Thumbprint Endeavors

Updates for Thumbprint Endeavors and Thumbprint Design Services, LLC (AKA, TE and TDS)

noreply@blogger.com (Thumbprint Endeavors) — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 02:52:00 +0000

I started this blog entry back in November and I’m just now caught up enough to actually finish it and get it posted. Whew! We all think Winter will give us a chance to catch up and rest up.

Not so, Watson.

What’s been happening?

Fall was a busy firewood season just as we harvested the last of the garden and all beds covered in leaves and put to bed for winter. There are sooooo many dead and dying Ash trees because of the Emerald Ash Borer. That shiny little insect came here from Asia in wooden shipping pallets and has proven to be incredibly invasive and, sadly, many huge beautiful trees are coming down one way or another. Unfortunately, no more Ash baseball bats, while firewood is extremely plentiful.

So far, (fingers crossed) it has been a pretty mild December and January and those woodworking projects I’d been stockpiling have pushed their way to the middle of my radar screen. One of my Christmas presents was a big box full of tools with rechargeable batteries. Yahoo, someone really knows what I like (and that keeps me out of his tools, somewhat). Needless to say, I had to try them and so far I made two tables basically using the finest scrap wood I found in our garage.

The beautiful tabletop was free scrap wood from a sustainably operated company in Wharton OH, Care Caskets. During a tour of their plant last fall, they said ‘if you see something you like, take it, its yours’. So I immediately knew that beautiful piece was going home with me and what use I'd have for it.

The other tabletop is reclaimed wood that in a former life was a window sash in a 100 year old house in West Dayton. Next up on my project list is to utilize the polished scrap slabs of granite from our kitchen. I’m thinking perhaps outdoor versions for garden tables and benches. So more fun things for me to design and more wood working skills to learn as I stay busy while wait for the Spring gardening season to begin.

Speaking of gardening, TDS is starting to get requests for consults and folks wanting plans for new landscaping projects. Yeah! All those garden catalogues that come in the mail daily are getting recycled and repurposed to help clients imagine the possibilities. It is going to be a terrific growing season this year!

Where we’ve been:

November 2015: As a Planning Committee member, I helped out with the 4^th annual Montgomery County Food Summit which focused on local foods and ending hunger in the Dayton area. Dayton is too high up on the list of communities that have huge numbers of citizens that are hungry or suffer from ‘food insufficiency’ as it is called. Not a statistic that Dayton’s proud of.

I continue to be involved with the Environmental Education Council of Ohio and serve as a Board member and Chair of the Communications Committee. That means I edit the quarterly EECO Newsletter.

As mentioned above, I attended the Ohio Association of Litter Prevention and Recycling Professionals meeting that toured the Care Caskets facility.

Mid November, I headed to GreenBuild 2015 in Washington DC. Great learning experience. Terrific variety of sessions – from deep in the weeds energy modeling techniques to, my favorites , Elizabeth Kolbert speaking about “The Sixth Extinction” that is occurring and “Food is everywhere”, including rooftops in NYC.

We’re still here -- just busy, busy, busy this summer!

noreply@blogger.com (Thumbprint Endeavors) — Thu, 06 Aug 2015 18:08:00 +0000

Hard to believe it is already August and two months since I had time to update the TE/TDS blog. Today is rainy (again) so its time for an update. (Next on my list is my LinkedIn page; it is even more overdue!).

Someone asked the other day what I’ve been up to lately so I started a list:

Even before my final project was turned in for my Landscape Design course (yea! 100% A+), I started my 8-week landscape design internship with Jeremy Swihart. Great person to do my internship with, very knowledgeable and willing to share what he knows. Of course, May and June are the Busiest months of the year so the pace was frantic.

At the same time I was backing out of Wright State University after 20 years, there were many details to attend to on campus but it was definitely Time. The Grounds Crew turned the Campus Garden into a wildflower bed and the Student Success Center was completed in April so just the LEED paperwork to compile so the architect can get it submitted. Last month I cleared my office, handed in keys and said some farewells but I’m doing so many other interesting things, well, isn’t retirement wonderful? YES!

I’ve also stepped up my involvement with one of my favorite organizations, the Environmental Education Council of Ohio (EECO). Another 20 year relationship that I now have more time to support as a member of the Board of Directors and the membership committee. I am also serving as Communications Committee Chair as well as Co-Editor for the quarterly newsletter. Great folks doing much needed work with the general public, teachers and students to increase awareness and understanding of environmental issues and impacts of climate change while fostering appreciation of the natural world.

There’s also exciting news on the Local Food front (and I should know, given that I’m on four food-related groups in the Dayton area). In a meeting of one of those groups, the Montgomery County Food Summit Advisory Board, it was mentioned that the long-awaited RTA Hub fresh produce market had startup funding from all three Montgomery County Commissioners. A couple of us, along with Cathy Startzman who works with Comm. Judy Dodge, started in on the logistics of how to bring the market into reality. We met, looked at the space, batted around ideas and I set to work on some preliminary design plans. More discussion, more meetings and Teri Schock started building the rolling cabinets to store and display the produce while other folks secured commitments from food growers to supply the market and from guest chefs to do demonstrations, share recipes and cooking techniques. The market will be open for business the end of August! Just in time to enjoy the abundant harvest of fresh, locally grown produce.

And last but certainly not least – landscape design projects!
In addition to a 20’ X 25’ raised bed garden built from scratch this spring, I designed and built a Shade Garden, complete with my first retaining wall. It is the perfect spot for Azaleas, Rhododendrons and Hostas – they're thriving and loving it.

The other major undertaking was a pond-less water feature (pond-less for canine and kid-safety reasons). Inspired by a water feature at Denver Botanic Garden, I set out to design one on a slightly smaller scale. Collecting and cleaning the rocks took many hours (yes, I collected a pick up truck bed full of rocks of varying sizes from several nearby locations – I certainly earned my official Rock Hound badge).

We should have posted a video of the process from the start with a small jackhammering project, much digging and moving of Dayton Ohio clay, installation of a solar-powered pump, piping and outflow box, building the mound (many Thanks to my Master Helper, John!).

Then came the process of hand placing hundreds of scrubbed rocks (you name the rock type, its there – granite, limestone, marble, schist, slate, sandstone and more) and finally planting various varieties of sedum and other hardy sun-loving plants on the back side.

Looks great, doesn’t it?

Relaxing soothing, peaceful sounds of trickling water falling gently over the stones.

And that's what we need it after a crazy busy summer like this!

