Water - Use It Wisely founder, Park Howell was named the 2010 “Ad Person of the Year” at the 25th Annual ADDY Awards held this past weekend in Phoenix. The ADDY’s are an extension of the American Advertising Federation and are held each year to recognize the top advertising campaigns and individuals in the state.

It was great to see Park recognized by his peers for his contributions to the industry over the last 25 years. But the most gratifying part of Park’s win is being recognized for the difference he’s made in the community and his passion for causes, including Water - Use It Wisely.

Park’s been instrumental in growing Water - Use It Wisely from its humble beginnings in Arizona to one of the world’s largest water conservation campaigns. It’s Park’s drive that’s given rise to Water - Use Wisely and it’s what ultimately won him the “Ad Person of the Year” too. Knowing Park he’s likely to deflect any praise to those who’ve worked with him throughout the years but we’d like to take the time to recognize him for his victory and all of his accomplishments. Congratulations Park! You deserve it. Check out the official press release here.

A two to four inch layer of organic mulch will help keep roots cooler, retain soil moisture, reduce weed growth, improve soil structure, and increase nutrient holding abilities of the soil. Compost or other organic mulches can reduce plant water needs by as much as 30%, and best of all, if you are composting, you are diverting waste from the landfill that would produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

When installing new plants, place compost or mulch on the surface of the root zone after planting and then top with rock or granite. Because mulch breaks down very quickly here due to the heat, it is a good idea to replenish organic mulches around existing plants once or twice each year.

Here are our favorite tips to share for successful composting in the desert:

• Check with your City/Town and see if they offer recycled trash barrels as composting containers.
• Place your composter near a water source so you can occasionally wet it down to speed up decomposition.
• Add some helpful ingredients to your compost pile like coffee grounds (check with your local coffee-house) or horse manure (check with local stables).
• Keep mulches about three to four inches from the trunk or stem, since too much moisture against the bark can cause damage.

Composters, hard at work: Cities may offer recycled trash barrels as compost containers. Photo by Pam Perry

If you’re unsure how to get started, then you can’t miss Mesa’s March Living Green Workshop titled Composting as Easy as One-Two, March 13th at 1:30 p.m. at the Dobson Branch Library, 2425 S. Dobson Road in Mesa. Or you can learn easy steps to turn green waste into mulch from the City of Mesa’s March $ustainability $avings Tip (PDF).

Carol turning compost: Turning the material to aerate aids the decomposition process. Photo by Pam Perry

Mesa is one of seventeen Water – Use It Wisely regional partners, many of whom offer water-wise workshops. Check out all of the partner programs from the Water – Use It Wisely calendar on our home page. You can also check out all of our outdoor water saving links on our Water – Use It Wisely local resources page.

Compost: Turn your kitchen scraps into rich mulch. Photo by Donna DiFrancesco

The project, “Water Conservation: Customer Behavior and Effective Communications investigates the effect of communication tools and strategies on residential water use and water conservation behavior of residential customers…” Basically, that’s a fancy way of asking if the stuff organizations like Water - Use It Wisely so passionately promotes resonates with its audience.

We invite you to take a look at the entire study for a comprehensive look at the results but a peak into a few insights are certainly encouraging. Below are a few results pulled from the Phoenix portion of the study (Water - Use it Wisely’s hope base):

• “There are a number of ways to save water and they all start with you” message was seen or heard by 75% of survey respondents.
• “Water your plants deeply, but less frequently to create healthier and stronger landscapes” message was seen or heard by 69% of survey respondents.
• “Use a broom instead of a hose to clean your driveway or sidewalk and save 80 gallons of water every time” message was seen or heard by 61% of respondents.
• Customers that reported that “air pollution” is an environmental concern in the community were associated with lower water use.
• Customers that found sales associates at hardware stores “rarely credible” or “not credible” were associated with lower water use.

It’s encouraging to see that our message is being heard and we’re truly grateful to those passing that message along. It’s because of you that we’re making a difference so let’s turn it up a notch. Help us spread our message even farther in 2010.

This hybrid palo verde shows two desert adaptations - small leaves are more water efficient and a green stem and trunk allow the tree to photosynthesize and make food even if dry conditions cause the leaves to drop. Photo by Donna DiFrancesco

Each low-water-use plant can save you up to 550 gallons a year.

Silvery leaves of the brittlebush help the leaves reflect sunlight and stay cooler. After blooming, many native birds feed on the seeds. Photo by Donna DiFrancesco

By selecting plants that are well adapted to our desert climate you’ll have less maintenance and more time and money while enjoying a more attractive landscape. Learn plant selection tips and how plants provide many functions for the landscape from the City of Mesa’s February $ustainability $avings Tip (PDF). You may also want to attend Mesa’s February Living Green Workshop titled Landscape Plants for Shade, Color & Wildlife on Saturday, February 13th at 1:30 p.m. at the Mesa Main Library, 64 E. First Street.

