There is a lot of sustainability talk in the higher education community, but who is delivering on the promise? Prospective students (and prospective donors) are bombarded with marketing pitches that tout sustainability in food and waste recycling, energy-saving buildings, and more, but the standard sustainability… [Read More]
Learning from Non-Traditional Landscapes: The Integrated Team Approach Makes Sense
Designing sites and outdoor areas for sustainability and then “building it right the first time” may seem like no-brainer goals for site development or ecological restoration, but that doesn’t mean that it is being done on most projects, much less being done well. Why is… [Read More]
SITES from the Ground Up: Rating Sustainable Landscapes
Lisa Cowan, PLA, Studioverde, teamed with with CeCe Haydock, PLA, New York to co-host a webinar titled “SITES from the Ground Up, How to Rate Sustainable Landscapes” on January 21, 2014 for the Ecological Landscape Association. The webinar was well-attended and we received very positive feedback from participants. At… [Read More]
7 Reasons You Should be Using SITES v2 for Ecological Restoration
Although the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES™) Rating System may first appear to be just another green rating system, SITES can be a valuable resource for ecological site restoration projects (even if you are not going for certification). For those who have not familiarized themselves with… [Read More]
The Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES v2) Rating System is Here!
The most comprehensive system for developing sustainable landscapes, the SITES v2 Rating System, has been officially released by the Sustainable Sites Initiative™ (SITES™) program. The SITES Rating System provides guidance for sustainable land design, development and land management practices that provide Triple Bottom Line benefits –… [Read More]
30 and Counting: SITES Certified Pilot Project List Grows
Studioverde has been involved with the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES™) through outreach and education since 2009. We are very excited to see that the number of SITES certified Pilot Projects recently grew to 30, including two educational facilities: an elementary school that created outdoor classrooms to enhance outdoor… [Read More]
Think Blue II and Economic Benefits of Green Infrastructure
Martha Sheils, Program Manager at the New England Environmental Finance Center and founding partner at Studioverde also spoke at the November, 2013 Think Blue Maine stormwater conference in South Portland about how municipalities are reducing their implementation and long term costs through strategic use of… [Read More]
Think Blue
Lisa Cowan spoke at a workshop session of the 2013 Think Blue Maine stormwater conference on the subject of green infrastructure, aesthetics and social engagement titled “Green Infrastructure: The Bad, the Ugly and Why Looks Matter”. The conference was held to promote practical strategies to… [Read More]
Changing the Conversation on Stormwater Management Part I
Recent destructive storm events have focused public attention on climate change, sustainable site design, and resiliency. As ecological design practitioners, we have an opportunity to build on this paradigm shift and take the lead in promoting a more sustainable approach to water management. To help… [Read More]
Green Infrastructure, Ecological Design + Aesthetics
Lisa Cowan has a new article in the Ecological Landscape Association’s (ELA) July newsletter – “Changing the Conversation on Ecological Design”. Read more about her ideas on how to incorporate new concepts into your conversation and how to make ecological projects resonate aesthetically.