Thumbprint Design Services is out of the gate and off to a quick start!

noreply@blogger.com (Thumbprint Endeavors) — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 13:07:00 +0000

Last month was Busy and busy is good.

Several projects and opportunities have appeared on the horizon and its all good.

Right now, I’m in the process of redesigning a driveway island,

adding garden space, shade and landscaping for a rear yard,

creating a small patio space and designing a cascading water feature

– and that’s just the beginning.

I’ve also been busy doing ‘take offs’ of designated areas on building plans for mulch, sod and locating and pricing plantings for a local landscaping and irrigation company.

So much to learn and do – isn’t that what this stage of retirement should be like? Retirement, what’s that?

We may be the new kid on the design block, which means we bring creativity and fresh ideas to your next project – We are only a call away at 937-477-8662 or send an email to:

thumbprintdesignservices@gmail.com

Sound the Trumpets . . . Announcing . . . Thumbprint Design Services!

noreply@blogger.com (Thumbprint Endeavors) — Mon, 04 May 2015 14:57:00 +0000

Put 2 + 2 together and you’ll get the newest branch of TE -- thumbprintdesignservices.com

Yes, believe it, (and knowing us, you will). We now offer Design Services!

Thumbprint Design Services is exactly that – a wide array of services offered to clients who need assistance with their upcoming projects, both inside and out.

Thumbprint Design Services is our most recent offering housed under the TE umbrella. Linda recently completed her Landscape Design studies at Clark State and will be working on projects with clients and firms in the area this summer. With years of gardening and her background in plant ecology, Linda is ready to step into a new Green endeavor with Landscape Design services, specifically and design services in general.

After completing several major remodeling and renovation projects, Linda discovered that she has a keen interest and a real knack for design. She’d enjoy helping with any number of projects that you might be thinking about -- just ask!

Maybe you have a house that’s going up for sale soon? We can help with that all important “Refresh’ inside and out. Often it is as simple as updating outdoor light fixtures and refreshing the landscaping, Curb appeal gets buyers in the door and a clean, fresh look inside generates interest and brings the offers.

We are also looking for more school garden projects, too! In the meantime, she is busy with teacher training and preparation for this season in the Ruskin School Garden. She will be helping teachers, staff, students and their families to learn about connections between healthy plants and healthy eating as they enjoy the newly created garden space this season.

Another News Flash! Just when you thought that was plenty of News – there’s more! Linda is marking off the days until her much-anticipated Retirement from WSU! After 20 years, it is time to move into a less stressful and more enjoyable day-to-day with designing, landscaping and gardening.

Watch for more news and photos in our Gallery as our Green and Growing efforts blossom and Thumbprint Endeavors continues to grow and branch out!

(937) 477-8662 to learn more.

We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Continuing to Branch Out over Familiar Ground

noreply@blogger.com (Thumbprint Endeavors) — Wed, 19 Nov 2014 17:13:00 +0000

At TE, expanding the areas of service we provide just naturally follows from our areas of expertise and interests. For years, Linda has been heavily involved with Food. In addition to the various school garden projects described here earlier, she’s been on the Planning Committee for the Montgomery County Food Summit that is now in its 4^th year.

Held on November 7^th, this all day event brought together food producers, consumers, gardener and local officials from government such as the health department. This year’s theme was “Connecting Producers to Consumers ~ From our farms...to our tables”. Two hundred attendees heard from twenty local presenters, representing all aspects of food production and distribution, on everything from CSA’s to Food Hub models to offering services like EBT and SNAP at Farmers’ Markets.

We were also treated to a very entertaining and insightful talk by Don Carmody with the Detroit Eastern Market. Comm. Judy Dodge’s office has spearheaded this event with the goal of increasing the Locally Grown Foods marketplace and growing that economy. I have been so fortunate to be involved with this up and coming group and this year I was tapped to be the photographer! Check out the great photos!

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/fxvzx8j6e52papa/AABJhYT5-D22ms5Y9RtZv3c3a?dl=0

The other area of growth is school and community gardens. Think of this TE service area as us working both inside and outside the school building to enhance the learning of everyone – students, teachers and administrators, parents and members of the community. Greening doesn’t stop at the door and sustainability isn’t just about energy efficiency. The integrated nature of gardening touches on everything from plant life cycles, why we need to compost food waste (and waste less food!), the living nature of soil, water use, biodiversity and the list just goes on and on.

Of course I already have a tremendous amount of knowledge about plants, food and gardening but one can always learn more. The day after the Food Summit, I attended a School Garden workshop presented by Five Rivers Metro Parks. What a great group of like-minded teacher participants. Much to learn, much to do, much to bring to our customers, too!

As winter commences, Linda continues to be connected to the Partners for the Environment’s Food Team, the Montgomery County Food Summit group and the Visioning Team for the future Miami Valley Food Hub. At TE, we just keep on growing – from improving and greening inside facilities to growing and greening outside the buildings too – imagine gardens growing organic food right on hospital or church grounds, business and college campuses and utilizing retail open spaces as garden sites instead of turf to be mowed and sprayed. Green has many shades and hues, and so many ways to Grow – Grow Green!

Not that we were stale or standing still . . . Now We’re Updated, Refocused and Refreshed!

noreply@blogger.com (Thumbprint Endeavors) — Mon, 13 Oct 2014 17:28:00 +0000

Your might say we’ve gone back to our roots, literally. Thumbprint Endeavors LLC is branching out while doubling back to capitalize on our strengths and interests in the environment and education. We’re by no means moving away from sustainability and Green Building consulting, its just that by addressing the needs of the educational arena, like effective classrooms and engaging school sites, we can do even more to promote healthy green environments. We are also moving into more projects related to design of outdoor settings like gardens and natural areas.

One recent example is a community service project with East End Community Center and Ruskin School in Dayton. This nearly 1000 sq. foot garden was made possible with donations and grant monies for plant materials and installation of a water pump.

Linda designed a Learning Garden site plan for this empty city lot, selecting appropriate hardy plant materials (over 115 in all – trees, bushes, perennials and bulbs) to give the site year-round interest in all directions. Extensive site prep, planting and laying out four raised beds for vegetables and wheelchair accessible walkways took several weeks.

To their credit, our group of hardy volunteers hung in there, encountering at least a million rocks of varying shapes and sizes and with days of rain and even more rain! Before and after pictures are already stunning and next year will be even better. Linda is really looking forward to working with the Ruskin teachers to help them learn about the garden and how to best utilize this space to educate K-8 students about growing plants and healthy foods.

