This post had crossed my mind to write but I dismissed it as a bit “preachy” until I read Alan Harris’ recent piece about re-tweeting the Laura Huffman lectures at Rice University. I am not yet tweet-savvy so my interest was in Ms. Huffman’s topic and not on the efficacy of tweetups as a viable means of amplifying the dissemination of relevant and topical information (there is probably a master’s thesis in there somewhere). At the core of Ms. Huffman’s... MORE >
…and California and Canada and Brazil and France and England and in… March 31st 8:30 PM (your time zone) EARTH HOUR If you have not heard about Earth Hour don’t feel bad. It turns 5 this year and how many 5 year olds do you know? Of course, last year Earth Hour did reach 1.8 billion people in 135 countries and every continent so maybe it is time to get on board. What is Earth Hour? Earth Hour is a... MORE >
Fashion, Songs, Movies and Rainwater Harvesting: Great Ideas Recycled For readers in their 50′s you may have noticed many of today’s latest fashions were popular in the 1970′s. Some songs are now on their 3rd or 4th rendition dating back to the 1960′s. Even many popular movies are on their 2nd or 3rd version (Batman, Oceans Eleven, Sherlock Holmes, etc). Landscape Architects may remember from their school days, cisterns have been in use for thousands of years. In July 2011,... MORE >
If you’ve ever told your children “You’d better finish that; there are starving kids in China/Africa!” then you’ve probably also received the classic, petulant response, “So? It’s not like we’re going to mail them my leftovers.” If this dinnertime debate leaves you speechless and (internally) cursing the unfailing logic of your children, don’t worry- the UN has your back. March 22 is International World Water Day, an annual celebration instituted by the United Nations General Assembly as a means of focusing... MORE >
We generally judge a successful irrigation system by whether or not it delivers water where we want it, when we want it. Judging the system by its operational success is all well and good but as a contractor we also hope for an efficient installation that is well coordinated with concurrent work scope, follows safe work practices, and is completed within budget. In the many years I have been involved with irrigation and landscaping work I have identified the following... MORE >
Did you read Martha’s post about Tweetups? Did you think she was a little crazy? Did you say to yourself, Yeah, right! Who would actually do something like a Tweetup? Ummm….ME! In the fall of 2011 I had the honor of listening to Laura Huffman, Executive Director of The Nature Conservancy of Texas speak at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University. The topic of her conversation was “Water Is Not An Option: Texas’ Broken... MORE >
Every kid in the universe knows what’s it’s like to want to grow up and change the world. That innate desire to make a difference starts in us the moment we begin to figure out ambition, and sustainability puts that power into our hands. That’s the message I hope attendees walked away with this morning after my talk at the National Facilities Management and Technology Conference in Baltimore. The power is in our hands, but the sustainability equation is a... MORE >
This week, March 12th thru 18th marks the EPA’s 4th annual Fix a Leak Week and as landscape irrigation professionals there are many things we can do to educate our customers to increase their awareness of the importance of fixing leaks. According to EPA Administrator, Lisa P. Jackson, “Across the country, household leaks add up to more than 1 trillion gallons of water annually. The amount we’re losing could supply Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami for a full year. We’re... MORE >
Did you know that an American home can waste, on average, more than 10,000 gallons of water every year due to running toilets, dripping faucets, and other household leaks? That adds up to more than 1 trillion gallons a year, nationwide. Stopping obnoxious leaks is no small deal when it adds up to that kind of water savings! To remind Americans to check their plumbing fixtures and irrigation systems each year, WaterSense started Fix a Leak Week. This year it... MORE >
Knowing my passion for water, one of my fellow workers sent me a great handbook on rainwater harvesting he came across while researching the topic for a client. I suggested he share some of his research in the form of a guest blog for ValleyCrestTakesOn. He did such a phenonmenal job I think he should be a regular contributor. If you like this post and want to read more from Mark, please leave a comment below. My Mom always said... MORE >
What is vertical gardening? The best way to maximize outdoor spaces and create drama in your garden. In the book Garden Up! (An Amazon Best Books of 2011 selection) you’ll see many examples, such as growing edibles up a wall or learning which edibles double as ornamentals. Have a landscape eyesore? You’ll find lots of solutions in Garden Up! You’ll get ideas on how to create focal points with arbors. You will see ideas for repurposing materials such as file... MORE >
