Anniversary Weekend Coming Right Up

image credit: utne.com

Greensburg will soon be observing the 5th anniversary of the tornado. There are a full slate of activities for visitors scheduled for the weekend of May 4-6: Tragedy to Triumph . . . Five Years Later. There is much to celebrate.

If you're in town for the  festivities, we hope you will visit us at the Green Visitors Center inside GreenTown's Silo Eco Home for a tour and refreshment on Saturday from 10-4. For the third year in a row, the Topeka Kitefliers will host a kite festival at the high school football field on South Main Street; this event will run from noon until 3 p.m. They will bring their own beautiful displays, plus they invite the public to join in the fun with your own kites. Greensburg's Studio 54 is the official vendor for the festival and will have kites available for sale on site.  

Thanks to all who have supported Greensburg in its reimagining and rebuilding over the past 5 years and for making it possible to have so much to celebrate.

See the Third Edition of the Greensburg GreenTown GreenTour Book!

Check out our shiny new edition of the Greensburg GreenTown GreenTour Book!  We should have printed copies at the Silo Eco-Home by the Fifth Year Anniversary of the Greensburg tornado, May 4.  Learn about the town's journey of rebuilding and about its commitment to sustainability!

Click here to see the GreenTour Book on our website!

Click here to see the GreenTour Book on issuu.com!

New Program Helps Architects Respond to Disasters

Photo of Greensburg rebuilt four years after the tornado. Photo credit Greensburg Greentown.

AIA and Architecture for Humanity have joined together to launch the Disaster Resiliency and Response Program. The goal of the program is to train and to provide resources to architects so that they can work with their communities to facilitate the transition from a disaster towards a long-term recovery. Architecture for Humanity is a non-profit organization that seeks architectural solutions to humanitarian crises and brings professional design services to communities in need. The AIA (American Institute for Architects) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Both groups have their own disaster response initiatives, but by joining together they hope to reach a wider audience, and combine and enhance existing disaster related resources.

One of the first projects of the Disaster Resiliency and Response Program is the Disaster Plan Grant Program, which will provide grants to architects who are developing disaster plans in cities across the US. Applications are currently being accepted for grants of $1,000 to $2,000 to be used to engage disaster management professionals, train architects, document past disaster response activity, or design advocacy campaigns that will advance the role of architects in disaster preparedness, response and recovery.

The Girl Scouts Are Coming!

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts. Founded in Savannah, Georgia in 1912 by Juliette Gordon Low, the organization boasts a membership of 3.2 million girls and adults, and 50 million alumnae. In conjunction with this momentous anniversary, they launched Forever Green, a national effort of girls leading their families, schools, and communities to improve the environment and protect natural resources.

The Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland have opted to celebrate the anniversary by coming to town for the weekend of April 27-29. We've been told to expect hundreds of scouts. The City, County, and various nonprofit groups and businesses around town have been busily preparing to create a memorable Forever Green event for the scouts and their parents and leaders. The girls, age 6 on up, will help with community service projects, learn about Greensburg’s rebuilding as a model town through its commitment to sustainability, and have time to shop and visit during their whirlwind weekend. They will camp out on lots in town – so keep your fingers crossed about the weather.

GreenTown has been getting the Silo House lot ready for the demonstration garden the girls will help us plant. Many thanks to Rex Butler for rototilling the yard to get it ready for planting the grass seed that has been donated by the Pearl’s Premium company. (Check out their website to read about this eco-friendly, low maintenance product!)

We’ve been gathering donations of seedlings, planters, and garden equipment in order to create a beautiful and welcoming place for visitors. Signage will help people learn about water conservation, organic gardening options, native landscaping, and much more. We are re-using found objects from the Schmidt family farm south of town for planters (a great demonstration of repurposing), and the Girl Scouts procured a  donation of raised garden beds from Frame-It-All. Area garden centers have generously promised vegetable and flower seedlings that the girls will plant at the end of the month.