She has also been working with a team to begin the process of converting the WSU Campus Community Garden and nearby areas into a large Pollinator Garden, hopefully complete one day with beehives. The goal is to plant particularly delectable perennials to attract bees, butterflies and other pollinators while providing a colorful natural oasis on campus.

Extending the Circle, Moving Forward

Given Linda’s environmental science expertise, love of plants and gardening and knowledge of construction, this expansion was anticipated by those who know her. Her extensive background and experience allows Linda to consult both inside buildings and out.

This year Linda has been happy to serve on the Advisory Committee for the 4th Annual Dayton Food Summit which will convene on Friday November 7th -- Be sure to register! In addition to Local Food-related projects and developing community gardening projects, she has been involved with creating nature trails, outdoor play areas, and “Safe Routes to School and Play” initiatives so parents, teachers, and children can be more active and healthier.

At Thumbprint Endeavors, we continue to find ways to reach out and extend all of our fingers to grasp Sustainability, particularly focusing on healthy communities, neighborhood development and schools.

Environmental and Educational Consulting

noreply@blogger.com (Thumbprint Endeavors) — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 14:06:00 +0000

Two Hats on One Head

We all wear many hats these days but in this case, it makes perfect sense. Thumbprint Endeavors, which started out as Educational Consulting firm in 1993, is returning to its roots -- Environmental and Educational Consulting. During my 30+ years in education, I have employed a wide range of active teaching and learning methodologies including field trips, hands-on activities, inquiry, project-based learning and recently, I've explored the innovative “flipped classroom” approach. Students have changed and so must the pedagogy we use in order to create the successful life-long learners for this rapidly changing world.

Not only have I acquired depth and breadth over time and in many locations, I also have gained extensive knowledge of educational facilities. For three years prior to graduate school, I worked for Dodge Reports in Cincinnati. Talk about an education! McGraw Hill made sure that all of their Construction News Reporters had extensive training prior to hitting the streets to compile information for the Dodge Reports. Then there was the continuing on-the-job training that took place as I talked everyday with architects, engineers, planners, and project managers on construction sites. Add that to acting as my own GC on a couple of new houses and several major renovation projects.

Then more recently serving as Project Liaison for the New Classroom Building at Wright State. Again working with architects and engineers through all phases of plan development, gathering information from campus users, meeting with instructional and technology consultants, right up to and including weekly construction progress meetings in the site trailer. More OTJ training and I love it. Of course, the icing on the cake for me is that the building will be LEED certified, what level is yet to be determine but we are hoping for Gold.

So, I think you'll agree that it is very appropriate that I wear both my Education hat and my Environmental hat to tap into my wealth of knowledge to benefit students and teachers, on all levels. My mission with consulting with clients in the areas of Education and Educational Environments is to utilize my expertise to create optimal learning facilities that are Green, healthy facilities coupled with Best Practices in teaching and learning.

Give me a call or send an me email so we can get started! Thanks.

Branching Out

noreply@blogger.com (Thumbprint Endeavors) — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 16:56:00 +0000

Sometimes taking a new direction is a really good thing. I recently attended my third Writer’s Workshop because I want to create an outlet for the many pieces of writing that I’ve produced over the years. I also did a presentation last Saturday at the 47^th annual Environmental Education Council of Ohio conference. These two things are related because while thinking about my topic of what motivates environmental educators and sustainability folks, I had to do some self-reflection as well. We often go through our busy day-to-day lives with little time or energy to pause and reflect on the question of why? And by the same token, what keeps us passionate about our work?

Of course, I’ve written several research articles over the years, (publish or perish in academia) and the last couple of articles in the Journal of Sustainability Education have been on a topic near and dear to my heart, getting children outside to explore and play in nature. The hope of course is in doing that, their parents will also learn to appreciate and value nature and help to preserve natural spaces. In researching 300+ responses from adults, the drastic contrast of how they spent their playtime as children is sadly different from the so-called play of today’s kids.

So, in addition to my consulting and sustainability work, I want to write. I want to write stories to encourage outdoor play. I want to write books, particularly fiction, with underlying sustainability and conservation themes woven in with characters that are healthy, emotionally and physically and truly connected and engaged in their real-world community, not merely in an electronic social media realm.

With this new adventure, I know I will need help and support as I learn the ropes. In the workshops I’ve attended, they emphasize that finding an agent and getting published is very, very difficult. I have to believe that where there is a will, there is a way. So, please, send names and contact information if you have anyone in the world of publishing. Many Thanks and Go Green! We ALL thank you.

No New News Now

noreply@blogger.com (Thumbprint Endeavors) — Sat, 25 Jan 2014 20:18:00 +0000

Not a whole lot of new News from Thumbprint Endeavors right now. It seems that Barret in Denver is having the best winter and that Paul in Madison and Linda in Dayton, well, we are getting the Arctic blasts and the mounding snows. Spring, come on, enough with Winter!

How the gibberish got into the last post and it is a mystery how to remove so I'm reposting the information that did not make it there.

Barret has also been very busy in Denver. It has been a year now that he started working as Development Executive with International Center for Appropriate and Sustainable Technology, better known as iCAST (www.icastusa.org). He is also working with the other side of the iCast enterprise, Resource Smart (www.resourcesmart.org). In this new position, Barret is pursuing the career that he is passionate about — helping and educating people about energy conservation and Greening the built-environment.

Paul is now an Architect Intern in Madison WI with ARO Eberle Architects. He and his wife relocated there over the summer from Toronto (following his 2012 graduation from University of Washington with his M.Arch). Among other projects, Paul’s primary responsibilities are assessment of science and lab facilities at the University of Milwaukee.

Linda attended GreenBuild 2013 in Philadelphia in November and once again, had a very enjoyable learning experience. Many great presentations, including one very memorable “grow healthy food where you live” talk by Ron Finley, the LA Green Guerilla. Another highlight this fall was organizing and participation for a very successful USGBC Green Apples, Green Schools Community Service Day. She’s been incredibly busy during the warm-weather months with the Campus Community Gardens and Gardening Outreach. Now the last of the vegetables have been harvested and the beds have been put to bed for the winter. In addition to teaching and her role as Associate Director of the Office of Sustainability responsibilities, she continues to learn more about design and construction in her role as Project Liaison for the New Classroom Building on WSU campus, which this winter is in the foundation stage.

We are all busy, mostly with our full time careers which means our team is more loosely affiliated than in the past but interestingly, we all continue to work in various shades of Green in the world of design and construction of the built environment. Whether it is in our day-to-day positions, we continue our efforts to help people and organizations to make their day-to-day operations more sustainable.

