Living Green at Wellfleet Bay

Green Building Architect, Andrew Miao

Bob Prescott recently received an email from Andrew Miao, the architect who contributed so much to the success of our new nature center. He wanted me to share Andrew's email with you. This is a shot of one of the teams weekly meetings; Andrew is the second person down the table from Bob.

Dear Team:

Going over the final LEED score sheet, it is apparent how the Platinum level was only possible because of the incredible creativity, dedication, and perseverance each of you gave this project.  The Innovation Credit section uses the word "Exemplary" again and again.  How could it be less for a building at the Platinum Level!  Thank you one and all.

I wanted especially, on behalf of the team, to express our gratitude and appreciation to Audubon and Wellfleet Bay for the Vision, the commitment to protecting the environment, and the leadership on this project.  I feel that we have learned much and are excited to do more sustainable work.

Andrew

Thank you, Andrew!

Our Green Team Wins Prestigious Award!

Each year Mass Audubon presents the President's Award to recognize an exceptional group performance that is highly creative and results in innovative programs or processes that are sustainable and change the methods of the organization.

This year's winner is the "Dream Green Team," comprised of Bob Prescott , Stu Weinreb (Director of Capital Assets and Planning) and Roberta Longley. The award will be presented at Mass Audubon's Annual Meeting on November 6.  You all know Bob and Roberta. Stu is the Director of Capital Assets and Planning and made the journey from Lincoln to Wellfleet almost every week during construction.

Although the new nature center building at Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary has been open since June 2006, only recently has it been awarded the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Platinum certification, its highest designation for high-performing green buildings. Only three other buildings in the Commonwealth have been awarded the prestigious Platinum-certified Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) designation. 

From the project's beginning, Stu and Bob were committed to making the nature center as green as possible within budget and worked tirelessly with the architect and builder of the nature center to accomplish this.  Roberta Longley in Development (who occasionally has some fun out in the field, in this case at an osprey tagging) provided the fundraising support that helped to make the nature center a reality.  As a result, the nature center represents a strong commitment to protecting the nature of Massachusetts through its incorporation of new green technologies, recycled materials, and recycling systems.  It is an environmentally friendly and sustainable model for other buildings at Mass Audubon and throughout the Commonwealth.

Those who work in and visit the sanctuary appreciate the advanced roof, window, and ventilation designs, which minimize energy consumption; the rainwater re-use system, composting toilets, and graywater garden, which lessen the building's impact on land and conserves water; and the installation of a 21 kW solar ground array, which reduces the electricity drawn from the public electric provider and allows the sanctuary to take a dramatic step toward energy self-reliance.

The Mass Audubon Annual Meeting is open to all members, and we hope to see you there to give Bob, Stu and Roberta the congratulations they so richly deserve. The annual meeting will be held on Thursday, November 6 at 5:00 p.m. at the Conference Center at Waltham Wood, 860 Winter Street in Waltham (map here). For more information and to register call 781-259-2101.

See you there!

Mary Lou Roberts

Post based on content from Bird's Eye View newsletter, September 11, 2008.

Our Green Building is Platinum!

I’m delighted to tell you that our green building is officially platinum! We were notified last week by the U.S. Green Building Council that our building has received Platinum certification—the highest rating in their LEED certification program. If you want some information on the process, here’s a good presentation from the council.

Our entire team worked tirelessly to achieve the platinum level. For details about the members of the team, you can see our August 2006 post.

The building project happened at a time when interest in environmental sustainability and green building was exploding. That’s true everywhere, but it’s especially true here on the Cape where we are so conscious of our beautiful but fragile environment. There’s a vibrant community of organizations and people on the Cape who are taking an active role in the sustainability effort. Some of the leaders include Cape Cod Community College with its Green Campus initiative and the Cape & Islands Renewable Energy Collaborative, which brings together various individuals and groups. We are proud to be part of this vibrant community of environmental leaders.

