New TV public service announcements focus on water conservation

Rain Bird Corporation and the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta (AABGA) have joined forces to encourage the practice of water conservation outside the home with the release of four broadcast television public service announcements (PSA) featuring Paul James, The Gardener Guy, and host of HGTV's Gardening by the Yard. The four non-commercial spots are 30 seconds each and available in multiple formats. They offer simple and easy to execute tips to help homeowners and weekend gardeners significantly reduce the amount of water needed to maintain beautiful, lush lawns and gardens.

"For many, the secret to a green lawn has always been water, water and more water. Not only are we facing drought conditions with water rationing in many parts of the country this summer, but also the price we pay for that water is increasing," said Paul James, host of Gardening By The Yard and narrator of the water conservation PSAs. "With summer here and the height of the watering season upon us, now is the time to make sure we are doing our part to conserve water and at the same time reduce the water bill."

Although most homeowners are familiar with water conserving products for inside the home, the reality is that up to 70 percent of residential water is used outdoors to water lawns and landscapes. But conserving water does not have to mean sacrificing healthy green grass or flourishing plants. In fact, a well-maintained lawn and landscape offers many benefits not immediately visible to the eye, such as stabilizing soil, moderating climate conditions, lowering energy costs, reducing noise and air pollution, as well as deterring the spread of wildfires.

The four PSAs feature Paul James and provide information on how homeowners and weekend gardeners can save water and still have a great lawn and garden to enjoy all summer long. Each PSA focuses on different aspects of outdoor water conservation, including the use of low-volume irrigation, when and how much to water the lawn and garden, matching sprinkler types with the plants needs, keeping water off of the streets and sidewalks and more.

All four 30-second PSAs are not dated, intended to play well anytime over the spring and summer months and available to those interested in communicating this important message to their audiences. The material is of a non-commercial nature and available on BetaSP, DVCam or DVCPro upon your request.

To order a free copy of the water conservation PSAs, contact William Ostedt at (310) 556-4443 or via e-mail at wostedt@ppmgcorp.com.

This article originally appeared in the 05/01/2005 issue of Environmental Protection.

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