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Newsroom
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- GreenScapes Update
- GreenScapes and National Wildlife Federation at the United States Botanic Garden
- Prepare for Fall with the GreenScapes Seasonal Planner
- Old Materials find New Life in the Garden: Spotlight on Waterford Tilling
- Grant Opportunity: EPA Solicits Greenhouse Gas Reduction Proposals
- Grant Opportunity: USDA Small Business Innovation Research Program
- Grant Opportunity: EPA's National Clean Diesel Campaign
- Survey indicates Sustainability Increasingly Important for Clients of Landscape Architects
- Consumer Reports Polls Americans on Lawn Care
- Greenscapes Massachusetts issues 2008 Greenscapes
Guide for Homeowners
- Share Your Success Story!
- Share Your Comments with GreenScapes
- Periodical Articles
GreenScapes Update
GreenScapes and National Wildlife Federation Exhibit at the United States Botanic Garden: One Planet – Ours! Sustainability for the 22nd Century
EPA's GreenScapes joined with the National Wildlife Federation in the United
States Botanic Garden's (USBG) summer exhibition, One Planet - Ours!
Sustainability for the 22nd Century.
Each year from Memorial Day through Columbus Day, the USBG presents temporary,
themed exhibits around the Conservatory and in its outdoor gardens. This
year, the USBG exhibition focuses on sustainability, how it applies to gardens
and the landscape, and how each of us and our communities can live for tomorrow,
as well as today.
The EPA GreenScapes exhibit demonstrates to homeowners and gardeners the
many simple and easy ways to GreenScape their yards. Many of the components
focus on the four R's-reduce, reuse, recycle, rebuy-and the five
easy steps to a greener, healthier yard. The exhibit involves the National
Wildlife Federation's adjacent display to highlight native plants and structures
and garden features welcoming to birds, butterflies, and other backyard
wildlife. Use the map below to locate the GreenScapes exhibit.
One Planet – Ours! will runs through October 13. Please visit One-Planet-Ours
for more information about the exhibit, including a virtual tour. For more
information about gardening for wildlife, please visit the National
Wildlife Federation 
.
Prepare for Fall with the GreenScapes Seasonal Planner
GreenScapes has developed a Seasonal Planner (PDF) (2 pp, 1MB) to help you garden sustainably throughout all the seasons. Fall is just around the corner and The GreenScapes Seasonal Planner reminds you of how your gardening practices should change from Summer to Fall, so that you don't have to keep track of it all yourself. Learn how to save energy, water, and time maintaining your lawn, as the weather cools and the leaves start to fall. We encourage you to share it with friends and colleagues
Old Materials find New Life in the Garden: Waterford Tilling creates GardenScape 2008 Best of Show Exhibit in Rochester, NY
Waterford Tilling knows that discarded materials can find new life in the garden. They designed and constructed a 600-square-foot Best of Show garden exhibit with 100 percent reused, recycled, and natural materials. Appropriately named, Recycle, ReThink, ReGarden demonstrates how easy and affordable it is to make sustainable landscape decisions that decrease your environmental impact while creating an exciting, innovative, and nurturing garden aesthetic. In fact, Waterford Tilling calculates that choosing used and natural materials over new products saved the company more than $4,000 on the exhibit. Here are some highlights:
Wood pallets, which allow for easier transport and storage, consume almost 50 percent of all hardwood logged in the U.S., according to the Resource Conservation Alliance. While many companies responsibly reuse the pallets, they must be replaced eventually. Waterford Tilling deconstructed discarded pallets and reassembled the pieces to create a wood trellis. The company also constructed the garden's walkway out of reclaimed bluestone, with recycled granite curb pieces sourced locally from Rochester's city streets. Gabions, metal cages filled with rocks and excavated materials, provide stability to coastlines, hillsides, and roadsides.
Gabions can also serve gardens as the core structure for green walls.
Waterford Tilling dramatically cut costs by filling gabions on site with
locally-sourced discarded stones. The company then grew plants vertically
out of this substrate to create green walls. Similar to green roofs, green
walls extend a wall's material lifespan, absorb sound, and control temperature,
reducing costs for insulation, repair and replacement, and heating and cooling.
Recycle, ReThink, ReGarden received the Best of Show award at GardenScape
2008 , the Rochester Flower Show which attracts more than 25,000
people each year with its creative gardening exhibits. For photographs of
Waterford Tilling's exhibit, please visit their photo
gallery .