Take Care and Always Think, then Act in Sustainable Ways -- It’s in the best interest for all of us!

2013 Thumbprint Endeavors Wrap-up

noreply@blogger.com (Thumbprint Endeavors) — Fri, 29 Nov 2013 15:16:00 +0000

Has it really been since early 2013 since we’ve posted an update on the news from the Thumbprint Endeavors team? Wow, how time flies when you are busy, busy, busy!

Linda attended GreenBuild 2013 in Philadelphia earlier this month and once again, had a very enjoyable learning experience. Many great presentations, including one very memorable “grow healthy food where you live” talk by Ron Finley, the LA Green Guerilla. Another highlight this fall was organizing and participation for a very successful USGBC Green Apples, Green Schools Community Service Day. She’s been incredibly busy during the warm-weather months with the Campus Community Gardens and Gardening Outreach. Now the last of the vegetables have been harvested and the beds have been put to bed for the winter. In addition to teaching and Associate Director of the Office of Sustainability responsibilities, Linda continues to learn more about design and construction in her role as Project Liaison for the New Classroom Building on WSU campus, which is now in the foundation stage.

That’s the latest Thumbprint Endeavors LLC news on this nearly last day of November 2013. We are all busy, mostly with our full time careers which means our team is more loosely affiliated than in the past but interestingly, we all continue to work in various shades of Green in the world of design and construction of the built environment. Whether it is in our day-to-day positions, we continue our efforts to help people and organizations to make their day-to-day operations more sustainable.

Take Care and Always Think, then Act in Sustainable Ways -- It’s in the best interest for all of us!

Long Overdue Updates!

noreply@blogger.com (Thumbprint Endeavors) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 13:39:00 +0000

Has it really been since July that I took the time to put some news together about what the Thumbprint Endeavors team is doing lately? Wow, how time flies when you are busy, busy, busy.

Linda was incredibly busy last summer with the Campus Community Gardens and Gardening Outreach. Then with the start of Fall Semester, in addition to teaching and Associate Director of the Office of Sustainability, she has was elected to several new roles: Chair, University Building and Grounds Committee; Faculty Senate Representative for CEHS, and University Executive Committee; and Chair, Sustainability Committee, Southern Ohio Consortium for Higher Education (SOCHE). In addition, she was appointed to the newly created role as the Building Liaison for the New Classroom Building. So, much of her time has been devoted to organizing, conducting and reporting back from many, many meetings related to buildings on campus. Last November, Linda attended GreenBuild 2012 in San Francisco CA.

Barret has also been very busy in Denver. He is now Development Executive with International Center for Appropriate and Sustainable Technology, better known as iCAST (www.icastusa.org). He is also working with the other side of the enterprise, Resource Smart (www.resourcesmart.org). In this new position, Barret can pursue the career that he is passionate about — helping and educating people about energy conservation and Greening the built-environment.

Paul will be working soon as a Junior Architect Intern in Toronto. He and his wife relocated there last year after his graduation from Washington State University with his Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) degree.

So, that’s the news. Our team is more loosely affiliated than in the past but interestingly, we all continue to work in various shades of Green in the world of design and construction of the built environment, while we also strive to help people and organizations to make their day-to-day operations more sustainable.

That’s the latest with Thumbprint Endeavors LLC. Take Care and Think, Act Green. It is in the best interest for all of us!

Food for Thought on this Independence Day — July 4, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Thumbprint Endeavors) — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 00:39:00 +0000

The U. S. celebrates its Independence each year on July 4^th with picnics, fireworks, baseball games and all of the other great summertime fun that we enjoy. One thought occurs to me with tomorrow being the 4^th, in 2012 — what does American Independence mean? I can share what it means to me. I am a Very Patriotic person. Growing up with my dad, was a WWII veteran and policeman, I knew to stand at stone-still attention during the playing of the National Anthem. I’ve lived on military installations and seen the faces of new recruits and veteran servicemen. My children were military brats in their growing up years. So, when I/we hear the word independence what comes to mind are images of the destruction of war, the costs of protecting our country and our corporate interests around the Earth. Also thoughts of the costs in terms of human sacrifice as well.

For these reasons, when I think of Independence, I think of gaining our freedom from our present addiction to oil. The U.S. economy is based on petroleum, from the backbone to much of the flesh of our day-to-day lives is derived from oil and petroleum products. Everything we do is based somehow, linked somehow to oil. Think about it — agriculture, transportation, manufacturing, commerce, you name it — directly connected to oil. With that, let’s talk about true freedom and independence. A “what if” scenario . . . what if we put as much brain-power and human capital into conserving energy resources as say the Super Bowl? What if we said we’ll no longer put our troops in harm’s way to protect oil production on foreign soil? What if that amount of money and human energy were focused on finding smart ways to conserve, learn about, improve and implement renewable energy? What if we sought to preserve the water we drink, the air we breathe and our health overall by saying — No more drilling, no fracking, no oil rigs polluting our oceans, no tankers leaking oil — what if we harvested solar energy from the sun that shines everyday on the U.S.? What if we developed even more efficient innovative turbine technologies to capture wind and water energy from the flow of air and water? What if we used geothermal energy where solar or wind isn’t as practical? What if we don’t yet know what renewable energy possibilities are out there? All we Americans have to do is think of the inventions, technology and innovations that came from our ventures into space flight to get a glimpse of the possibilities. Have we lost our American will to find a better way?

Wouldn’t that be true independence for the U.S.? We’d not only free our military from protecting the oil supply (and the oil companies’ profiteering interests) but we would also gain our independence from paying oil and gas companies governmental subsidies (your taxes at work, not paid out to help people but hugely profitable megacorporations). We’d also be free from our dependence of oil and gasoline. No more watching the prices go up at the whim of, well, we aren’t exactly sure, but somehow the prices go up and people are held hostage at the pump, then when folks drive less, the prices magically go back down some. Have we become so compliant and complacent in America that we just accept what the large oil corporations dictate to us with slick advertising and lobbyists in D. C.?

Here we are a nation of innovators and entrepreneurs but we are allowing the Chinese to eat our renewable energy lunch. As two military strategists Marine Col. Mark Mykleby, and Navy Capt. Wayne Porter pointed out in 2011 (A National Strategic Narrative), do we want to put our national security in jeopardy or would it be prudent to think sustainably in terms of our energy policies?

