Celebrating Summer Solstice

Apricots - the unofficial sign that summer has begun. Although originally from Armenia, the apricot tree thrives in climates such as the one we have right here in the Bay Area. Consequently, the tree’s branches become heavy with ripe orange fruit around this time of year. The Rossmann family, who receives garden maintenance and the occasional garden do-over from the Smart Yards Co-op team, is one of many Bay Area households who is able to enjoy this bright orange and juicy fruit directly from the tree. 

Summer Solstice, June 21, is the official start of Summer, when the days are at their longest and the nights are their shortest. For many generations, the longest day has been a cause for celebration in many cultures around the world. This phenomenon takes place when the Earth tilts on its axis so that the northern hemisphere faces the sun. The southern hemisphere, on the other hand, is beginning to enter their winter season as it faces away from the sun, marking their longest night and shortest day. 

With the beginning of summer, professional and amateur gardeners will witness the rapid growth of trees and other native plants, a natural reaction to the high amounts of nourishing sunlight and, especially after a little extra rain. To everyone’s delight,  fruit trees should, if not already, be producing their fresh fruit in the upcoming weeks. Those having access to a garden in a smaller lot, like many people in urban areas, and who do not have the space to grow many plants and trees, Smart Yards Co-op is here to help! 

Smart Yard’s gardeners have been trained to aid this process by pruning and freshening up your garden. And the best part? The Smart Yards team also returns your garden to its natural beauty. For more information, feel free to contact us for a consultation.

Happy World Environment Day!

On this day, 47 years ago on June 5th 1972, the United Nations “Conference on the Human Environment” was held in Stockholm, Sweden to address the preservation of the earth’s environment. The Result of this 11-day conference is the World Environment Day, an annual UN-sponsored day dedicated to cultivating awareness and promoting action for the conservation of the environment. Later that year, the committee “United Nations Environmental Program” (UNEP) was founded.

“Scientific evidence for warming of the climate system is unequivocal.”, says the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Such evidence includes global temperature rise and warming oceans, rapidly decreasing glaciers and polar ice coverage causing sea level rise, and extreme storms becoming stronger every year. All living and nonliving organisms on this planet are affected by a predicament for which humans and their unsustainable ways of life are mainly responsible. Therefore countless, yet still insufficient actions have been taken to turn the fate of the planet around and provide a stable home for generations to come.

U. S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is leading figure in Congress in taking such actions in congress. With the support of other democrats, she unveiled the “Green New Deal”, a socio-economic proposal to pivot toward renewable energy and economic equality. This economic reform would include inter alia the creation of union jobs, the assurance of clean air and water, and access to wind and solar power that would lower energy bills.

From a local standpoint, Smart Yards Co-Op also does their part in preserving the gifts of our local environment here in the Bay Area. Our sustainable gardens and landscapes are created using natural and renewable resources and are transformed into habitats for plants and animals alike. In order to achieve such natural preservation, we focus on reducing the waste of fresh, potable water of the gardens by planting species of plants that are native to our area and do not have a high need for hydration. In addition we work daily on the cooperative business model to ensure fair wages for fair labor, as promised in AOC’s Green New Deal.

For this world environment day, we welcome you to focus not only on the conservation of our physical environment, such as clean air and water, but also on supporting environmental, social, and economic justice.

Happy Earth Day 2019

“In pushing other species to extinction, humanity is busy sawing off the limb on which it perches,” said Paul R. Ehrlich, an American biologist in warning the world about human impact on Mother Nature. Unfortunately, his predictions have become reality. As presented in this article by the Earth Day Network, human exploitation of natural resources, deforestation, and the overuse of pesticides are causing an appalling decline of biodiversity in worldwide habitats. Therefore, the Earth Day Network has decided to dedicate this April 22nd, Earth Day to the cause of Protecting Our Species.

Since its inception in 2015, Smart Yards Co-Op has been committed to protecting our local species by creating, building, and tending to ecological gardens. Each of our gardens is a link in a chain of microhabitats that support threatened birds, butterflies, and pollinators. To develop these relationships, our gardens incorporate plant combinations that are beautiful and functional in a complex ecosystem. We expertly choose plants that provide seasonal interest and bloom year round. The ecological diversity of our gardens creates an environment where the range of insect and bird life becomes an effective natural pest control. Our clients continue to marvel at the number of butterflies embellishing our gardens. Hummingbirds, chickadees, and cedar waxings represent some of the regular bird species nesting in and feeding from native California vegetation. Many years of research and hands-on experience guide the selection of grasses, perennials, shrubs, vines, and trees that provide food, water, and shelter for our local wildlife.

To protect local species and their surrounding habitats, get started with these three simple actions:

1. Learn and teach children about native flora and fauna and endangered species in your area. Educate your friends and family about the magnificent wildlife and plants that live around us. The first step to protecting species is to learn about their importance. Highlighting their significance in our economy, as well as their crucial role in upholding the stability of our environment, promotes and encourages restorative action. For more inspiration, see our above-mentioned Easter activity dedicated to cultivating children's knowledge about local wildflowers.

2. Protect native plants responsible for providing food and shelter for native wildlife. Insects and habitat health go hand in hand. Attracting native insects such as bees and butterflies leads to the pollination of plants, resulting in healthy fruit and vegetable production. Without this essential step, other local inhabitants have no food sources. The spread of non-native species has greatly impacted native populations around the world as invasive species compete with natives for resources and habitat, forcing them towards extinction.

3. Substitute herbicides and pesticides - hazardous pollutants affecting local wildlife - with natural pest control methods. Many herbicides and pesticides take a long time to degrade. Additionally, these chemicals build up in the soils, revealing their harmful impact throughout the food chain. Predators such as hawks, owls, and coyotes can be harmed if they eat poisoned animals. Amphibians are particularly vulnerable to these chemical pollutants and suffer greatly as a result of the high levels of herbicides and pesticides in their habitat.

