Friends of The Water Conservation Garden

To accomplish our goals, The Water Conservation Garden provides: 

- A meaningful outdoor experience for San Diego County residents 

- Extensive water conservation exhibits and resources 

- A nationally recognized Ms. Smarty-Plants™ environmental education program  

- Adult education programs on Water Conservation, Gardening, Sustainability, Art & Wellness.  

- Volunteer opportunities for seniors, teens, and young adults 

- Consultations in Landscape Design, Irrigation Tune-Ups, and Water Harvesting 

- The Dorcas E. Utter Butterfly Pavilion features numerous native butterfly species  

- Events such as festivals and plant sales throughout the year featuring family-friendly activities 

- Event space for community meetings, weddings, and other ceremonies 

The Water Conservation Garden is more than a destination; it’s a community of people who protect and serve the planet that we love – and fearlessly champion solutions to save water and other natural resources. We are a united community of neighbors, friends and change agents who believe we can make a difference.

The Water Conservation Garden is proud to serve San Diego County residents of all ages, including many underprivileged children who have limited exposure to nature. The Water Conservation Garden provides a safe, natural environment where children and adults can explore and discover amazing plants and animals. Hands-on exhibits enhance the visitor experience and foster a direct connection to their environment. These tangible educational experiences help create informed and engaged child.

To accomplish our goals, The Water Conservation Garden provides:

- A meaningful outdoor experience for San Diego County residents

- More than 50 educational conservation exhibits

- A nationally recognized award-winning Ms. Smarty-Plants™ environmental education program

- Adult education programs on Gardening, Sustainability, Art & Wellness.

- Volunteer opportunities for seniors, teens, young adults, and people with disabilities

- Consultations in Landscape Design, Irrigation Tune-Ups and Water Harvesting

- The Dorcas E. Utter Butterfly Pavilion featuring numerous native butterfly species

- Events such as festivals and plant sales throughout the year featuring family-friendly activities

- Event space for community meetings, weddings, and other ceremonies

The Water Conservation Garden leverages our strengths to carry out our goals.

● Beautiful, Water-Efficient California Landscapes: As a specialty demonstration garden, we grow beautiful, low water use California landscapes to learn from and enjoy

● Education & Inspiration: We inspire and educate so people of all ages can connect with plants and nature and build a better planet for future generations

● Wellness & Sense of Community: We provide a peaceful space and nurture a sense of wellness and community for all

Sustainability: We demonstrate that beautiful landscapes can be achieved by prioritizing sustainability for all natural resources

The Water Conservation Garden has accomplished many year one and two goals, such as:
●Adapt Ms. Smarty-PlantsTM virtually and develop and implement a plan to increase her presence on site as well as back into schools
● Seek funding for Spanish MSP
● Identify funding for completion and publication of MSP book Seek funding to complete (when feasible) a comprehensive site development plan1 (architectural plan)
that aligns with our strategic plan and lays out a ten-year vision for The Garden’s enhancement and expansion
● Continue to assess and improve lighting and electrical
● Secure “Free Days” funding
● Improve systems for member communication and engagement
● Select and implement at least one interactive/manipulative project in an existing exhibit in The Garden (e.g. something for kids)
● Implement 19 QR codes in The Garden
● Benchmark other gardens re: innovation/modernization
● Seek one or more partnerships that help us stand out as a wellness destination
● Develop and begin to execute a local business outreach program
● Grow/extend social media community
● Develop a plan to grow and diversify revenue streams to sustain operations
● Update development, membership and stewardship plans
● Invest in and refine financial and administrative systems to allow for accurate and efficient reporting, tracking, and planning
● Develop new programs for youth and adults

Year three goal (to be completed) include:
● Expand fenced area in the Oak Grove area
● Consider and plan for exhibits that focus on the interaction between plants and animals (e.g. hummingbirds, bees, insects) and plan for volunteer corps to care for them to ensure a healthy ecosystem
● Branding/Signage for The Garden at the entrance, college entrance
and on Jamacha Rd. (County Rd.)
● Implement a beverage cart
● Incorporate more shade and comfortable seating
● Implement audio education and plant identification into The Garden
● Innovate around exhibits/education connected to any new water
conservation regulations
● Define and build a Garden plant inventory for education and marketing purposes
● Identify needs for branding and marketing and a plan for increased visibility
● Develop a PR packet
● Implement outreach plan for diverse groups
● Grow membership to 2,000
● Based on comprehensive site plan, develop and begin executing fund development plan with clear menu of funding opportunities
● Based on comprehensive site plan, develop and launch a legacy or other campaign (will need to agree on priority of the campaign: endowment, capital growth)
● Develop a capital improvement plan linked to comprehensive site plan