Grant Opportunity: EPA Solicits Greenhouse Gas Reduction Grant Proposals
EPA is offering a new grant designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency, clean energy, and corporate greenhouse gas management. The application deadline is August 6, 2008. The outcomes for projects supported by this grant might be environmental, behavioral, health-related or programmatic in nature, but must be quantitative. The total estimated funding for this competitive opportunity is approximately $6 million. EPA anticipates awarding one to ten grants, ranging in annual value from $40,000 to $90,000. Proposals will be accepted from States, local governments, Indian Tribes, international organizations, universities and colleges, hospitals, laboratories, and other public or private non-profit organizations. For more information, please visit the Office of Air and Radiation's Grants and Funding page.
Grant Opportunity: USDA Small Business Innovation Research Program
The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) gives competitively-awarded grants to qualified small businesses to support high quality, advanced concepts research related to important scientific problems and opportunities in agriculture that could lead to significant public benefit if successful.
The objectives of the SBIR Program are to stimulate technological innovations in the private sector; strengthen the role of small businesses in meeting Federal research and development needs; increase private sector commercialization of innovations derived from USDA-supported research and development efforts; and foster and encourage participation by women-owned and socially- and economically-disadvantaged small business firms in technological innovations.
SBIR Phase I grants range between $70,000 and $80,000 and are limited to the duration of 8 months. Applications are due September 4, 2008. Participation by university faculty or government scientists in SBIR projects is strongly encouraged. For more information, please visit USDA Funding Opportunities.
Grant Opportunity: EPA's National Clean Diesel Campaign
EPA is soliciting proposals for the development and commercialization of emerging technologies that reduce diesel emissions. EPA will provide funding assistance to selected eligible entities through a cooperative agreement. EPA anticipates awarding roughly 2-5 cooperative agreements ranging in value from approximately $200,000-$1,000,000. Proposals are due September 21.
EPA's National Clean Diesel Campaign (NCDC) and its seven collaboratives (EPA regional offices and public and private sector partners) will administer almost $50 million in grant funding available to establish clean diesel projects aimed at reducing emissions from the nation's existing fleet of diesel engines, as authorized by the Energy Policy Act of 2005. EPA will continue to roll out grant opportunities through the spring. Please visit NCDC's Grants and Funding page for more information.
Survey indicates Sustainability Increasingly Important for Clients of Landscape Architects
Sustainability is increasingly importance for the clients of landscape
architects, according to a
recent survey conducted by the American Society of Landscape Architects
.
Landscape architects said 73 percent their clients are very interested
in sustainable issues. The survey compares attitudes from the first quarter
of 2008 to the same period from the year before. Clients' most pertinent
concerns focused around water-related issues, such as stormwater management
and bioswales, with energy efficiency related to irrigation, lower maintenance,
native plants and fewer lawns second. Other important sustainability issues
included accreditation, habitat, green roofs and links to transportation,
trails and parks.
Consumer Reports Polls Americans on Lawn Care
A new Consumer Reports' poll indicates that 26 percent of Americans would
prefer less lawn and more flowers, rocks, or native landscaping. 23 percent
of Americans spend at least 5 hours doing yard work each week, and 25 percent
have disagreements with family members over how and when to mow their lawns.
In the Columbus
Dispatch's coverage of the survey
, the paper directed readers interested in more organic lawn
care to the GreenScapes Web site.
Greenscapes Massachusetts issues 2008 Greenscapes Guide for Homeowners
The Greenscapes Massachusetts program is a collaborative education and
outreach effort sponsored by an EPA GreenScapes Ally, the Massachusetts
Bay Estuary Association, and many other NGOs and groups. The Greenscapes
Massachusetts program seeks to educate citizens and professionals about
landscaping practices (particularly irrigation and chemical use) to lower
their environmental impact; create an informed and proactive citizenry that
acts as environmental stewards in their own backyards; and generate broad
support for the responsible public management of water resources (quality
and quantity).
Greenscapes Massachusetts recently issued its 2008 Greenscapes Guide, a
20-page resource for sustainable home gardening with information on GreenScapes
topics such as composting, low maintenance tips, and pesticide and fertilizer
alternatives. Although the guide was developed for Massachusetts residents,
most of the information is transferable to other states. To obtain an electronic
copy, please visit the Greenscapes
Massachusetts Web site .
