Cagwin & Dorward Landscape Contractors

A Bay Friendly Renovation into a Bee Friendly Garden

Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009

Cagwin & Dorward's, Lisa Stratton, organized an event on behalf of the California Landscape Contractors Association's (CLCA) North Coast Chapter. The event included a Bee Garden installation and informative presentation at a local school.

Bee Garden Site Before Renovation

C&D's, Charlie Thompson & Jake Voit, gave the students of Corona Creek School, Petaluma, a presentation on the importance of bees. Student groups then visited the installation area to witness the “Bay Friendly” techniques being applied:

sheet mulching
composting
installation of native and low water use plants

Lisa Stratton informs students about the benefits of bee habitat

The school's teachers have been working with the CLCA and C&D to create ongoing education related to their new Bee Garden.

Corona Elementary Schools New Bee Garden
(complete with bee block)

More than one third of US fruit and vegetable crops are dependent on bee pollination. The primary pollinators are native solitary bees and honey bees.

The Bee Garden's plant material and structures are intended for bee attraction. This will serve as an additional food source for these pollinators, as well as nesting sites for the native solitary bees. Ultimately, this installation hopes to offset stresses contributing to Colony Collapse syndrome.

Colony Collapse in Honey Bee hives have been the focus of recent study, including the nationwide "Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven" Garden design competition at U.C. Davis.

Colony Collapse occurs when bees leave the hive to forage but never return. Many factors contribute to these disappearances, including:

biotic factors (like mites or diseases)
environmental stresses (habitat change, pollution)
genetically modified plants with pest control characteristics
the use of pesticides

Cagwin & Dorward is concerned about the bee decline and is excited to contribute to improving their habitat while educating future generations.

If you're interested in more information or becoming involved, please contact Lisa Stratton.

Bay Friendly Project Contacts:
Lisa Stratton & Charlie Thompson

Photos of the process
It all starts with rolling out the sheet mulch layers (recycled cardboard). Here, Robin Roman of Cagwin & Dorward & Ben Kopshever of Sonoma Mountain Landscapes start the first layer.

Meanwhile, Creative Environment's, Jose Medina and Ramon Ballesteros, work on the irrigation upgrade.

Robin saturates each layer with water while Jason North of Integrated Design Studio finishes unrolling the second layer.

The soils crew, Cudo Water Storage Products', Laurence and C&D's, Khrysti Jones & Liz Poston, await the "o.k." to begin dumping alternating loads of dirt and compost onto the wet sheet mulch.
C&D's Hannah Diaz begins to rake the soil into shape.

Lisa Stratton directs plant placement.

Worker Bees pictured here with Principal, Scott Mahoney (seated, with tie):

Standing - Creative Environment's Jose Medina & Ramon Ballesteros,
Cagwin & Dorward's Cindy Demchuk, Rogelio Moron, Lisa Stratton, Khrysti Jones, Hannah Diaz & Robin Roman
Sonoma Mountain Landscape's Ben Kopshever (Corona School alumni)

Seated - Principal Mahoney, Cagwin & Dorward's Liz Poston, Cudo Stromwater Products' Laurence and Agnardo Landscaping's Felipe Nardo.

Bay Friendly Landscaping Project - School Yard Turf Renovation