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Ron Dinchak's mission to promote and protect the beauty of the Sonoran
Desert began when he moved to the Valley nearly three decades ago. Dismayed
at finding landscapers using non-native, water-hungry plants in an arid
climate, he worked hard to educate his students about the value of
maintaining a natural ecosystem.
Today, local water conservationists consider him a pioneer in the field of
desert landscaping and applaud the influence he has had on changing
attitudes toward the use of more low-water plants and trees.
For Dinchak, a life science instructor at Mesa Community College, it was
simply a matter of teaching the masses that Midwestern landscaping doesn't
belong in the desert.
"It began back in the '70s, when I was teaching a class at MCC in natural
history of the Southwest," Dinchak said. "I found it a major contrast, a
hypocrisy, really, that we were pushing Midwestern landscaping and planting
plants that just suck water, when all these natural, native plants were
available."
During that time, the Desert Botanical Garden asked him to do a series of
classes teaching residents about desert plants. Over the next few years, he
found his horticultural knowledge was in great demand as cities urged their
residents to reduce water usage.
Now Dinchak teaches biology classes at MCC and holds workshops in Southwest
landscape design for residents of Mesa, Tempe and Chandler. The in-depth,
two or three-day workshops help people determine how to efficiently design
the yard they desire.
Donna DiFrancesco, water conservation specialist for Mesa, said Dinchak
maintains the same level of enthusiasm he had when he began the classes more
than 20 years ago.
"He has such a passion for the Sonoran Desert," DiFrancesco said. "It's
infectious. You can just see the light turn on in people's heads as they
listen to him. After an eight-hour program, they still want more."
Dinchak said the first half of the workshop teaches homeowners how to plan
their yard by examining their goals and their budget. The second half of the
workshop covers information on particular plants, trees and vegetables.
The term xeriscape is often used when describing desert landscaping. A
Denver water company coined the term, which comes from the Greek word Xeros,
meaning dry. But Dinchak cautions against taking that too literally.
"Xeriscape doesn't mean you can't have grass," he said. "You can still have
an area of turf for kids to play. You just control the area."
A few favorite plants that Dinchak recommends for any style of landscaping
include Texas Mountain Laurel, Penstemon, Arizona Yellow Bells and Coral
Yucca.
Richard Bond, water resource technician for Tempe, said many people tell him
they don't like the "spindly" look of desert landscaping. He directs them to
an area on the city's Web site that shows before and after photos of
landscape conversions.
"They don't realize that after a few years, an ecosystem develops and plants
look bigger and lusher," Bond said.
According to Bond, Tempe has had about 900 people qualify for low-water-use
landscape rebates over the past 10 years. He said Dinchak helped many of
them with the process of installation or conversion and advised them on how
to successfully submit a rebate application.
"He's very unique," Bond said. "Ron was one of the first horticulturists to
publish a book, in the '80s, on plants not known to most people at that
time. I've discovered that people who have progressed in their careers as
water conservationists find out that at one time or another, we've all taken
a class from Ron."
Dinchak said he finds it satisfying to know he has helped change the face of
landscaping in the Valley. He considers it an accomplishment that wholesale
growers are making low-water plants more available and commonplace.
At MCC, Dinchak stresses the importance of environmental awareness daily to
his biology students. He is the adviser for the Environmental Action Club on
campus and enlists the help of students to maintain and update the xeriscape
garden he developed at the college in the 1980s.
"We need to be good stewards of the Sonoran Desert and realize that it's a
beautiful ecosystem," Dinchak said. "We need to take responsibility and walk
the walk. That's why I continue to do what I do."
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