LA’s Historic Taste of Soul Festival Will Showcase Native, Drought-Inspired Landscaping with the Save Our Water Campaign – Press Release

Save Our Water encourages over 300,000 Angelenos to learn about native plants and water-wise landscaping to help respond to California’s extreme drought

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — New trends in drought-resistant landscaping and décor reached the Southland today at the return of the historic Taste of Soul family festival where attendees visited the state’s water conservation program’s Zen Garden and took home drought-tolerant native California plants. Participating in the revival of LA’s annual Taste of Soul event is the latest effort the state-run Save Our Water campaign has taken to showcase the bold steps Californians are making to conserve water for the long run and tackle extreme drought and the realities of a changing climate.

“We’re excited to showcase California’s water-wise, can-do spirit at one of the largest celebrations of Black culture, history and community in Los Angeles county,” said Margaret Mohr, Deputy Director of Communications at the Department of Water Resources. “We are all changing our water habits, and the Taste of Soul Festival was the ideal place to showcase what real water conservation looks like; that’s what we’ve put on display with the Save Our Water campaign.”

“Californians know that we’re facing extreme drought. We know this is bigger than any emergency drought restriction. We’re changing our lifestyles and homes, and it starts with what we pot and plant in our living spaces,” said Mohr. “We’re committed to changing our water habits across the board—not just with shorter showers and capturing grey water—but with completely reimagined landscaping that features native drought-resistant California plants.”

Set on historic Crenshaw Blvd., the Save Our Water Zen Garden will be open all day Saturday near the 94.7 The WAVE music stage. It was created for residents to engage in its high-quality designs and inspire their own use of California native plants back home in their gardens.

Thanks to our partners, ScottsMiracle-Gro and Bonnie Plants, the Save Our Water Zen Garden shows a beautifully designed water wise space.

Visitors learned about water conservation, drought-tolerant plants and native landscaping, and were encouraged to pledge to cut their water usage by 15%. Visitors won raffle prizes of native plants, water-wise seed packs and new lawn chairs.

Gov. Gavin Newsom last month wrote that without action, state officials believe extreme weather could diminish California’s water supply by up to 10% by 2040. “Californians have repeatedly answered the call to use less water in past droughts. As the state prepares for the possibility of a fourth dry year and potential weather extremes, it’s more important than ever that all of us adopt water conservation as a way of life,” he wrote.

For more water-saving tips and resources, including California native landscaping ideas, visit SaveOurWater.com.

About Save Our Water (SOW): Save Our Water is California’s statewide water conservation program. Started in 2009 by the California Department of Water Resources, Save Our Water’s goal is to make water conservation a daily habit among Californians. The program reaches millions of Californians each year through partnerships with local water agencies and other community-based organizations, social marketing efforts, paid and earned media and event sponsorships. Please visit SaveOurWater.com and follow @saveourwater on Twitter and Instagram and @SaveOurWaterCA on Facebook.

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SOURCE Save Our Water