Field Notes
Recapturing the Urgency of Earth Day
This Earth Day, instead of dreaming of “planet B” or just planning for resilience in the face of environmental change, let’s dream of restoring habitat, celebrating pollinators, replanting forests, and eliminating pollution!
The Health Benefits of Nature
In the following article from their quarterly publication, The SALT Line, contributor Colette Boehm recognizes the importance of meeting the current watershed moment head-on with responsible conservation and construction practices across South Alabama.
Small Businesses Promote Health, Wellness, and Resilience with Biophilic Design
Fairhope has great resources to support your physical and mental health. In honor of Small Business Saturday, I want to shine a light on these small businesses that are working hard to help us stay healthy, strong, and calm!
Gulf State Park Lodge: A SITES Platinum Project Maximizing “Life Per Square Foot”
The Gulf State Park Lodge could be described as a “hospitality project promoting ecotourism” or a “restoration project offering hospitality” with equal accuracy. And that’s exactly the point.
A Decade of Firsts
I can’t believe I’m marking the end of Watershed’s first decade! It feels like yesterday that we launched this new, experimental business, hoping to prove that green building could be pragmatic, affordable, beautiful, and accessible, in south Alabama.
Removing Barriers to Civic Engagement
To encourage civic engagement, we need to understand who is missing from the room, to reach out, and to remove barriers to participation. Meetings held during work hours can be challenging for people in many professions, and after hours meeting can be even more challenging for young parents.
Energy Retrofitting: Go Green, Save Green
The advantages of energy retrofitting existing spaces can be compelling: In addition to immediate tax benefits, a well- planned renovation can lower operating costs, resulting in significant savings over the life cycle of the building.
No EPA for Indoor Environmental Quality
We spend 90% of our time indoors, but we have no way of knowing the material ingredients in the walls, flooring, insulation, paint, and furnishings that surround us. Green cleaning practices use simple alternatives to toxic cleaning products that can trigger asthma attacks.
Edible Landscapes
Whether you want to attract birds, butterflies, or the neighborhood kids, an edible design will add life to your landscape. Gardening for wildlife focuses on providing food, cover, and water for birds, butterflies and other creatures. Certified wildlife habitats can range for acres, or fit in a tiny office courtyard.