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Plant a wildlife-friendly landscape, monarch event, and sustainability news!
Inviting Wildlife to Your Own Backyard
Create a wildlife-friendly landscape and help restore lost habitat! Check out our March Sustainability Savings Tip [PDF] for expert advice on:
- Providing essential food, water, and shelter.
- Letting nature do the work – leave spent flowers for birds to enjoy!
- Exploring certification programs to make it official.
Plus, don’t miss the pollinator and wildlife class tomorrow at the SRP expo and our upcoming Spring Equinox in the Monarch Garden event (find more below)! 🦋
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2026 SRP Water Conservation Expo – Get a SMART Controller
Saturday, Feb. 28, 8 a.m.-Noon. The SRP Water Conservation Expo brings together members of our community to raise awareness of water in the Valley and showcase ways to conserve at home.
This free event includes great discounts on smart irrigation controllers. Get a Rachio 3 or Hunter Controller for $60+tax (list price is $240 and $409 respectively). New this year is an offer to purchase efficient sprinkler spray heads and nozzles at a discount.
Sign up for classes, including Sustainable Landscaping in the Sonoran Desert, presented by Carianne Funicelli. The presentation will cover a variety of native plant species that can be successfully used to attract pollinators and wildlife while using limited water.
Mesa's water conservation staff will be on hand for one-on-one chats about our programs, including our grass-to-xeriscape incentive.
At our Water – Use It Wisely booth, stop by to sign up for our newsletter, and you'll be entered for a chance to win a $100 gift card to Summer Winds nursery. You can also pick up a free desert plant (while supplies last)!
Location: PERA Club, 1 E Continental Dr., Tempe.
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Spring Equinox in the Monarch Garden
Sat. March 21, 10 a.m. to Noon. Families are invited to a flutter-tastic Spring Equinox celebration at the Monarch Haven & Reading Sanctuary at Red Mountain Library!
Immerse yourself in the world of monarch butterflies with entomology and nature experts. Kids can enjoy hands-on activities at the craft tables or make Sonoran Desert native wildflower seed balls with the M.O.R.E. (Mesa Outdoor Recreation Experience) mobile unit. Chat with city landscape experts, Master Gardeners, and other exhibitors about plants, trees, bugs, and sustainable gardening. Don’t miss your chance to win cool prizes—like an origami butterfly! Plus, raffles and surprises await. It’s a nature-filled morning of fun for the whole family! Free. Red Mountain Library, 635 N. Power Road. 🦋
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+ + Bonus Tips & Sustainability Info + +
Spring planting season is here! Temperatures have warmed up, making it a perfect time to replace plants you may have lost during the winter, or replace your high-water-usage plants with water-thrifty ones.
Water – Plant It Wisely is your handy resource to provide landscaping guidance, advice, and ideas on what to plant. By selecting low-water-use plants, you help conserve our precious water supply for generations to come. Find links for sample landscape plans, how to hire an expert, local plant sales, and more.
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Can it be RECYCLED??!!!
Yard waste: Although you cannot place green yard waste in the blue barrel, it does not have to go into the landfill. The City of Mesa does offer a Green Barrel Program for this material.
Paper towels/napkins: Keep them out of the blue barrel! Paper towels, napkins, tissues, and greasy paper plates can’t be recycled. However, be sure to select products made from recycled materials—this helps close the recycling loop and gives used materials a new life!
Get a composter for $5 and you can turn much of the material mentioned above into compost!
Wondering about other items... just ask the Recycle Wizard!
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Grass-to-Xeriscape Conversions Drive Major Water Savings Mesa's landscape conversion incentive programs achieved significant water savings in 2025, with businesses, homeowner associations (HOAs) and residential customers removing more than 182,000 square feet of grass and saving 68 million gallons of water over the next five years. The programs, funded in part by a grant...
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Mesa Celebrates America250 The City of Mesa will mark the nation's 250th birthday in 2026 with a series of service projects, neighborhood celebrations, cultural programming and educational events as part of the nationwide America250 commemoration. "America's 250th birthday is a once-in-a-lifetime...
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Preparing for Much Less Colorado River Water Includes Wise Legislation The AMWUA cities have been preparing for reduced Colorado River water at the end of this year. That's because the rules for how the water will be shared during shortages among the seven Basin States will soon expire. The Colorado River crisis has recently worsened due to several factors, including proposed state legislation...
Mesa's Climate Action Plan focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions while advancing strategies that increase sustainability across our community. To do this, we engage residents and businesses in becoming climate-ready through six focus areas: Energy, Heat Mitigation, Air Quality, Water Stewardship, Materials Management, and Food Systems.
Planting native and pollinator-friendly plants directly supports Mesa’s Climate Action Plan by advancing multiple focus areas at once. Native plants are adapted to our desert climate, using less water and supporting Water Stewardship, while their deep roots help cool landscapes and reduce urban heat, contributing to Heat Mitigation. By supporting pollinators like bees, butterflies, and birds, these landscapes strengthen local food systems and biodiversity, advancing Food Systems and Air Quality goals. Native, low-water landscapes also reduce the need for fertilizers, pesticides, and frequent maintenance, helping lower greenhouse gas emissions associated with energy use and materials – making our community more resilient and climate-ready.
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-Learn to Live Green-
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