The U.S. has the manufacturing capacity and workers, the innovative spirit and the know-how, what is keeping us from moving forward when it is in our best interest? Are the subsidies money better paid out to corporations in oil, timber and sugar industries? Do we really want to provide subsidies for clean-cutting, denuding our forests so logs can be shipped to Japan? For sweeteners and sugars that are causing a diabetes epidemic? Or oil and gas production and burning that fouls our air and water? Asking and answering tough questions like these and more are crucial to U.S. independence.

Weaning ourselves off of our dependence on fossil fuels and investing instead in energy to fuel the future seems to represent genuine U.S. Independence. We’d each have control over the amount and the type of energy we use. Perhaps a community comes together to develop its own small-scale renewable energy production where the people in the community would have a voice and local control over the energy they use. Somehow we have lost our Energy Will and it is time to claim it once again. The U.S. has always been a country of fiercely independent mavericks but have we been lulled to sleep by the drone of our many motors and ever-present TV screens? Can we be strong-willed once again? Can we stand strong and say “No” to growing energy dependence and “Yes!” to a smart energy grid, conservation and innovations. That we can wave the beautiful Red, White and Blue proudly, energy independently, and proudly say “We Are Free!”

Clarifications, Deconstruct Dayton and EcoRahabarama

noreply@blogger.com (Thumbprint Endeavors) — Wed, 09 May 2012 02:20:00 +0000

Clarification:

Our newest associate, Paul C. Ramey's degree is a M.Arch. (Master of Architecture). He was a Visiting Student at the Oslo School of Architecture and Design (AHO http://www.aho.no/en/). You can still contact him at info@thumbprintendeavors.com

Other exciting news:

The city of Dayton and surrounding communities have many uninhabitable houses that need to be removed. To answer this need, a local architect and friend, turned very green deconstructor, James Kent, created the Architectural Reuse Company http://architecturalreuse.com/ also known as Dayton Works Plus.

James Kent uses his workforce crews to dismantle, savage and resell the materials from these old houses. This is about as Green as building can get! Not only are the materials high quality, but they are often wood and brick that just are not available anymore. Dense hardwood from trees that decades ago were harvested from 100 year old trees. Talk about lowering the carbon foot print and true lifecycle cost analysis, implementing "cradle to cradle" thinking, wow!

The another key point here is that Dayton Works Plus is training and paying wages to underemployed or unemployed, often ex-offenders who need job and life skills to become part of the workforce. Through a training program partnership with Sinclair Community College and East End Community Services, Dayton Works Plus employees earn OSHA 30 certificates and asbestos and lead abatement certificates. This training, workplace skills and on the job training allows these workers to be hired by other contractors. Now, these workers are gainfully employed and paying taxes rather than being a drain on the system.

In addition, the number of abandoned/blighted houses is reduced so there is more green space in urban areas and the priceless old building materials are available for new purposes. It is truly a Win-Win- Win for society, our community and the planet.

Check out the outdoor table we built from $5 of wood from the Deconstruction Depot. The grain of this old wood is something a couple of wood-nuts can appreciate, rich and beautiful. Before we go to one of the big box stores, believe me, we will go looking there first. The selection is amazing and some of the materials there are much better quality than you will find new. Wrought iron, old wood doors, mantels, stairs, stone, bricks and lots of all sizes of wood, some sizes they can't even produce anymore (20"X12"X1" - one board!). I already have my next projects lined up - a pair of outdoor chairs, a gardening work bench and a deck storage box.

If you are in Dayton, be sure to check out examples of upcycled products at Jimmy;s Ladder #11 and at the Modern Reclaimer house at the Eco-Rehabarama May 10 -12 and 18-20, more info at 2012 EcoRehabarama Showcase in Huber Heights.

See you there!

News! Updated Website and New Associate at Thumbprint Endeavors LLC

noreply@blogger.com (Thumbprint Endeavors) — Thu, 03 May 2012 13:06:00 +0000

We've got New News -

As you can see we’ve redone our TE website! Cruise around, checkout what’s new, give us feedback. Russ Anderson with Bokeh Design has been a great help with keeping our website looking good.

Speaking of new — we have a new TE associate. Paul C. Ramey just graduated with his M.A. in Architecture from the University of Washington. From August 2010 to July 2011, Paul studied architecture in Norway as part of a student exchange program between the university in Oslo and UW. Before heading to Seattle in 2008, Paul interned for two years as a researcher on Henry Chao’s team that focused on science educational and laboratory facilities at NBBJ in Columbus OH.

Contact Paul at: Info@ThumbprintEndeavors.com.

Barret, who is now a LEED AP BD+C, volunteered and attended several informative sessions at the USGBC Colorado Rocky Mountain Green 2012 conference in April.

Once again this year, he thoroughly enjoyed working the dedicated people associated with the conference and came away with some great ideas and new knowledge.

Exactly the reasons we all attend conferences —to learn and to network with others in Green Building!

More to come soon and updates on what Linda's been doing . . . like launching Ecothumbprint blog.

Just In . . . Now there are Two LEED Associates with TE!

noreply@blogger.com (Thumbprint Endeavors) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:38:00 +0000

Newsflash! Yes, it is true. Linda is now officially a LEED Green Associate.

EcoBuild 2011 and Happy Holidays!

noreply@blogger.com (Thumbprint Endeavors) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:22:00 +0000

Once again early December brought me to Washington DC for the EcoBuild Conference. This year I teamed up with Nadja Turek, PE and LEED AP, to present what might have been the session with the longest title (Leveraging Geospatial Information for Sustainable Solutions at the Ecosystem, Campus and Community Scales). We also covered a lot of ground from very big picture to the very detailed stressing the importance of gathering quantitative data and qualitative testimonials in order to influence people’s decisions and actions to live sustainably and responsibly. Our closing slide was:

Live like it matters. Live like what you do has an impact – it does matter to all of the other living organisms on this planet, Earth.

There were many good discussions and presentations but one in particular has had me thinking about “what’s possible”. It was about the Net Zero Energy building at NREL. Take a look —http://www.bdcnetwork.com/2011-zero-and-net-zero-energy-buildings-homes. Very Interesting!

With that, Best Wishes to You and Yours for a Happy Holiday Season and let us make 2012 a Prosperous, Green, Sustainable Year!

~ The Thumbprint Endeavors Team

GreenBuild 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Thumbprint Endeavors) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 15:03:00 +0000

GreenBuild 2011!

