Recycling carts are lined up on the site of the Green & Main Pilot Project

SWAP works to reduce the amount of solid waste generated and landfilled in Iowa through target waste streams including process or supply waste, fiber projects, plastics project, organic waste and construction and demolition waste. The Green & Main Pilot Project is working with SWAP to effectively reduce its construction and demolition waste stream.

MWA’s Growing Green Communities works to transform the way we develop land, manage water and create connectivity within communities. They are dedicated to facilitating education and awareness of conservation design, watershed protection and residential environmental stewardship. Growing Green Communities believes the Green & Main Pilot Project allows businesses, individuals and governmental agencies to see a holistic approach to redevelopment in an existing neighborhood.

The pilot project, in conjunction with SWAP and MWA, will recycle or salvage for reuse at least 75% by weight of the waste generated on-site through proper site source separation. It is anticipated that most of the recycled or salvaged material will result from the deconstruction waste. Some portions of deconstruction waste are currently being reused on-site include plaster, wood framing and flooring.

Several factors affect the overall success of site source separation and construction waste management. These factors include education, signage, ongoing communication and evaluation and post-project assessment. All on-site workers for the pilot project have been trained in waste management. Clear signage will aid on-site workers in the handling and sorting of materials. To ensure ongoing communication and evaluation is met, a weekly site team meeting is being held to address areas for improvement. Lastly, post-project assessment will take place and be documented in a best practices manual.

– Sara Crouse is a writer and marketing strategist who lives in Des Moines, Iowa.

Green & Main Sustainable Renovation Workshop

As part of the ongoing Green & Main education efforts, a six-part series on sustainable renovation will begin Friday, February 4^th 2011. The first workshop will present a sustainable building overview while also providing tips on prioritizing a renovation project, assessing existing projects, selecting a contractor and staging for site preparation. The Center on Sustainable Communities (COSC) is providing the educational component for the series.

The series presents the opportunity to learn more about the renovation of the historic H & H Grocery Store in the Sherman Hill neighborhood of Des Moines. This renovation (the Green & Main Pilot Project) is remodeling a mixed-use masonry building – built in 1933 – according to USGBC LEED Platinum certification guidelines. The workshop series will focus on the sustainable aspects of the project such as storm water management, energy efficiency, renewable energy and post-occupancy education.

Friday’s class will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Mickle Neighborhood Resource Center located at 1620 Pleasant Street in Des Moines. The cost for the workshop is $20 for COSC members and $35 for non-members. Register online here or contact Carrie Boyle at 515-707-2787 or by email at Carrie@icosc.com.

Upcoming 2011 classes are scheduled for:

·         Friday, March 11^th

·         Friday, May 6^th

·         Friday, June 3^rd

·         Friday, September 9^th

·         Friday, October 7^th

To find other Green & Main education opportunities, please visit our Education & Events section.

– Sara Crouse is a writer and marketing strategist who lives in Des Moines, Iowa.

It was determined that the Green & Main website could be a rich source of information for a variety of disciplines including historic preservation, storm water management and post-occupancy education to name a few. The new website is designed to help various audiences find information on green renovation and tailor it to their specific needs and interests. A few key areas that illustrate the renovation progress can be found under ‘Renovation Plans & Updates.’ This section highlights photo galleries with construction photos documenting the step-by-step process of renovating 800 19^th Street. ‘Renovation Plans & Updates’ also includes a project blog with everything from tips on finding local foods to current news with Des Moines area sustainability groups.

The ‘Research & Findings’ section further breaks down the pilot project to the fine details of retrofitting historic mixed-use masonry buildings. A report from Iowa State’s Center on Building Energy Research (CBER) is present and compares the pilot project with other buildings across the country. Also, the ‘Research & Findings’ section includes information about the best practices manual that the Green & Main Team will produce and publish once construction has finished.

‘Our Community of Supporters’ features those involved in the Green & Main initiative. This section is impressive with its wide array of agencies, organizations and individuals contributing to the restoration of an historic building. Each supporter has his or her own reason for supporting the initiative, yet together they have provided a backbone for this project to reach fruition. Each supporter’s commitment to sustainability can be found in the ‘Our Community of Supporters’ section.

Lastly, to ensure the Green & Main website is providing the newest information and educational opportunities we have created two sections to aid visitors. These two sections are titled ‘Education & Events’ and ‘Media Center.’ Upcoming workshops and education opportunities can be found in the Education & Events section, including monthly workshops hosted by Green & Main. The ‘Media Center’ keeps our visitors updated by providing links to the Green & Main Twitter, Facebook and YouTube accounts. Also in the ‘Media Center’ is an archive of all news articles and press releases related to the initiative.

Want to stay updated on all things Green & Main but you often forget to check the website? E-mail info@indigo-dawn.com to sign up for our e-mail updates. Simply type ‘E-mail Updates’ in the subject line.

– Sara Crouse is a writer and marketing strategist who lives in Des Moines, Iowa.

Sustainable Thought Leader Suzet Nelson will be sharing her thoughts on sustainability with the Green & Main Community

One of the goals of the Green & Main Pilot Project is to increase discussion about how we can live more sustainably, not only in our business practices but also in our community. To highlight members of the Des Moines’ sustainability community, the Green & Main Team has asked sustainability experts from across various disciplines to share their thoughts. These experts will be sharing their thoughts through our blog and upcoming Green & Main Monthly E-Newsletter.

Our first sustainable thought leader is Suzet Nelson. Suzet is currently a teacher at Des Moines’s Alternative High School, Scavo.  At Scavo, Suzet has created classes such as ‘Neighborhood Revival’ to encourage teens to honor and renew the communities in which they live. Community art installations are a prime example of her students’ work to beautify these communities. Scavo students recently completed panels focusing on sustainability for the Green & Main Pilot Project. Be sure to check out the students’ work in our photo galleries section.

