Ocean Friendly Gardens

Surfrider’s Ocean Friendly Garden's Program is a volunteer-run landscape education, hands-on training and advocacy program, providing valuable information on how landscapes and hardscapes can be modified to prevent water pollution.

Urban runoff from lawns, gardens, streets and hardscape is the #1 source of ocean pollution.

One inch of rain falling on the roof of an average sized single family home can generate over 1,200 gallons of runoff. As this runoff travels through our urban landscape it picks up pollutants and bacteria that cause 20,000+ beach closures + advisories nationwide every year.

To mitigate the effects of stormwater runoff and replenish groundwater supply the Ocean Friendly Gardens program applies the principles of Conservation, Permeability, and Retention (CPR).

Conservation of water, energy and wildlife habitat through native and climate resilient plants.
Permeability fostered by using materials that allow water to slow and sink into healthy, living soil.
Retention of rainwater for reuse and groundwater recharge, preventing polluted runoff.

Go organic. Say no to chemical fertilizers and pesticides! Landscaping chemicals often leak into local waterways through groundwater and runoff.
Compost. Use kitchen scraps and green waste from your yard. Composting reduces food waste and prevents the release methane from our landfills, helping to reduce local impacts of climate change. Here are some easy-to-follow instructions for getting started:
Go Native. Native plants and grasses are well suited to your local climate and don’t need supplemental irrigation when they are fully-grown!
Plant a vegetable garden. Grow your own food and make less trips to the grocery store. It’s still not too late to start your seeds in many growing zones.
Shape your yard. Create contours in your landscape to capture, slow down and soak up rain, or consider installing a rain barrel.

We're collecting valuable and easy-to-use tools for volunteers and garden owners. Have something to add to this list? Shoot nfaltas@la.surfrider.org an email and we'll review.

Benefits of Healthy Soils and Ocean Friendly Gardens

Signs, Brochures, and Educational Resources

To order an Ocean Friendly Garden Sign, please email Mara Dias, mdias@surfrider.org
Intro to Ocean Friendly Gardens Slideshow
Tips for Making Your Yard More Ocean Friendly Blog
Clean Water Tips Handout - things you can do at home to protect water quality at the beach
Surfrider's short, animated film about a holistic approach to water called ”The Cycle of Insanity” (Disponible aquí en Español)

Local Resources

Naturally, there are pros and cons to anything free, but if you are looking for sources of free compost and mulch in the Los Angeles area, check out the City of Los Angeles Sanitation Department’s site here
Santa Monica offers a comprehensive landscape rebate to help you do your part in saving water, up to $8,000!
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) also offers rebates and suggestions to conserve water and energy and classes regarding irrigation and California friendly landscaping
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California provides classes, rebates, tips and tricks to save water, visit their Be Water Wise website
Ready to plant? The Theodore Payne Foundation for Wildflowers and Native Plants is a non-profit dedicated to the preservation, propagation and promotion of California natives. They offer educational programming and also have a retail nursery.
Learn more about alternatives to Roundup here.

Ocean Friendly Gardens

The Ocean-Friendly Approach

Want to Learn More and Get Involved?

What Is "Ocean-Friendly?"

Pollutants and bacteria from runoff cause 20,000+ beach closures and advisories nationwide every year.

Water management issues are directly linked to the problems we’re facing in our oceans and at our beaches.

Easy Steps to Make Your Yard More Ocean-Friendly!

Resources and Tools