At Thumbprint Endeavors LLC, we continue to learn about and educate others about the economics in efficient green buildings and sustainability. We also develop plans for building occupants to incorporate Green Living Strategies into their daily lives. I’ve just returned (no thanks to the debacle at Toronto Airport) from 2011 GreenBuild Conference. Attendance was up, exhibits and presentations were top notch and the conference was very well organized. I especially enjoyed the sessions on building sustainable communities and Kudos to the Green Schools group for a relaxing and informative space, well done.

Thomas Friedman’s remarks, in his keynote speech, were to the point and well worth a listen if you could not heard him in the arena or if you just want to know how 1979 was such an incredible turning point in U.S. history and how those decisions and others are still impacting us today.

While waiting for hours at the airport, I had many conversations but the one summed up much of the overall take away that captured the mood of the conference. While the Green Building community is trying to keep our footing, it is easy to become discouraged as we look at all of the economic indicators. Instead Ian McKee with EcoArenas commented that we should not get down or give in, rather we need to envision what is possible. Our focus needs to be the best outcome for the future of the planet and her inhabitants. While much has been accomplished, there is still so much to be done building-wise and people-wise. So, for me and for Thumbprint Endeavors, it is this continuing collective wave of sustainability and Green Building, gathering strength and washing over the Earth as we engage and build community. Seriously, what other alternative do we have if we believe in a future for our children, our country, our planet?

I am really looking to attending the AASHE (Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education conference in Pittsburgh PA next week. Here’s hoping traveling will be smoother and that the conference will be informative and a good networking opportunity.

Summer 2011 is So Busy!

noreply@blogger.com (Thumbprint Endeavors) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 00:22:00 +0000

Summer 2011 is so busy for us at Thumbprint Endeavors!

Linda attended the regional USGBC conference, Greening The Heartland in Cincinnati in mid-June. The Cincinnati Zoo, Cincinnati Public Schools and more organizations presented about their Green Building efforts. The City of Cincinnati and the University of Cincinnati outlined their programs to implement sustainability programs. What a great opportunity to hear some informative sessions and to meet great folks who are all about Green and Sustainability in the Cincinnati area!

Barret has continued working with Rebuild Together Metro Denver as a Skills Captain, which means mentoring and helping supervise and coordinate volunteer green building efforts. The Denver USGBC Emerging Professionals group, that Barret is an active member of, supports Habitat for Humanity and projects like The Grow Haus. Thumbprint Endeavors LLC does too!

In July, Linda attended the International ESRI conference in San Diego. This conference brings over 15,000 people from all over the world and all kinds of businesses and conservation organizations to display the most recent GIS data that has been collected and the latest innovations out there. The Map Gallery is just incredible so be sure to look at that online. It was a terrific learning opportunity and a chance to talk with so many of us who are using GIS tools to make informed, intelligent decisions about our built and natural environment.

These were all great networking opportunity for us at Thumbprint Endeavors!

A very busy Summer for Thumbprint Endeavors!

noreply@blogger.com (Thumbprint Endeavors) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 15:01:00 +0000

Here's what's going on with TE . . .

Barret has working with Rebuild Together Metro Denver as a Skills Captain, which means mentoring and helping supervise and coordinate volunteer green building efforts. The Denver USGBC Emerging Professionals group that Barret is an active member of supports Habitat for Humanity and projects like The Grow Haus. Thumbprint Endeavors LLC does too!

This week is the Greening The Heartland in Cincinnati and Linda will be attending this regional USGBC conference. This is a great opportunity to learn what is being done, what is possible and who is doing the Green in our communities, schools, healthcare facilities and in our built environment. Just look for the Thumbprint Endeavors logo on our shirts and let's talk.

Speaking of GTH, One presentation that I want to hear is about the Architectural Reuse Company. James Kent II, a partner in the group, said that this Dayton company was recently recognized as a national leader in Deconstruction and Reclaiming materials from buildings that are slated for demolition. Deconstruction of these sometimes decade-old structures, creates jobs and the recycled building materials are then resold by St. Vincent de Paul Deconstruction Depot. That is a great illustration of a smart, common sense Green (un)building projects! Paving the way economically and legislatively for reuse of existing materials makes complete “cradle to cradle” sense.

Here’s another example of what Thumbprint Endeavors can do to save energy and cut costs. On a recent trip to Norway, Germany and Poland, of course, we were taking in everything Green and sustainable — like energy conservation measures and thinking how to help companies and organizations be more sustainable.

Seeing how other countries and cultures regard the environment and how they regard resources in their daily living is eye-opening. What you see certainly makes you more aware of what is feasible and what is possible. Smart room keys that serve as the master switch for the lighting and hvac in the room. Key in, energy in the room is on, occupant takes key out, leaves the room, energy shuts down. Many hotel chains are working toward being more green but some solutions seem obvious— perhaps fewer big screen tv’s could pay for this smarter technology? Even this one simple example raises the question – why are we not incorporating more of and these common sense cost-saving innovations in the U.S.? Contact us by phone or email so TE can assist with a workspace audit then work with your organization or hotel to implement the needed energy-saving measures and train your staff to enact sustainable behaviors.

In July, Barret will be continuing his work with Rebuilding Together Metro Denver and Linda will be attending the International ESRI conference in San Diego. What a great way to learn even more about how GIS and informed, intelligent data can give us a visual decision-making tool. More great service and networking opportunities for us at Thumbprint Endeavors!

Earth Day must be Every Day

noreply@blogger.com (Thumbprint Endeavors) — Mon, 02 May 2011 12:19:00 +0000

This idea can’t be stated too strongly. All one has to do is see some of the videos like the ones I showed for Earth Day events to see that we absolutely need to get serious about taking more responsibility for conserving the Earth and its resources. All we need to do is take a look at Tapped or Trashed, Gasland (PBS on the topic) or Greening the Federal Government to see the challenges and some solutions for the water, resource and energy issues that face us now. We just cannot leave this for some future time to start reducing our consumption and wastefulness.

This is not a radical idea. Just look back a couple of generations and you will see that until the end of WWII, Americans had a very conservative ethic that served us well. We were certainly not perfect, but we understood how to support local communities and reuse until something was worn out. Then consumerism, fashion, planned obsolescence and shopping took over as advertising overtook our clearer-thinking minds. Take a look at the story of stuff to get a good look and rethink where we are and where we are going vs. what we need to be about.

