Agency - Pleasant Hill Instructional Garden

Our mission is to educate students, staff and community members on the need for water conservation and wildlife habitat with a demonstration garden using mulch, drought-tolerant and native plantings, and no pesticides.

Description:
This all-volunteer effort includes Contra Costa County Master Gardeners, students at Mt. Diablo Unified School District, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, DVC adaptive horticulture class, high school students, neighbors, business and other community members. They are restoring an overflow parking lot and dumping ground to a beautiful, natural water-conserving garden with the help of City of Pleasant Hill, Contra Costa Central Sanitary District, Pleasant Hill Community Foundation, Contra Costa Water District, Pleasant Hill Recreation and Parks District, Pleasant Hill Garden Study Club, Navlets, Cresco, and other contributors.

History:
The Pleasant Hill Instructional Garden (PHIG) is the outcome of the Spring 2007 landscape design and landscape applications classes at Mt. Diablo Adult Education. With an initial grant from the City of Pleasant Hill, students and their teacher, Monika Olsen, could visualize the water conservation demonstration garden becoming a reality. Groundbreaking took place 9/15/07 during Pleasant Hill's Community Service Day and work continues to develop the garden in phases. Already the garden demonstrates water conservation practices and how to establish a garden as a wildlife habitat without the use of pesticides that degrade our water quality. Homeowners using these practices and plants suitable for our community will in turn improve environmental health and well-being for all of us.

Contact people:

Monika Olsen, Board President, (phone), (email) Kathy Richardson, Secretary, (email) John Mahoney, Treasurer, (email)

Address:

P.O. Box 23454 Pleasant Hill, CA 94523