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Sustainability -- Information for Communities
Environmental changes
have to happen at every level in order to make a real impact and that
includes our communities. Community members are more likely to get involved
and make environmentally-friendly changes when they get the support and
encouragement of the larger community that reinforce the importance of
sustainability.
We'll use this space to provide suggestions on ways to inspire your community to be more ecologically-minded and as your community
management partner, provide the support you need to ensure the success of
those actions. Contact us to learn more about ways
in which you and your community can make a difference.
Organize a
recycling drive. Metro provides
an
excellent information guide that tells where and how to get rid of all
those items that can't be recycled curbside. And through their
Master Recycler Program, there
are Plastic
Roundup Days and Hazardous Household Waste Roundups to help people
safely dispose of items so they don't end up in the landfill. Why not
hold a community recycling drive sponsored by the community? Volunteers can
help gather what everyone brings and ensure it stays sorted, along with
coordinating drop-offs to recycling locations. It could even be turned into
a fun activity to encourage a sense of community amongst members by making a
contest out of who brings the most, the most unusual, etc. and awarding
prizes to the winners.
Native is best.
One of the most important aspects of a community's appearance is its
landscaping, and keeping it looking its best can really add up. The more a
landscape utilizes native plants, shrubs, bushes, and trees, however, the
less water and maintenance it requires. This not only means a lower water
and landscaping bill, but a conservation of precious water resources.
And if you want to
really cut down on your water and maintenance costs, consider
xeriscaping: the practice of using native plants for landscaping that
require little to no watering or fertilization. (NOTE: The City of Bend has
a really helpful
xeriscaping manual developed specifically for the Central Oregon region,
although its information is useful in general practice, as well.) Using xeriscaping as a guide for landscaping
-- even if just as a guideline for replacing a damaged plant or deciding
what flowers to plant around the monument -- can return a noticeable
reduction in water costs on the annual budget while making your community's
"footprint" a little bit greener.
Sustainability ·
Sustainability ARCHIVE
Homeowners ·
Communities ·
Developers |
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