Sustainability at Lathrop

by Barbara Walvoord

Lathrop residents and management are thinking a lot these days about being sustainable–in terms of occupancy, finances, services, buildings, and long-range plans. More broadly, Lathrop and the other Kendal affiliates all voted in 2009 to implement thirteen “sustainability initiatives” to help keep not only ourselves but our WORLD sustainable in the future.

1. Establish, monitor, and maintain a community-wide, multi-faceted system of recycling or disposal of items such as, but not limited to, paper goods, containers, plastics, batteries, electronic goods, and hazardous materials.
2. Establish a program to reduce office paper usage, and purchase of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC, an international non-profit, multi-stakeholder organization established to promote responsible management of the world’s forests) certified paper for all print materials.
3. Establish a program to install and maintain native landscape.
4. Provide building automation/energy management system for monitoring mechanical, electrical, and plumbing equipment for maximum efficiency.
5. Develop an energy conservation plan that is measurable.
6. Adopt a policy to purchase only EnergyStar appliances.
7. Offer environmental educational programs and ongoing reminders and updates to staff and residents about environmental issues and opportunities.
8. Establish a program for water conservation.
9. Provide a program for incorporating the least possible use of herbicides and pesticides into landscape management.
10. Provide a program for using green chemicals in all aspects of operations including housekeeping, laundry, and dining.
11. Establish a “food philosophy” which includes incorporating local food in the dining program.
12. Establish a program and practice of Green Building standards in any construction or renovation project including finishes and furnishing.
13. Establish a sustainability workgroup in the community including residents and staff that actively works to monitor and advance the sustainability efforts of the community; includes a sustainability “library” with references and website links.                (http://www.kendal.org/sustainability-initiatives/)

Nurturing Lathrop’s Land and Wildlife: Presentation to Lathrop Residents, Jan. 12, 2014, by Barbara Walvoord

Nourishing Lathrop’s Land and Wildlife: Presentation by Barbara Walvoord to Lathrop Residents, January 12, 2014.

Powerpoint slides can be found at https://www.dropbox.com/s/kfkuqsy6be8izl5/lathrop%20green%20res%20present%204.pptx?dl=0

Land Conservation Committee Walks with Consultant

Land Conservation Committee Walks with Consultant

Barbara Walvoord for the Land Conservation Subcommittee

Consultant Laurie Sanders walks Lathrop’s land with (from left) Jim Dowell, Diedrick Snoek, Sharon Grace, and Barbara Walvoord. Also walking on June 30 and July 1 at the Easthampton campus were Adele Dowell, Roger Gustavsson , and Chuck Gillies (photographer).

Monday and Tuesday, you may have seen an intrepid group of Land Conservation Committee members walking through our woods, fields, and wetlands, with our consultant Laurie Sanders. Yep, we were the ones with cameras, clip boards, hats, and long pants tucked into our socks.

Our mission: To work with Laurie on a long-range plan for managing our 177 acres of Lathrop East land, so as to nurture our wild life and native environment.

On Thursday, we’ll walk the Northampton campus. Then we’ll be ready to complete our plan for both campuses.

Laurie is a naturalist who has for years been working to assess conservation areas and plan their management in the Northampton area and elsewhere. She has a long resume of accomplishments. You may have heard her on NPR.

What Did We Learn?

What did we learn from Laurie so far?  Bottom line: we have beautiful and precious land with many native plants that support wildlife. We have some serious problems with invasives, but not as bad as some of the conservation land that Laurie has worked with in Northampton. We can make genuine progress. We can prevent our woods, wetlands, and fields from being totally overgrown with invasives that do not support our native wildlife, birds, and insects.