One of the great things about our green building is that it’s a powerful teaching tool for both adults and children. Joe Lawler conducts informal tours when he is in the Exhibit Hall on Saturday afternoons. You can ask Joe or check at the information desk on any given Saturday.  On October 25 we are planning a tour of green homes in the lower Cape area. This adult program has limited enrollment; contact Melissa Lowe for more information. Melissa can also arrange tours if you have a group that wants to come. We also get to be part of activities like the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association Green Buildings Open House on the Cape. We’ll have more details about that as October 4 gets closer.

Middle school students study environmental sustainability as part of their regular curriculum. We do many tours for middle school groups, mostly in the spring. Our after school programs frequently have activities that emphasize elements of the green building. Summer day campers also learn about the building. If you are looking for a program or tour for children, you can contact Amy Ferreira.

The platinum certification rewards all the effort that went into this building, and we’re happy about that. But most of all, we’re pleased to be an active part of efforts to promote environmental sustainability on the Cape and beyond!

Bob Prescott

Gala Green Building Trail Opening

Monday morning members of the green building project team joined sanctuary supporters and the Fishbein family to declare the Green Building Trail officially open. Peter and Bette Fishbein, whose children honored them by donating funds for the trail, along with Laura Johnson, Mass Audubon president, and Bob Prescott, sanctuary director, cut the ribbon to mark the opening. Thanks to Dr. Kenneth McKusick for this great picture of the group!

Last week’s post contains a link to the Green Building Trail Guide, one part of the project. You can read it online or print it out and bring it with you when you come--or both!  Laura Johnson pointed out that the green building at the Wellfleet sanctuary is only one of many sustainability initiatives throughout Mass Audubon. Wherever possible the association is trying to minimize its use of resources in existing properties. Conversion to energy-saving lights and the use of energy-star appliances are two examples that have organization-wide impact. Bob Prescott added that the message of the trail will reach beyond the building and the sanctuary through the web and other efforts in the coming months. Watch this space for developments!

The Fishbein family has long summered in Orleans, although their home is New York City. Bette is well known in environmental circles from her tenure at Inform. This organization has an interesting website with a lot of good resources on subjects like green cleaning and disposal of waste. I’d encourage you to investigate it.

Would you like to meet Bette Fishbein? Take a look at this delightful and informative video based on her research into cell phone recycling.

The sanctuary is grateful to the Fishbein family for thinking of  this innovative way to support the green building initiative and to transmit its message about sustainable living. It will help us inform the people who visit this wonderful building and encourage our outreach efforts.

The Green Building Trail!

The children of Peter and Bette Fishbein, Orleans summer residents, made a generous gift to Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary in honor of their parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. In keeping with Fishbein’s interest in sustainability and green design, the family has sponsored a new interpretive trail at the 1200-acre wildlife sanctuary located in South Wellfleet that focuses on the nature center’s newly renovated green building. This “green trail” is designed to educate and inspire the public about sustainable design and energy conservation. The family’s gift illustrates the power of the individual in making a difference for future generations and environment by thinking globally, but acting locally.

The Green Building Trail through the sanctuary’s nature center will include a new sustainability exhibit panel, plus twelve stops throughout the building (and eventually outside) that give information on specific green features of the building and how to incorporate these features into one’s own home and daily living. Over 70,000 people visit the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary annually from all over New England, U.S. and internationally, thus giving this unique trail and the important information it imparts great exposure. The brochure on this blog (see link below) and in other sanctuary communications will summarize this information—thus reaching an even larger audience.

Peter and Bette Fishbein are from Harrison, New York, but spend summers in Orleans. The Fishbeins worked together with a local committee over the past year to develop the concept and content of the exhibit and trail guide which will be produced by Main Street Designs and installed in late July. A ribbon cutting for the Green Building Trail is scheduled for Monday, August 4 at 10 a.m. after which it will be open to the public.
Download trail_guide_080723.pdf 

Post from press release by Melissa Lowe.

Another Sustainable Living Resource

While writing a post for a marketing blog to which I contribute, I came across an interesting group here on the Cape. It's a local chapter of the Holistic Moms Network, an interesting website itself. I've added the chapter link to the Green Resources on the right bar of the blog.

