Archive for February, 2013
The new SNAIL Garden on South Campus is a bit hit!
Students Nurturing Alternatives in Landscaping, also known as SNAIL, has made great progress on their garden, located near the green house on south campus.
SNAIL is a student run cooperative garden founded by Allison Baker from the Masters program in Sustainable Communities. SNAIL is connected to FYS program and has open membership to any NAU student, faculty or staff.
SNAIL was given much of it’s resources from NAU Grounds Department. They have also been able to use tons of dirt from NAU composting program, which has helped in providing a healthy soil base for the garden.
In the very short time SNAIL has been running, they have already built 2 hoop houses so they can grow season-round. (See picture below.)
SNAIL aims to “embody alternatives in landscaping” and have created spaces for outdoor classrooms, student art, picnicking, and a living shade area.
SNAIL’s future goals include reaching out to larger NAU community,such as family housing at NAU so they can have a place to grow food over the summer. Additionally, they are working to educate community members and students on the connections between immigration and food issues. Social justice issues are largely behind big industrial agriculture.
If you want to get involved, or for more information, contact Allison Baker at: ab567@nau.edu
The Sustainability Series at Willow Bend
Posted by Liz in Sustainability, Workshop on February 15, 2013
A monthly program from February through July.
Willow Bend Environmental Education Center sits on land that was once used as a junk yard; our building is energy neutral; and our native landscaping produces habitat for wildlife. Please join us for a series of free presentations by local experts about Willow Bend’s design and building strategy, and how many of these features could be implemented elsewhere. We are a community resource and we invite you to come see for yourself!
February 27 – Designing and Building a Good Home Presented by Ed Dunn, Solar Design & Construction, Inc. Ed built Willow Bend and will talk, generally, about passive solar, comfort, sustainability, building materials, and remodeling.
March 27 – The Fundamentals of Passive Solar Design Presented by Joe Costion, Consultant and Educator on Sustainable Building and Living. Tremendous amounts of energy are used heating and cooling our living and working spaces. Come and learn how the Willow Bend building is heated by the sun. Joe will provide fundamental tools for incorporating passive solar design in new or existing buildings using his solar mantra.
April 18 – Residential Water Harvesting Presented by David McKee, City of Flagstaff Stormwater Management Have you ever thought about how you might catch and use rainwater for irrigation? Come learn about roof catchment systems, as well as other strategies for storing and using water for storing and using rainwater.
May 16 – Solar Photovoltaics: Renewable Energy Presented by Jim Corning of Plug and Play Solar, Inc. The solar panels at Willow Bend meet all of our electric energy needs. Jim Corning installed them and will demonstrate a new strategy – portable solar panels that you can simply plug into an outdoor outlet.
June 5 – Vermicomposting, How and Why Presented by McKenzie Jones, Sustainability Specialist at the City of Flagstaff Come learn how to convert organic waste from your kitchen into nutrient rich soil for gardening using worm composting. We’ll have a demonstration and starter kits available.
July – Native Landscape, Healthy Soils and Gardens Presented by Nigel Sparks, Flagstaff Native Plant and Seed Native gardens help create wildlife habitat, require less water and help reduce the encroachment of invasive species. But they still require maintenance and upkeep. Come learn about how you can implement some of the strategies in use at Willow Bend for your own landscape.
*Register at: www.willowbendcenter.org/public-programs_adult
Or call 928-779-1745
Willow Bend Environmental Center is located at: 703 E. Sawmill Rd. Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Our partners:
Coconino County Sustainable Building Program
Solar Design & Construction, Plug and Play Solar, Flagstaff Native Plant and Seed