Educational Exhibits
The 92nd Coronado Flower Show will feature a number of exhibits that provide education on horticulture and design, as well as Coronado nonprofit organizations. Here is a sampling:
The Wildflower Gang: Each year flower show volunteers are given a special permit to visit the Anza Borrego desert and pick wildflowers. They are then displayed in separate containers by species name, with the help of professional botanist. “With the record-breaking rains we’ve had recently, the flowers should be outstanding,” Drummey said.
Children’s Make-It Workshop: The Coronado Junior Woman’s Club with help from Bridge and Bay garden will again oversee a children’s workshop, in which kids use floral ingredients in original designs to make and take.
Chula Vista Genealogical Society: “We dig our ancestors” is the motto of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society, founded in 1987. In its debut at this year’s “Our family tree… Out on a Limb” flower show, Coronado residents will learn how to look into their family roots.
Cuyamaca Water Conservation Garden: Learn all about the Water Conservation Garden on the campus at Cuyamaca College that includes native habitat, succulent and vegetable gardens and a compost exhibit.
Coronado Arts Commission: One of the most popular booths (three booths, actually!) to be added last year to the show was the Coronado Arts Commission’s “Florals by Locals, featuring works that have a floral theme in watercolor, oil and other mediums. This year, artists may sell their works at the show. Artists will be on hand to paint on easels and educate visitors on their techniques.
Coronado Cares: This Coronado animal welfare non-profit was established in 2012 and an important component of the group’s mission is to educate the community about the plight of feral cats and homeless pets, of the necessity for proper animal care and of the importance of spaying/neutering and micro-chipping pets.
City of Coronado Recycling: Dana McPherson, who has worked with the city of Coronado since it introduced its first curbside recycling programs in 1991, says the city’s booth this year will focus on the next hurdle in recycling: food recycling.
Food waste comprises approximately 15 to 18 percent of the total waste stream, according to the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery. California Assembly Bill 1826 (“organics” recycling) targets businesses, not residential households, through the year 2021. Included in the bill’s definition of businesses are schools and government facilities, along with hotels and restaurants. “We are working with the city’s trash hauler, EDCO, as are most of the other San Diego jurisdictions, to implement a food waste recycling program,” McPherson said.
When the state passed Assembly Bill 939, it called for an ultimate waste reduction of 75 percent. The first benchmark years of 1995 and 2000, called for 25 percent and 50 percent reductions respectively, both of which the city of Coronado met. “The city has consistently met or exceeded all its benchmarks,” McPherson said. “Food recycling is the largest remaining category of non-recycled waste and the state is working on getting it recycled. Right now all residents can do is put food waste, and food-contaminated waste, such as napkins, into the trash or into the sewage system via their garbage disposals. Someday we may have ‘baby bins’ in our kitchens to capture recycled food waste, but that plan hasn’t been worked out yet.”
Kitchen sink garbage disposers as a means of food disposal may continue to serve the majority of residents in the years to come since there is no plan at this time for a residential food waste collection program, McPherson said. “I think, at least in California, the problem with putting food into the sewer system is that the solids are filtered out at the sewage treatment plant and become part of “sludge” that is taken to a landfill. California is trying to reduce methane gas that is generated at landfills by the decomposition of organic material such as food.” McPherson referenced State Assembly Bill 32, introduced by the Air Resources Board as a step toward this effort.
Master Gardeners: Have vexing questions about how to get rid of a garden pest without using pesticides? Want to identify a plant in your back yard? San Diego County’s Master gardeners, seven of whom hail from Coronado, will be on hand to answer all of your questions.
Master Gardeners are volunteers trained and supervised by the University of California Cooperative Extension. The first program began in 1983 n San Diego with training courses only offered biannually, the next scheduled for January 2018. Each class has a limit of 45 students and there are often three times as many applicants. After completing the six-month training, Master Gardeners must commit to volunteer at least 50 hours of public education in the first year, and each year thereafter for recertification; most stay in the program for several years.
Coronado Historical Association: Learn about the Association’s mission, programs, museum and membership. Enter a drawing to win two tickets to the CHA’s annual home tour on Mother’s Day, May 14.
San Diego County Water Authority: The Water Authority’s booth will focus on using water efficiently, with rebate information and incentive programs for such products as rain barrels, commodes, sprinkler heads and washing machines. The water authority also offers free spring and fall classes on transforming landscapes – spring classes are only scheduled at present in San Marcos, Oceanside and Encinitas but a step-by-step guide with videos is offered online at watersmartsd.org. Ashley Jenkins, public affairs representative for the Water Authority will staff the Flower Show booth and can answer questions on drought-tolerant landscapes.
Coronado Street Tree Committee: This advisory committee to the Coronado City Council and city staff works to maintain, improve, renew and protect the urban forest in public rights of way, and shares information with the public to enhance appreciation of trees, promote proper tree care and
“We always have an inventory binder that we bring to the Flower Show that lists every street tree by address,” said committee chair Shannon Player, “so residents can look up their address and learn exactly what species their street tree is. We also have tree health and tree care information including guidelines for pruning.” The committee also supplies information on the rules that govern public right of ways.
Maurice Taitano’s Heirloom Seeds: In 1998, (Ms.) Maurice Taitano purchased the business and inventory of Charles Ledgerwood’s seed company; for years, he sold seeds from his home-based store on Highway 101 in Carlsbad. “Charles was the seed man of San Diego County,” said Taitano. “He sold seeds to all the farmers in the County and at farmer’s markets.” She will be educating the public on what constitutes heirloom seeds and will have seeds for sale.
John D. Spreckels Center and Bowling Green: The John D. Spreckels Center and Bowling Green is scheduled to open this March and may well be open by Flower Show weekend. (The recent heavy rains in San Diego County and severe weather conditions across the nation created a number of construction delays.)