In addition to the demonstration garden project, GreenTown will have a variety of activities for the girls. We’ll have a booth where they can learn about volunteerism. Our friends the Wendlands will bring some of their animals to town and set up a petting zoo - plus they will be a source of education about raising livestock in harmony with nature. (Local folks may also know Brian and Kathleen Wendland from the energy rating services they provided  to over 100 homeowners around town.) And we’ll have tours of the Silo House and a slide show of the town’s rebuilding, where the girls and their adult leaders and parents can learn about Greensburg’s comeback as a model green community.

There’s a lot to be excited about. It is awesome to have the opportunity to help girls of all ages learn about sustainability and healthy living.

We will post photos of the garden as they are available - better yet, come see it in person! Check this space for a report after the big event.

Leaf the Air Pollution Outside!

From Left to Right:Boston Fern, Dracenea "Janet Craig", and Pygmy Date Palm. Photos courtesy of guidetohouseplants.com.

I became interested in the idea of plants that purify indoor air after a discussion with my brother, who lives in Beijing, China. Beijing is a city that is notorious for its air pollution. (The city actually shut down its factories for several months prior to the 2008 Olympics to improve the air condition for the sporting events.) My brother hardly ever opens his windows in his apartment, to avoid the dust and smog that would coat his furniture. To combat this lack of fresh air, he began researching plants that would improve the air quality of his apartment, and provide a safe haven for his lungs. I have expanded upon his initial research and compiled a list of the best plants to improve air quality and remove indoor air pollutants from your home and office.

The top ten plants for removing indoor air toxins are listed below:

1. Areca Palm

2. Lady Palm

3. Bamboo Palm

4. Rubber Plant

5. Dracaena “Janet Craig” 

6. Philodendron

7. Pygmy Date Palm

8. Ficus Alii

9. Boston Fern

10. Peace Lily

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Meet Ed Truelove: Greensburg's New City Administrator

On March 16, Ed Truelove sat down with GreenTown’s Catherine Hart for an interview. It was a pleasure to meet and visit with Ed, who moved to Greensburg from Sterling, Kansas when he accepted the position last month.

Ed’s entire career since graduating high school has been about service to country and community. He spent 21 years in the Marine Corps, and nearly 15 years in law enforcement, with the last 4 ½ years as the Sterling Police Department Chief of Police. Ed talked about having the kind of personality that wants to serve the community.

When asked about why he felt drawn to apply for the city administrator position, Ed replied, “[It was] my experience in going to Joplin. Directly after the tornado I went to help my daughter for a week, to sift through and recover. It made the experience very real.” He feels that having helped his family through this ordeal enables him to better connect with the people of Greensburg.

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LEED and Home Depot Announce Partnership!

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and Home Depot announced a partnership and launched  a new website this past week. The partnership is a result of the booming green housing market, which has tripled over the past four years. The USGBC estimates by 2016 that up to 38% of the market will be composed of new green homes. The website, which is a microsite on homedepot.com, is an online product database geared towards homeowners and builders attempting to rack up LEED points for green building projects.

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. It is a "green" building certification process created by the USGBC in 1998, and there are over 7,000 buildings in the U.S. that have been certified under the program. LEED was designed to provide a framework for architects, engineers, builders, and building owners to identify and implement sustainable practices into the construction and operation of new and renovated buildings. Various aspects of the design, structure, and grounds are awarded points; the more points earned, the higher the certification level; in ascending order these are Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.

The website helps simplify the complicated LEED certification process by identifying Home Depot products that meet LEED standards. The site contains over 2,500 products that are broken down into more than 20 product categories and the number of LEED points. Although building a LEED certified home requires a lot more that picking out eco-friendly products, this partnership is a great step toward making the process just a bit little easier!  

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Living Green Around the Globe: Curitiba

Image courtesy of Brazil GreenOne of the defining events in the greening of Greensburg was the development of the Sustainable Comprehensive Plan, which lays out a long-term guide for the redevelopment of the community. The elements of the plan came from a series of public meetings, which were brought together into a usable document by the Kansas City-based architectural firm BNIM. In this edition of Living Green Around the Globe we focus on another city that has become known around the world for its sustainable features and innovative master plan.