I'd love to see this blog become a resource for green living activities on the Cape. I need your help to find them.

Please post a comment or email me directly at robertsml2001@yahoo.com. Either way, I'll add it to the blog and it will grow in value as an important resource for Cape residents.

Another Sustainable Living Resource

While writing a post for a marketing blog to which I contribute, I came across an interesting group here on the Cape. It's a local chapter of the Holistic Moms Network, an interesting website itself. I've added the chapter link to the Green Resources on the right bar of the blog.

I'd love to see this blog become a resource for green living activities on the Cape. I need your help to find them.

Please post a comment or email me directly at robertsml2001@yahoo.com. Either way, I'll add it to the blog and it will grow in value as an important resource for Cape residents.

Disposing of CFL Bulbs

In an earlier post we described  efforts to conserve energy and reduce Mass Audubon’s energy costs by requiring all sites to replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs). We have also upgraded the lighting at almost every site which has included the use of fluorescent tubes as office lighting.

It's important that everyone realize that proper disposal of these bulbs/tubes is important because they contain trace amounts of mercury.  There is increasing concern about the release of small amounts of mercury into the environment when a bulb is broken or sent to a transfer station to be disposed of in the regular waste stream.  The growing popularity of fluorescent lighting has resulted in a need to address the proper disposal of compact fluorescent lights/tubes.  Therefore, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts recently passed a bill  prohibiting the disposal of all items containing mercury, including intact compact fluorescents, into the general waste stream.  This law goes into effect May 1, 2008. When you are disposing of intact fluorescent lighting, please package the bulb to avoid breakage and recycle it at a local recycling center.

Here is a list of sites across the Commonwealth that accept compact fluorescents for recycling. I haven't asked the Eastham transfer station whether they take these bulbs or not; does anyone know whether there's a Cape-wide policy or is is town-by-town?

Remember that intact CFLs pose no threat of mercury exposure and provide important benefits in reduced energy use (and lower energy costs for consumers), reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and reduced local air pollution (particulates and other pollutants) from electric power generation.

A "Going Green" Opportunity

The Cape and Islands Renewable Energy Collaborative is one of the leading environmental organizations on Cape Cod, and we are always pleased when Mass Audubon can partner with them for an event. In this case, it's a workshop "Going Green at Home and On the Road" to be held at the Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary in Barnstable from 9:30 to 1:30 on Saturday, April 12.

The workshop will focus on practical things you can do to lower your energy bills, improve your living and working environments, and reduce your carbon footprint. It features expert presentations from Clean Energy Design, Waquoit Bay Reserve, Cape Light Compact, Cape Cod Commission & WEEinfo Services. Speakers will talk about our current energy situation, introduce a 5-step Energy Action Plan,and describe lifestyle choices, efficiency measures, green building techniques, renewable energy options, and alternative vehicles. The workshop includes a "living local" lunch, lightbulb giveaway, and a first-hand look at wind and solar energy systems. In addition, take-home information will be provided on local energy programs, resources, and incentives.

Space is limited and preregistration is required. The fee of $10 for Mass Audubon members and $12 for nonmembers includes lunch.  To register call 508.362.7475 ext. 9355 or email.

This is a wonderful chance to learn about things each one of us can do to reduce our energy costs at the same time we improve the quality of our environment. Hope to see you there!

Wind Power in Ireland

The potential of wind power is a big subject on the Cape, one in which the sanctuary is actively engaged. Mass Audubon issued a press release today discussing its monitoring of the Cape Wind proposal. On the same subject, I just saw a post on wind power in Ireland that I though many of you would find interesting. Have any of you seen wind farms in Ireland? Do you have pictures you could share with us?

I first saw wind farms in Denmark several years ago. One of the Danes in the group actually owned shares in a wind turbine. There if a person buys shares in a turbine, and thereby provides part of the initial investment in the technology, he or she gets a discount on their electrical power.

That seems like such a great win-win model. I don’t know of any other applications of it—I wonder why not.

CNET news has a blog that specializes in green technology if you’d like to keep up with those developments.