Leaf hairs reflect sun and help maintain leaf moisture on this fragrant native desert lavender. Photo by Donna DiFrancesco

Mesa is one of seventeen Water – Use It Wisely regional partners, many of whom offer water-wise workshops. Check out all of the partner programs from the Water – Use It Wisely calendar on our home page. You can also check out all of our landscape plants and Xeriscape links, including rebates available on our Water – Use It Wisely local resources page.

Hesperaloe blooms not only attract hummingbirds, but also native birds like this verdin. Photo by U.A. Sinclair

A painted lady butterfly finds nectar to drink on blooming sand verbena wildflowers. Photo by Donna DiFrancesco

Colorful penstemons are always a magnet for hummingbird. Photo by Jeff Lee

Second is a recent feature in the CBS News series “Where America Stands,” entitled, “America’s Dwindling Water Supply.” The article details some sobering facts including how the U.S.’s water use stacks up against the rest of the world. According to the article Americans average using 150 gallons of water per day with 30 gallons being used by 9 a.m. Compare that to the 40 gallons of water per day used in the U.K. and 13 gallons per day used in some of the worlds poorest countries and it seems we’ve got a lot of work to do.

The rest of the article points to how we got here and what we can do to make a difference. There’s even a link to the Water - Use It Wisely tips page as a resource for how to get started. While there is certainly an urgency to make a difference now, the good thing is there are plenty of easy ways to make a huge difference. Our job here is to help you understand that. But remember, no tip or resource works without your commitment. It doesn’t take much, just a little time and a little effort and we can turn this thing around in a hurry.

Rainfall amounts may be minimal here in the low desert, but harvesting rainwater to channel to your landscape plants can be well worth the effort–especially with state tax credits available. Over 7,000 gallons of water a year can be harvested from the rooftop and other surfaces around a typical home. Rainwater is free and contains lots of minerals and nutrients that will boost plant growth. Learn how you can harvest multiple benefits with rainwater collection from the City of Mesa’s January $ustainability $avings Tip(PDF). You may also want to attend Mesa’s January Living Green Workshop titled Harvesting Rainwater for Your Landscape(PDF) on Saturday, January 9th at 1:30 p.m. at the Red Mountain Branch Library, 635 N. Power Rd.

Mesa is one of seventeen Water – Use It Wisely regional partners, many of whom offer water-wise workshops. Check out all of the partner programs from the Water – Use It Wisely calendar on our home page. You can also check out all of our rainwater harvesting links, including tax credit information on our Water – Use It Wisely local resources page.

The results are staggering. Looking at a study like this underscores how important it is that we value the water we have and work to ensure everyone around the world has access to the same vital resources we do. Something most of us take for granted each day is the same thing that has the potential to cause major conflicts around the world.

As we look at this study we should all be sure to think about the impact the next time we turn on the faucet, shower, or hose and realize how lucky we are and how valuable our water is.

According to the International Car Wash Association, washing your car at home or in the driveway uses between 80 and 140 gallons of water. Also, washing your car at home releases contaminated water directly into the environment or into storm drains intended for rainwater causing pollution in rivers, streams and oceans.

Soon, water rationing and restrictions on car washing may come our way. In fact, some municipalities have already banned home car washing with a hose, enforcing the ban with citations and possible imprisonment for violators.

Ecolo Green Car Wash is a response to this problem, providing services and products that use the equivalent of JUST one glass of water to wash a car.

This product works and we certainly hope you use it (find out more at our website - www.ecologreencarwash.com). But this product or any other like it won’t succeed unless we change our behavior first. This isn’t just about saving water washing your car. It’s about preserving the future by changing the way you act in your everyday life.

Click on the image to join our Ning network and learn about how to leverage social media for water conservation

I’ve been on the water conservation circuit lately expounding on the benefits of using social media to help save water. I just returned from working with the gracious folks at the North Texas Regional Water Symposium, sponsored by Dallas Water, North Texas Municipal Water District. and Tarrant Regional Water District.

It was an engaged crowd of nearly 200 water professionals, and they were a pleasure to work with. My social media presentation, “Giving Your Consumers a Voice: Conservation and Social Media,” raised many great questions. It’s always difficult to continue a meaningful conversation in a conference setting. So I’ve decided to launch a Ning network that maybe one of the narrowest niches going: Water Conservation & Social Media. You can join the conversation at h2osocialmedia.ning.com.

The idea here is to use social media to share best practices in using social media to help water conservationists help consumers save water.

The network features blogs, video, photos, a chat room and relevant Twitter streams focused on promoting wise water use. We’ll talk about ways you can sell social media upstream to management. We’ll explore best practices in creating a doable social media strategy given tight financial and personnel resources. We’ll share ideas on how to activate your network. And we’ll all commiserate about our trials and tribulations of working in this new and powerful communications environment.

So if you have an interest learning how social media can help promote water conservation, and you’re open to sharing your efforts, please join us at h2osocialmedia.ning.com.

It’s FREE. And just imagine what it might cost you if you don’t join the conversation.