Greening our Digs in 2010

- Falls Center
We’ve been thinking about the home shop and how it could be greened even more in 2010. Our digs are an updated grocery warehouse from the turn of the century and inherently green being a preservation project, but there’s always room for improvement right? And being home to the GreenDigs blog… well you get the connection. This will in fact be the first GreenDigs series, two here of six total. Stay tuned.
A GREENER SITE
1. Plan and implement a green site and building exterior management program.
a. Address pest management, de-icing, building exterior maintenance (painting and sealants, etc).
2. Provide a bike rack (novel idea) and a publicly accessible shower/changing room to promote alternative transportation and fitness.
3. Plant native grasses in the tree planters (currently filled with landscape bark).
4. Assess site lighting, create a plan to replace fixtures causing light pollution (bright uplights and light tresspass).
WATER USE
1. Install a demonstration rain barrel on the back deck for watering our deck plants.
2. Install low-flow (or no flow?) fixtures in our offices 2nd floor restrooms.
3. Conduct a whole building water audit to create a baseline for water usage.
Our site is downtown and consists of building, concrete, and asphalt thus no need to irrigate.

Now that we’re only a week away from Christmas we’re well into ‘Holiday Party’ season. How green have you been? Check out these tips I found at the City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability website (




been the muscle behind an aggressive and successful rural revitalization movement in Howard and surrounding Minor County within the past decade. The new building will have an array of green features along with cutting edge sustainable technologies, and it will truly become an example for other rural communities in the future.