Water Conservation Video Contest

11^th Annual Napa County Water Conservation Video Contest  (2026)

Contest Theme: Beyond the Lawn

2026 Contest Winners

1. First Place: “Our Living Classroom” by Molly Merkner & Mikayla Stevens of Vintage HS 

2. Second Place: "Beyond The Lawn" by Cate Karabian, Aurora Scott, & Jess Anglin of Napa HS  

3. Third Place: "Native Plants at Napa High" by Everett Butler & Harper Anglin of Napa HS 

4. Honorable Mention: "Change Starts at the Root" Elio Eeo, Wilde Haycock, Diego Gonzalez, Max Von Bates of New Tech HS

2026 Video Contest is now closed

Living in California means caring for every drop of water we receive. Beginning in 2027, a new law (AB 1572) will gradually phase out unused water-thirsty lawns across California’s public landscapes including schools, universities, and government offices.

We are calling on 9^th – 12^th grade students to reimagine the unused turfgrass lawns in their communities for a water-saving future.

The top 3 videos will be used as public service announcements on Napa Valley TV, awarded cash prizes, and shared with community members to inspire water conservation actions. The 1st place video will be shown at the Napa movie theater for 1 week in June.

Three teachers or supporting school staff will be randomly selected for cash prizes for assisting students with their projects.

Beyond the Lawn Video Design Challenge 

Create a 45-second video that reimagines an unused turfgrass lawn area in your community into a new, vibrant, low-water-use space. Please choose a location which is publicly owned, currently planted as a turfgrass lawn, and describe how you would change the space to use less water and the benefits it would create.

Location examples can include: schoolyards, turf parking lot or sidewalk strips, governmental properties like a City Hall, libraries, or parks. Your concept can be as large as a whole lawn area, or something small like a sidewalk or parking lot strip.

Your video should:

• Show or identify a real turfgrass lawn area within Napa County
• Must focus on public landscapes
• Show what the space looks like now (live footage, photos, maps, screenshots, and/or drawings)
• Present your redesigned, low-water-use vision for the space
• Explain how your concept reduces water use and provides additional benefits

Prizes

• 1st Place: $1,500 cash prize
• 2nd Place: $1,000 cash prize
• 3rd Place: $500 cash prize

The winning videos will be used as public service announcements (PSAs) on Napa Valley TV. The 1st place winner will be shown before all films at the Century Napa Valley theater during the week of June 19-25.

Winners will be notified via email by June 2, 2026.

• If submitted as a team, the prize will be split equally among members.
• Only students who worked on a winning video will be contacted.

Teacher/Staff Support Award
If you were supported by a teacher or school staff adult for your project, please let us know. Three adults will be drawn at random to win a $200 cash award each.

Links and Resources for Inspiration:

• A Guerrilla Gardener in South Central LA (10 min video)
• A Habitat Garden at University Elementary School in Rohnert Park
• Bill Text - AB-1572 Potable water: nonfunctional turf.
• Cash For Grass | Napa, CA
• Edible Campus - Growfood - Gardens
• Flower to the People
• Fruit and Vegetable Garden at San Jose State University
• Gallery of examples of lawn replacement at schools
• Green Schoolyard Design Features | Children & Nature Network Green schoolyard design features
• Indigenous Garden — Friendship House
• Inspiration and ideas for wildlife improvement, climate change, and water conservation
• Local examples
• Northern California Plants for Schoolyards — Green Schoolyards America
• Pre-Designed Ideas for a variety of California landscapes like parking strips
• Sensory Garden.pdf
• Stimulate your senses with a California native sensory garden! – The Watershed Nursery Cooperative
• Vintage High School Rain Garden
• Water-Wise Gardening in the Napa Valley
• West Athens Victory Garden — Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust
• Welcome to the Miyawaki Forest Plant Guide
• Wiyot Plaza & Indigenous Garden | Cal Poly Humboldt

 

People you can contact for support, guidance, ideas, and help:
Pat Costello, City of Napa, pcostello@cityofnapa.org

Eric McKee, Napa RCD, eric@naparcd.org

Lisa Lai, City of American Canyon - Public Works, LLai@americancanyon.gov

Learn More about Water Conservation

Visit the WICC Water Conservation webpage to find out about conservation programs where you live.