There are some very bright spots on the horizon like corporate leaders who are truly embracing sustainability and Green. Ray Anderson with Interface carpet is one of those businessmen. Marketing strategies tell us that peer pressure is the key here be that “they’re recycling, so it must be ok” or “he’s not going to be more Green than I am” and so on. We just need to be sure we are getting the word out there and equally important, influence others to join us in Greening our buildings and workplace, including our behaviors. That’s where Thumbprint Endeavors can help!

Speaking of Thumbprint Endeavors —where we have been and what we have been about . . .

For Barret, last week focused on the CO USGBC Rocky Mountain Green 2011 April 20-21 at the Marriott Denver Tech Center. On Wednesday, he participated in the Indoor Air Quality track and on Thursday, he was the Innovations Track Manager. This conference and the many Denver Metro USGBC group’s events are informative and help Barret to stay current on Green Building practices and products as well as providing great networking opportunities.

The last couple of weeks have been very busy for Linda. She presented a session on LEED at the TMA Users Conference in mid-April in Tulsa OK, with good reviews and follow-up discussions. She was also been busy planning and delivering Earth Day 2011 events. April 21st was the Symposium on Sustainability in Health Care hosted by Wright State University and Heapy Engineering. This was a great opportunity to hear speakers, like Gail Vittori, Co-Director, Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems, James Moler, PE with Turner Construction and Erik Andersen, AIA with HOK, Inc., share their experiences and ideas on green building in Healthcare. This was follow-on event to Robin Guenther's talk in October 2010.

Be sure to say Hello and talk awhile when you see Barret in Denver or Linda at the Dayton Green Drinks. Green Drinks is now an international happening with events in just about every city. These are great casual networking events for those of us in Green-related organizations and the informal presentations where Green Ideas are informative and springboards for great discussions. Check it out, stop by and say Hi!

Perhaps it is Earth Day Approaching in April

noreply@blogger.com (Thumbprint Endeavors) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 14:22:00 +0000

Perhaps it is Spring arriving in a few days after a long winter but our ringing phones and full email inboxes are as welcome as daffodils at Thumbprint Endeavors!

Upcoming Places You’ll See Us!

Barret has become a regular at the First Monday events hosted by the Denver Metro USGBC at the downtown REI store. These presentations are informative and help him stay current on Green Building. They are great networking opportunities. He will also be attending and helping out with the CO USGBC Rocky Mountain Green 2011 April 20-21 at the Marriott Denver Tech Center.

Linda will be very busy for the next few weeks with planning for Earth Day 2011 events and the Symposium on Sustainability in Health Care April 21st hosted by Wright State University, SOCHE and Heapy Engineering. She will also be presenting on LEED at the TMA Users Conference in mid-April in Tulsa OK. And on April 16th, Linda will be presenting on the Ohio Leave No Child Inside Collaboratives at the Environmental Education Council of Ohio (EECO) conference at Maumee Bay State Park on the shores of Lake Erie.

Some Food for Green Thought as Another Spring Arrives

As we hear the devastating natural disasters and the violent weather in the news and we look at the economic and political landscape surrounding us, perhaps it is time to reflect on where we are now.

There is much truth in the expression, “Think Globally, Act Locally”. Whether we are discussing food or building materials, the overall costs of transportation really point to the need to realize the global impacts of our purchases and the need to support our local economy and creating the kinds of sustainable communities that make us all feel we are a part of something worthwhile, that sense of belonging that makes us human. Well-known, rational, smart authors like Bill McKibben, Paul Hawken and Thomas Friedman have spent their literary careers explaining why it is time to really put our shoulder into it and make the needed changes happen.

Recently, another voice brought the message on another level, literally because she lends a female voice and perspective to the discussion, Helena Norberg-Hodge. She and her collaborators have produced two powerful works, “Happiness of Economics” and “Ancient Futures”.

“You are what you eat”, another expression that has been around for a while. Think about it – which would you rather picture yourself as a mass-produced super-sized pattie-melt consumer or a locally-produced healthy, fresh and you-know-where-it-came-from-and-how-it –was-grown consumer? If you haven’t already done so, check out “King Corn” and “Fresh”. They are eye-opening. City Bountiful shares a wealth of information about the ebb and flow of community gardening as well as the more tenacious and stable food production projects in urban environments.

We hope that everyone has can share the joy of gardening and consuming fresh produce from farmer’s markets this summer while supporting local communities.

It is critical that we begin thinking about these things and Acting on them — given that it is all about Green and Sustainable Life Choices!

The Most Recent News and Events with the Thumbprint Endeavors Team

noreply@blogger.com (Thumbprint Endeavors) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 15:56:00 +0000

The Most Recent News and Events with the Thumbprint Endeavors Team . . .

By way of an update, both Barret and Linda participated in the ASES National Solar Tour (http://www.ases.org/ ) the first weekend in October 2010. Of course, he was in Denver CO and she was hosting the event at Wright State University to showcase the Solar Thermal Array on that partial heats the water in the Student Union Pool. In both Dayton OH and Denver, the events were well attended and the goal of informing the public about renewable energy sources continues.

Linda attended and presented at two conferences in the October − the Research Symposium at the annual conference of the North American Association for Environmental Education (Buffalo NY) and the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (http://www.aashe.org/). Her AASHE session detailing her Spring 2010 community service learning class that involved WSU students in community gardening projects and helped 6th graders in an urban school to learn about tree species and GIS was very well attended and great discussion followed her presentation − always a good sign.

In December 2010, Linda attended the 2010 EcoBuild Conference in D. C. She commented, “I always feel that I benefit from the various presentations and discussions related to sustainability and green building. This year I primarily attended sessions on sustainable community planning and one very informative session about the USGBC Green Schools initiative. The follow up discussions and side conversations were very interesting.”

The Leadership Team Retreat for the Ohio Leave No Child Inside Collaboratives met December 3rd and 4th at The Wilds. Linda is proud to be a part of this small but very dedicated group of individuals from around the state of Ohio who volunteer their expertise, time and energy to spearhead initiatives for the Ohio Leave No Child Inside and in their regions. Ohio LNCI has made tremendous strides forward including dozens of governmental Proclamations pledging to combat sedentary lifestyles by promoting “unplugged” healthier outdoor active play for children. The American Academy of Pediatrics and USGBC’s LEED-Neighborhood Development (which includes elements like parks/green space/play areas within walking distances in safe communities) and the Green Schools Initiatives are working closely with national parent group of LNCI, the Children and Nature Network (http://www.childrenandnature.org).