Share Your Success Story!
Would you like to be featured in the next GreenScapes Update? Do you have
a GreenScapes success story you would like to share? We'd like to hear about
it!
We want to help publicize and advocate your efforts by profiling your achievements.
The best ideas, more often than not, come from practical, hands-on experiences.
We'd like to assemble a variety of success stories that demonstrate environmental
and/or economic benefits achieved and that can be replicated by other members.
Have you recently completed a landscaping project with environmental benefits
in mind (e.g., used compost instead of fertilizer, incorporated recycled
plastic products)? Have you received an award or honor for your GreenScaping
work?
To be considered, email a write up to us along with any supporting documentation
(e.g., photographs, turf regrowth rates and results). The initial description
might only be a short paragraph or you may submit a more complete write
up if you have one.
If your success story is selected, we will contact you directly. You can
review existing success stories online. Please
send your stories to GreenScapes@icfi.com.
Share Your Comments with GreenScapes
We want to hear what you think! Tell us about your experiences using tools and resources provided by GreenScapes, the GreenScapes Update, and the Web site. Share your thoughts on what other resources you would find helpful. Email us at GreenScapes@icfi.com with your feedback, comments, or questions.
Send mail to:
US EPA GreenScapes Program
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW (MC 5306P)
Washington, DC 20460
Periodical Articles
Provides examples of how, with proper planning, outdoor landscapes featuring indigenous plants save time and money. Anne Vazquez in Today's Facility Manager, January 2006
Composting
Helps Battle Erosion on Roadway Projects
Addresses incorporation of compost for controlling erosion into highway project designs. Features an interview with Jean Schwab, GreenScapes program manager. Gwenyth Laird Pernie in Construction Equipment Guide News, August 2005
Special
Report: 'Green' Landscapes - Going Deeper into 'Green'
Planting landscapes for environmental benefits is the beginning, but, according to this article, the next step is paying greater attention to equipment and processes. Includes a spotlight on GreenScapes. Cathy Walker in Maintenance Solutions, April 2005
Special
Report: 'Green' Landscapes -"Greening the Grounds"
Provides ways to encourage eco-friendly environments by reducing chemical use (e.g., herbicides, fertilizers, pesticides) and improving water awareness and conservation. Editorial Staff in Maintenance Solutions, April 2005
Matching
Up Waste Materials with Large-Scale
Depicts EPA's program encouraging holistic landscaping decisions, stressing reuse for economical, environmentally-friendly solutions. Jean Schwab, Program Manager for the GreenScapes Program, US EPA in BioCycle, May 2004.
Greening our Landscapes
(PDF) (12 pp, 811K)
Announces EPA's launch of the “GreenScapes” initiative to promote environmentally beneficial landscaping practices for large land-use activities such as shopping and retail centers, recreational facilities (e.g., golf courses, ski resorts, amusement parks, public gardens), roads and highways, abandoned industrial sites (i.e., Brownfields), large university campuses, and military installations. Closing the Circle News, Office of the Federal Environmental Executive, Spring 2004, p. 5.
EPA Program Sows Seeds for Greener
Landscaping (PDF) (1 pg, 47K)
Announces the launch of the GreenScapes Alliance. The Green Business Letter, January 2004, reprinted with permission.
New
GreenScapes Program Promotes Environmentally Beneficial Landscaping (PDF)
(1 pg, 193K)
Describes EPA's GreenScapes program, designed to broaden and enhance reduction, reuse and recycling of waste materials generated as part of large-scale landscaping operations. B-RAP News (Business Recycling Assistance Program), South Carolina (SC) Department of Health and Environmental Control’s Center for Waste Minimization and Office of Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling, the SC Department of Commerce’s Recycling Market Development Advisory Council and the University of South Carolina’s Industrial Ecology Program, January 1, 2004.
Roadside Landscaping Turns to Compost (PDF) (8 pp, 483K)
Describes EPA's promotion of the use of compost in roadside landscaping. Reusable News, US EPA, Fall 2001, p. 6.
Compost:
Better, Faster, Cheaper Cleanups
Describes compost technology/bioremediation as an inexpensive and effective method to remediate many contaminated surface waters, soils, air, streams and reservoirs. Jean Schwab, US EPA, in Waste Age, April 1, 2000.
