the success of this program depends on all of the collaborations with members of the community.” Click here for more info on SmartGarden.

The SmartGarden design is available for review here. Residents can also stop by City Hall, Public Works (2nd floor) or the Mill Valley Public Library Reference Desk for a hard copy of the design.

Your participation and input in the process are welcome and encouraged:

• Attend upcoming Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting on Wednesday, March 4, 2015, at 7pm at Mill Valley City Hall, 26 Corte Madera Ave, Mill Valley.
• Watch the meeting webcast.
• Provide input and comments prior to the meeting to Public Works at vtyler@cityofmillvalley.org