In her role as Assoc. Dir. Sustainability at Wright State University, Linda has been very active recently in the Campus Master Plan process that is looking forward 50 years to anticipate and envision future needs and land use for campus. Preservation of the WSU Woods and planning smart, sustainable development or reallocation of existing space is of course of great interest to Linda. October 23, 2010, the Office of Sustainability also hosted a reception and very informative presentation by Robin Guenther, FAIA, “Sustainable Health Care Architecture: How health care is responding to ideas about building and health, both nationally and globally”.

One place you will also find Barret is the Denver area USGBC Emerging Green Builders meetings. Be sure to look for us “out there”, like monthly Green Drinks events in Dayton or Denver or contact us − Barret (720-320-2184) or Linda (937-477-8662) ¬− for help with Greening Your Organization.

From the Greening Building to Creation and Implementation of a Green Building User’s Plan – we are here for you!

The Latest News!

noreply@blogger.com (Thumbprint Endeavors) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 12:06:00 +0000

So Many Things Happening at Thumbprint Endeavors . . . And Many More To Come!

Barret has a new phone number: 720-320-2184. As we said last time, we now offer even more services since he is a Solar Sales Consultant with Conundrum Energy. See his comments in the previous blog entry for the details.

We both are busy getting ready for the National Solar Tour Event on October 2nd and 3rd. Check it out American Solar Energy Society (ASES) http://www.ases.org/ for information. Barret will be in Denver and Linda will be hosting a tour of the Solar Thermal array at Wright State. To locate sites to visit in your area or better yet to volunteer with the National Solar Tour check out http://nationalsolartour.org/!

Barret was also invited to participated in a charette conducted by the University of Colorado, Denver on August 10 and 11, 2010, to brainstorm feasible ideas for a low income housing development in the Denver area -- the S. Lincoln Redevelopment Project Energy.

Linda has taken on a new role. She is now Associate Director, Office of Sustainability at Wright State University. Her new role will allow her to do even more in terms of “greening”, renewable energy and public awareness of why we need to think and act sustainably.

The Ohio No Child Left Inside Collaboratives (http://www.ohiolnci.org/) continues to move ahead and gain momentum. Gov. Strickland will sign the Ohio Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights (OCOBR), that Linda was the lead author for, into the record with a Proclamation later this month. A Call to Action Rally is scheduled on September 24th in Columbus to share the signing and to also highlight other cities and municipalities that are proclaiming the importance of children playing outdoors.

Linda is also attending an Alternative Fuels Workshop at the Mound Energy complex (Dayton OH) on September 16th, 2010. She will be presenting the findings of her recent study at the Research Symposium at the annual conference of the North American Association for Environmental Education (Buffalo NY). In October she will be presenting about her community service learning class last spring that involved students in community gardening projects and helping 6th grader in an urban school to learn about tree species and GIS at the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (http://www.aashe.org/).

Look for us “out there” and contact either of us Barret (720-320-2184) or Linda (937-477-8662) for help with Greening Your Organization -- from the Greening Building to Creation and Implementation of a Green Building User’s Plan – we are here for you!

Many Things Happening at Thumbprint Endeavors These Days!

noreply@blogger.com (Thumbprint Endeavors) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 19:51:00 +0000

Many Things are Happening at Thumbprint Endeavors Lately.

We can now offer even more services. Barret has recently become a sales consultant with Conundrum Energy. His contact information is listed below and has not changed, just more ways to reach him for assistance. Here are the details:

I have started a new venture as a Renewable Energy Systems Sales Consultant with Conundrum Energy. In addition to renewable energy sales (PV, Solar Thermal and other applications), we also have the capabilities of integrated smart home systems with lighting controls, security and home entertainment. All on a touch screen control panel. Please contact me for further information renewable energy or smart home integration systems.
Barret Ramey LEED AP || Renewable Energy Systems Consultant
Corporate HQ || 2860 Blake St. || Suite 5 || Denver, CO 80205
 email: BRamey@conundrumenergy.com
 mobile: 937.572.8665

• Earlier this month, Barret completed eight hours of training in the Thames Photovoltaic Basics Seminar. This training covered layout and design, optimal orientation and applications, problem-solving and troubleshooting for installation of PV Systems.
• He also participated in the Colorado USGBC Green Build Conference in April and continues to attend professional meetings of the CO USGBC Emerging Green Builders chapter.
• Barret has attained his BD & C (Building, Design & Construction Designation) for his LEED AP.

Linda has also been very busy!

- Linda lead author for the Ohio Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights for the No Child Left Inside Collaboratives of Ohio. She also serves as the representative to the state NCLI leadership group from the Miami Valley NCLI.
- She recently attended the Green Energy Ohio meeting at the Dull Renewable Energy Center. Ralph Dull has received many awards lately for being an innovator on the renewable energy front lines.
- Linda is headed to the Environmental Sciences Research Institute (ESRI GIS) Conference in San Diego in July.

She also has a new publication in the Journal of Sustainability Education related to environmental education. Here is the link:
Article taken from Journal of Sustainability Education - http://www.journalofsustainabilityeducation.org/wordpress
URL to article: http://www.journalofsustainabilityeducation.org/wordpress/content/rekindling-memories-of-yesterday%e2%80%99s-children-making-the-case-for-nature-based-unstructured-play-for-today%e2%80%99s-children_2010_05/

Where Have We Been? What Have We Been Doing?

noreply@blogger.com (Thumbprint Endeavors) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 14:49:00 +0000

What We Have Been Doing . . .

Barret has been networking and becoming an active member with the Denver Chapter USGBC Emerging Green Builders. He will be attending and volunteering at their upcoming conference April 21 and 22, 2010 at the Convention Center in Denver CO.

He also spent several days recently volunteering in Taos NM with the Earthships Project. This is a green building project that seeks to incorporate as many sustainable features as possible into residential construction with some very unique architectural outcomes.

Barret also participated in a Charette for Rocky Mountain National Park. This group was organized by Colorado State University to come up with various projects to move the Park forward in terms of sustainability.

The first week of December, Linda attended the Ecobuild conference in Washington D.C. She has also been attending the Southwest Ohio Chapter meetings of Green Energy Ohio (GEO) and Green Drinks with the Dayton Regional Green 3 (DRG3) group.

Last month, she participated in the Miami Valley Solar Energy Forum and last week she attended the National Facility Management and Technology annual conference in Baltimore MD.

Be sure to check out Linda’s recent commentary (Consilienceblog.org) on the Institute of Green Professionals site.

Linda’s work with the Miami Valley No Child Left Inside initiative continues to move forward and she will be participating in the April 9th statewide meeting of the Leave No Child Inside group.