To take further action for today's Earth Day theme, sign this petition by Environment California to prevent the usage of bee-killing pesticides in American wildlife refuges.

If you're interested in Smart Yards Co-op's projects and in working with us to make a difference visit us HERE.

Earth Day 2018 Celebration and Workshop

Join Smart Yards Co-op and Smart Yards Education Foundation in collaboration with Sacred Heart Community Service, Human Agenda and Downtown College Prep for Earth Day Celebrations. Together we will honor our planet, good food, fun activities and a Work That Reconnects workshop. Breakfast, lunch, child care, workshop and translation (English/Spanish) included. Save your spot by registering, Earth Day Registration

Work That Reconnects

Drawing from spiritual and wisdom traditions from around the world, ecological economist, Della Duncan will facilitate Work That Reconnects, an experiential workshop that builds motivation, creativity, and courage for our collective transition to a more sustainable human culture as we celebrate Earth Day 2019.

April 20, 2019

9:30am - 4pm

Sacred Heart Community Service

1381 S First St., San Jose, CA 95110

Free Parking available onsite & in neighborhood

Please fill in this Registration Form 

Or email pjiyer@gmail.com

Registration Fee: $10

(Please bring payment to the event)

Happy World Water Day!

World Water Day provides us with the opportunity to focus our attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. In 2010, the United Nations recognized “the right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right that is essential for the full enjoyment of life and all human rights.” However, 2.1 billion of people today are still living without safe drinking water. This happens even in our own country - 70 million people in the USA may be affected by health-based contamination of water, including lead, copper, arsenic and other contaminants.

At Smart Yards Co-op we honor World Water Day year round with the work we do. This through the replacement of lawns. “U.S. lawn maintenance annually consumes about 800 million gallons of gasoline, $5.2 billion of fossil-fuel derived fertilizers, and $700 million in pesticides. Up to two thirds of the drinking water consumed in municipalities goes to watering lawns.”  Roaming Ecologist writes: “no food, no clean water, no wildlife habitat, and no foundation for preserving our once rich natural heritage. In fact, lawns, by acreage, are the nation’s largest irrigated crop, surpassing corn." Because water is a finite resource in all areas of the world, it is important to recognize what we can do locally, especially in our semi arid region of California and by transforming our own yards we can make a big difference.

We all agree that water is precious—so instead of moving it off our properties we can "Slow it, spread it, sink it", a basic Permaculture principle that we at Smart Yards Co-op are proud to practice and incorporate in our projects. We capture storm rain in barrels to water our veggie gardens or trees during summer time and build permeable driveways to recharge the groundwater. Our rain gardens are created with bio-swales, and basins that direct, detain, and filter water to invigorate our soil ecology, enhance our yard's aesthetic, encourage habitat, filter pollutants and assist in the relief of over-tasked city storm drains. This act alone supports the UN's initiative of safe, clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right. 
If you're interested in the work ofSmart Yards Co-op and in working with us to make a difference in honoring World Water Day year round visit usHERE.

Happy Winter Solstice 2018

Friends,

As we look toward lengthening daylight and a new year, we want to thank you for being part of our journey during the past three years.

2018 has been another inspiring year for the Smart Yards Co-op team and the Smart Yards Education board. It has been filled with fun, and educational experiences working with such an enthusiastic community committed to making a difference. We also celebrated our third annual Earth Day educational workshop, Our Watersheds, Our Yards: Greywater & Storm Rain Relationship with over 70 participants.

Thanks to your support, in the last three years we transformed approximately 100,000 square feet of thirsty lawns into beautiful, fun and sustainable outdoor living spaces with designs based on Permaculture principles. This resulted in a savings of over 4 million gallons of water per year CO2 emissions and dust pollution.

We hope the winter solstice brings you and your loved ones peace, restfulness, and recreation.

We look forward to our continued work and relationship in the new year!

In Cooperation,

The Smart Yards Co-op and Smart Yards Education Team

Celebrate America Recycles Day with us

Happy America Recycles Day!

Today is America Recycles Day. May we honor this day by not just recycling but by refusing, reusing and reducing any waste that may end up in our environment. Every year, Americans generate millions of tons of trash. Read more here. Much of the garbage and waste that is taken to landfills can be reused and recycled in many ways. To recognize this day, the Smart Yards team wants to share with you how we reuse various materials to create some features of our gardens. 

The Smart Yards team goes above and beyond to preventing waste that would otherwise be transported and dumped in landfills impacting our land and water resources. For example, we create ways to reuse materials from pallets and replacement of old fences to build garden planter boxes, chicken coups, outdoor kitchen and compost bins. Imagine having your own compost bin built out of pallets in your Smart Yard! This is also a way we help folks reduce waste. Instead of throwing our food scraps and other decomposable material into the trash resulting in environmental impact, we make compost bins and feed our soil to grow veggies. Food waste now accounts for more than one quarter of the total freshwater consumption and ∼300 million barrels of oil per year - read more here.

What's Urbanite? Pieces of concrete from replacing old broken driveways with permeable paver. Another example of material that we reuse at Smart Yards Co-op in our projects. Instead of hauling this material to the landfill, we build fire pits, walkways and even small benches. You may read more here. 

Another fun and creative way to reuse and reduce waste is by making a bird house with those plastic planting pots. If you don't have one let us know and you can start a bird house project with your or your friend's children. 

Let us know if you'd like to make a difference with us, and how we can help you create your Smart Yard with re-useable materials. Visit us here and send your request for your free consultation or tell your friends about us.

Watch this short video and be inspired by San Pedro de Laguna, a small town in Guatemala who banned all plastic products and turned back to traditional methods to save the environment.