Curitiba, which is the capital of one of Brazil’s southernmost states, has become well known for its environmental planning, and was even awarded the Globe Sustainable City Award in 2010. In the mid-60s the city began to face numerous issues including sprawl, fewer green spaces, and a loss of character due to a rapidly growing population. To combat these issues the Curitiba master plan was introduced in 1968. The plan implemented strict controls on urban sprawl, a reduction of traffic in the downtown area, preservation of Curitiba's Historic Sector, and a convenient and affordable public transit system.

A BRT tube station. Image courtesy of SustainableCitiesCollective.Curitiba, which now has a population of 2.5 million people, uses about 30 percent less fuel per capita when compared to other Brazilian cities of a similar size, resulting in one of the lowest rates of ambient air pollution in the country. Curitiba has one of the most heavily used, yet low-cost, transit systems in the world. The BRT or Bus Rapid Transit system has up to 2.7 million trips per day with 70 percent ridership. Passengers pay a single fare equivalent to about 40 cents for travel throughout the system, with unlimited transfers between buses at terminals where different services intersect. It offers many of the features of a subway system—vehicle movements unimpeded by traffic signals and congestion, fare collection prior to boarding, quick passenger loading and unloading—but it is above ground and visible. The bus lines of the expansive transit network are coded by color and organized according to citizens' daily needs, from accessing health care to shopping.

Along with public transportation, an integral part of the master plan included the reducing traffic downtown and the establishment of a trinary road system. This uses two one-way streets moving in opposite directions which surround a smaller, two-lane street where the express buses have their exclusive lane. Five of these roads form a star that converges on the city center. Land farther from these roads is zoned for lower density developments, to reduce traffic away from the main roads. The city also boasts a busy commercial pedestrian only area located downtown, known as Rua Das Flores (Flowers Street). The pedestrian area, which was established in 1972, was the first pedestrian street in Brazil.

The Free University for the Environment (UNILIVRE). Image courtesy of Greensburg GreenTown.Prior to 1970 Curitiba had only one square foot of green space per inhabitant, but now the city boasts 560 square feet per resident.  The city has a network of 28 parks and wooded areas.  Many of Curitiba's parks were reclaimed and converted from industrial or commercial use, and were designed for flood management. For instance, the Free University for the Environment (UNILIVRE), Curitiba's environmental learning center, is located in a converted quarry and has classrooms spiraling into the treetops made of old telephone poles.

Curitiba also encourages recycling through incentives such as the Cambio Verde program, which enables poor citizens to exchange their metal and glass waste for fresh produce or bus tickets. In combination with several other initiatives, 70 percent of Curitiba's waste is recycled by the city's inhabitants. To read more about Curitiba and its innovative sustainable and planning policies check out this article by PBS.

Lawn Care, Naturally

image credit: donhavey.com

Spring is in the air and our thoughts turn to outdoor activities, including lawn care. Here we offer ideas to help you free up your time and energy and make your lawn-related experience more pleasurable and healthy.

If you will be planting a new lawn, we encourage you to check out varieties that require less water than our old friend Kentucky Bluegrass. By doing so, you will save time on mowing and watering, conserve water, and still be able to enjoy a beautiful lawn.

For those of you living in our neck of the woods, the Kiowa County Extension office can provide you with brochures about grasses that will work well with local conditions. They are located on the first floor of the Kiowa County Commons building at 320 South Main Street in Greensburg. Here's the link to their on-line articles related to Lawns and Turf.

People living elsewhere could contact the Extension office serving their area, or you could check out this article from Weekend Gardener that includes a chart to help you choose the appropriate grass based on your climate and usage.

Keep in mind that if you plant grasses that are well suited to the local climate, you will have a better chance of encountering fewer problems associated with pests and drought conditions. There are a lot of options for pest control that don’t involve poisons. Chemical approaches to lawn care come with risks not only to the health of the person applying the substances, but also to human visitors, animals, and groundwater. We urge you to learn about your non-toxic options.

The statistics associated with using chemicals on the lawn are pretty grim. Thousands upon thousands of birds are poisoned by lawn pesticides annually. And the amount of water that is used to keep the grass alive is mind-boggling: an estimated 30% of the summer water use on the East Coast and 60% on the West Coast goes to lawn watering. A sobering article by Jeanette Namura makes the case for giving up chemicals altogether. A quick Google search reveals many suggestions for healthy lawns (and thus healthy people and animals); the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) has a great article on chemical-free lawn care. Homeowners are encouraged to start with the basics – the health of the soil is key. The more nutrient-rich the soil, the better chance your grass stands of being able to stave off pests and vagaries of weather.