Suzet’s commitment to sustainable communities does not stop there. She is also a board member and current secretary for Urban Ambassadors, a Des Moines 501(c)3 non-profit focusing on sustainable living. Urban Ambassadors seeks to clarify sustainability goals through seven key areas:

• Money
• Service
• Food
• Waste
• Commute
• Home
• Energy

In regards to sustaining communities, Suzet hosts ‘Your Home in Iowa,’ a local TV show on KCWI that began as an effort to help local businesses succeed in the community by setting them apart from competitors. The show contains interviews with a wide range of local businesses featuring home, health and self-improvement. ‘Your Home in Iowa’ is currently in its third season and airs Sunday mornings at 10:00 a.m.

Suzet’s interest in sustainability began early while growing up on a farm within the Omaha Indian Nation in Nebraska. This experience nurtured her desire for preparing and eating fresh, local and simple food. The landscape informed her childhood and continues to do so in all her work today. Suzet hopes to educate and inspire others to live simply and generously. Suzet holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education from Briar Cliff University and a Family and Consumer Science Degree from Iowa State University.

– Sara Crouse is a writer and marketing strategist who lives in Des Moines, Iowa.

Local shopping depends on the existence of small businesses. Small businesses depend on consumers. The ability for local products to sell depends on consumer mentality. Do you take pride in buying locally? Many who take pride in buying locally often live in ‘urban’ areas where a multitude of stores are available for consumers. For those in Des Moines, the Urban 515 card is a great way to receive discounts while buying locally.

What about consumers who live in ‘rural’ areas? Perhaps the concept of ‘urban’ can be applied to ‘rural’ areas. Think about your small town. Does it have a square? A downtown? A main street? A thriving central location for small businesses?

Rural areas have taken a hit recently in small business growth. Thus the ability to buy local isn’t always the first option. How can we, as consumers, make buying locally our first thought?  Perhaps by making it possible to live, work and purchase all in one.

The Green & Main Pilot Project seeks to restore, create, and nurture sustainable communities that thrive within the neighborhood boundaries. The pilot project will hold space for a holistic women’s health center, special event space and a single family home. All of that will be within the Historic Sherman Hill Neighborhood boundaries.

Don’t live in Des Moines? See if your rural community is part of Main Street Iowa. Looking for local food to prepare your holiday dinner? Try the Iowa Food Cooperative’s producer listing. Looking for green deals this season? Try the Heart of Iowa Marketplace.

Shopping locally might mean taking a step outside your normal purchasing habits. Perhaps taking a walk down main street to see what your community neighbors have to offer. Somewhere along the way you just may find your community has the ability to be truly sustainable.

– Sara Crouse is a writer and marketing strategist who lives in Des Moines, Iowa.

SITES, a partnership of the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at The University of Texas at Austin, and the United States Botanic Garden, selected Green & Main based on its extensive environmentally friendly elements. These sustainable practices include: site water conservation, drinking water improvements and multiple erosion and sediment control methods.

The SITES Rating System includes 15 prerequisites and 51 different credits covering areas such as the initial site selection, water, soil, vegetation, materials, human health and well-being, construction and maintenance – adding up to a 250 point scale. The rating system recognizes levels of achievement by obtaining 40, 50, 60 or 80 percent of available points with one through four stars, respectively. SITES will receive feedback from the pilot projects until June 2012 to revise the final rating system and reference guide for release in 2013. The U.S. Green Building Council, a stakeholder in the Sustainable Sites Initiative, anticipates incorporating guidelines and performance benchmarks into future iterations of its LEED® Green Building Rating System.

– Sara Crouse is a writer and marketing strategist who lives in Des Moines, Iowa.

Water conservation mural by Open Arts students at Scavo Alternative High School

If you have a chance to drive by the Green & Main Pilot Project, you should! And not just to see the building at 800 19th Street. Take a look at the impressive art murals currently displayed at the site. These seven 3’ x 5’ panels were created by students from Open Arts at Scavo Alternative High School here in Des Moines.

The students of Scavo started researching the Sherman Hill neighborhood area about four years ago, interviewing people in the neighborhood and getting a sense of the area’s history. Part of the curriculum at Scavo is “Service Learning” or engaging with the community — studying and building a relationship with the community’s natural environment.

The Green & Main Pilot Project was the impetus for the art students to tell their story of sustainability. The murals on display at the site are like windows showing history as they explore different scenes that support the ideas of preservation and community.

It’s been refreshing to see the cars on 19th Street slowing down to look at our unique murals.

See more photos of these colorful murals in this photo gallery »

– Sara Crouse is a writer and marketing strategist who lives in Des Moines, Iowa.

Colorful shovels lined up, ready for shoveling

We wanted to do something symbolic at our September 23rd Pilot Project groundbreaking ceremony that everyone could participate in. So here’s what we came up with…

All guests can use one of the shiny green shovels (courtesy of COSC) to add some dirt to an urn. All of the dirt collected will be used in our rainscape garden, which will help the building properly manage its stormwater.

We’ll also have special grass seed note cards on which you can write comments of sustainability inspiration, your name or what this project means to you. The note cards will then be planted on site as a symbol for the community of support Green & Main Pilot Project has received as we work to establish sustainable communities.

We look forward to seeing you at the groundbreaking! Thursday, September 23 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 800 19th Street in Des Moines.

– Sara Crouse is a writer and marketing strategist who lives in Des Moines, Iowa.