The Hydrate Surprise class series is underway this July in Surprise's new Water Education Center! This series will guide you through designing water harvesting systems for your home, including earthworks, tanks, and greywater – just in time for the monsoons.
In this series, you will learn how to evaluate your landscape for water harvesting potential and learn practical ways to convert your landscape into a productive water harvesting oasis that creates shade, supports native pollinator-friendly plants, and produces food, all while reducing or eliminating irrigation needs. Whether you join for one class or all five classes, you’ll walk away with why and how we can live “hydro-locally” in the desert, our word for making the most of water resources that are locally and readily available to us while reducing our dependence on faraway water supplies. Class topics this summer are:
Selecting Native Plants for Multiple Benefits | Wed, July 13th @ 6p.m. - 7:30p.m. | Register
Sizing and Installing Tanks | Wed, July 20th @ 6p.m. - 7:30p.m. | Register
Building Healthy Desert Soils | Wed, July 27th @ 6p.m. - 7:30p.m. | Register
Irrigating with Greywater | Wed, August 3rd @ 6p.m. - 7:30p.m. | Register
Our course instructors are certified water harvesting professionals through Watershed Management Group. Each of these fantastic instructors have designed and implemented residential and community projects to make the most of our precious water resources throughout the Valley.
Kaylee Colter, Landscape Architect, Eighty-Eight Acres
Kaylee is a fourth generation Arizonan and received her BSLA in Landscape Architecture from Arizona State University in 2010, and her MSc in Sustainable Horticulture. She began Eighty-Eight Actres in 2018 to bring her experiences to residential clients, and has brought her design expertise to several community projects over the past few years.
Michael Gettens and Clint Culberson, Galaxy Gardens
Galaxy Gardens is a licensed contractor and landscaping company that integrates living systems into its projects to create shade, food, and habitat while maximizing water efficiency for homes and land in the Phoenix Valley. Michael and Clint are experienced with rain tank installation, greywater systems, and native landscaping.