How you mow is also important. Make sure your mower blades are sharp. Giving the lawn a crew cut might be attractive, but it is very hard on the grass. According to the NWF, "Grass that is cut too short becomes more vulnerable to stress from heat and drought. Cutting the grass too short also allows too much light to get to the soil, enabling weeds - especially crabgrass - to prosper."

If you are in the market for a new mower, you might want to consider an alternative to those that require gasoline. Options include electric mowers and push mowers. If you are ready to learn more about the environmental issues related to mowing with traditional mowers, eye-opening statistics abound, including an EPA estimate that gas mowers account for 5% of all the air pollution in the U.S.

In 2010, GreenTown received an electric mower from Excel Industries in Hesston. This is a very cool machine that not only emits no fumes, but has a zero-turning radius, requires little maintenance, and will run for 80 minutes on one charge of the battery. 

As with anything, the key to a more satisfying experience with your lawn is to work with nature. Going to battle with pests using traditional chemicals and overwatering to make up for drought may offer you some short-term relief, but in the long run you can get into a vicious – and frustrating - cycle. Fortunately, there are lots of options for a healthy, attractive patch of green grass. 

For further reading, here are some recommended websites:

7 Chemical-Free Fixes for Common Lawn Problems

Natural Lawn Care

National Coalition for Pesticide-Free Lawns



Living Green Around the Globe: Crossways Farm Village

By Sarah Thyparambil

Image from http://www.panoramio.com/photo/44028962For many here in Greensburg farming is a way of life.  It is a livelihood passed from generation to generation.  It is a profession that every one of us depends upon for sustenance.  While over the past century the United States has largely moved from an agricultural nation to an industrial economy, there has been recent interest on returning to a focus on agriculture.  In the second article in our series Living Green Around the Globe, we take a look at an example of a new type of agriculture that is taking place an ocean away.  The community called Crossways Farm Village, located outside Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, is being developed as a sustainable farming community that will also provide the benefits of a city.  The community looks to combine the benefits of a healthy rural living with the conveniences of urban living.  Thanks to the new village’s high-tech infrastructure, it looks to eventually be completely off the grid and self-sufficient. 

The building of this new model of living is an attempt at a solution to rural, socio-economic problems.  There is legislation that is being enacted in South Africa that aims to protect the rights of farm owners and workers and to promote the establishment of agriculture-villages.  The community’s developer, Dr. Chris Mulder, feels that in order to improve a situation, you must change it entirely.  As Buckminster Fuller said, “You never change things by fighting the existing reality.  To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”  Crossways Farm Village strives to be this new model, employing the idea of “New Ruralism,” which is a term coined in the United States.  This New Ruralism seeks to blur the divide between urban and rural living.  Sibella Kraus, president of Sustainable Agriculture Education, defines it as, “the preservation and enhancement of urban edge rural areas as places that are indispensable to the economic, environmental, and cultural vitality of cities and metropolitan regions… [it] acknowledges farmland and nature to be as ‘important to the metropolis as the garden is the house.’” 

Image from http://www.hellohouse.com/southern-africa

Since this community is being built from the ground up, they have the opportunity to fully integrate green technologies.  By starting with a highly efficient grid structure, the entire town will be able to enjoy the benefits of efficient energy use.  The village’s energy will all come from photovoltaic (PV) energy produced on its own land.  Each individual house will be fitted with PV roof panels that provide enough energy for the house as well as excess, which each owner may sell back to the grid.

Crossways Farm Village will give people an opportunity to experience rural living and in the process combat poverty through the food security that an agricultural lifestyle offers.  The idea for the village came to Mulder after studying rural nodes in the Easter Cape and visiting the successful Crossways Dairy farm.  The community is being developed with community members’ goals in mind, including jobs, decent living, and a place for their children to have a future.  The village will incorporate a myriad of sustainable practices including rainwater harvesting, dairy and agriculture skills mentorship, and an onsite recycling center.  To read more about this community, you can check out this article from Earthworks Magazine.