StreamWatch volunteer training
Get in the flow of cleaning up local water
 If you join StreamWatch’s band of volunteers, you’ll collect samples of Sowbugs, fly larvae and other creepy crawlies to check the Rivanna’s livability. |
If you were leafing through this year’s picks for the C-VILLE 20 last month, you may have noticed John Murphy, “The Nature Lover.” He’s program manager for StreamWatch, an organization that measures the sedimentary health of the waterways of the Rivanna Basin. Water impacts “home” in every sense, so Murphy’s work is important to all of us. Looking to get involved? Here’s your chance: StreamWatch is holding a training session for new volunteers on July 21 from 10am to 4pm. The workshop teaches StreamWatch’s standardized method for collecting and analyzing river samples as well as the classification system for the Rivanna’s many organisms.
If you have water running through your backyard, you might be interested to know what’s swimming in it before you let Fido take a drink. Even if you don’t, by jumping on board with efforts to help purify our local watersystem, you can make it cleaner for all the Fidos and people of the area. For more information about the workshop, contact Rose Brown at rose@streamwatch.org or 962-3527.—Carianne King
If you build it green
Local spec project proves green niche is growing
As green homes gain wider appeal, look for more sustainable construction to enter the local market on speculation—in other words, built by developers without a specific buyer in mind. Roger Voisinet, a real estate agent and former solar-energy businessman, is getting into the game with a house in Chisholm Place, to be finished later this summer. It’s on the cutting edge in another way, too: It’s the city’s first house built from ThermaSteel panels (a few more ThermaSteel buildings may be found in Albemarle County).
 Steel’s not just for bridges anymore, and as the city’s first ThermaSteel house demonstrates, spec is going green. |
Made in Radford, Virginia, ThermaSteel panels are one example of a favorite green-building component, the structural insulated panel (SIP). All SIPs are factory-made walls, essentially “sandwiches” of insulation between rigid panels, touted for their energy efficiency. Voisinet says the ThermaSteel company’s nearby location was a plus in terms of fuel usage to transport the finished panels; so were the panels’ lightness and the ability to customize their design.
At an expected asking price of $425,000, the three-bedroom Chisholm Place house will also have sustainably-harvested wood floors, EnergyStar appliances and low-VOC paints. If you’re not ready to buy just yet, fear not: Voisinet plans to build at least one more ThermaSteel home in Chisholm Place, and other green spec houses are sure to come online too.—Erika Howsare
Easy Being Green
Mow in peace
Miss the bygone era of soundless lawn mowers? Consider reviving it with a push reel mower, which are powered by—you got it—you. The advantages over gas or electric-powered mowers are many. Push reel mowers save energy, are quiet and relatively inexpensive (prices range generally from $100 to $200). Another plus is not having to fuss with starters or recharging.
 Look at it go: tidy grass, tiny footprint. |
The downsides? Self-propelled mowers are still better for cutting large yards and grass taller than 2".
Throwback mowing machines can be found at any home improvement store like Martin Hardware or Lowe’s.—Jennifer Pullinger
Coming together
New group to be clearinghouse for green building
If we needed a clear sign that Charlottesville’s residents are passionate about going green, this is it: May’s kick-off meeting for Charlottesville’s chapter of the James River Green Building Council gathered over 100 attendees, including many local government representatives like Virginia Delegate David Toscano as well as City Council nominee Satyendra Huja. The JRGBC is Virginia’s connection to the U.S. Green Building Council, a national organization that manages LEED, a rating system that certifies green buildings.
Even if you’re not itching to build your new house to LEED standards, our conversation with Doug Lowe, member of the JRGBC’s local steering committee and president of Artisan Construction, revealed some other ways you can get involved with making Charlottesville’s architecture greener. The JRGBC’s Charlottesville chapter is planning more events for this fall, such as monthly organizational meetings (a great way to help spread the word about eco-friendly construction), LEED workshops, and even a field trip to the Solar Decathlon in Washington, D.C.
If you want more information about these events, email Charles Hendricks at cbhendricks@thegainesgroup.com to request to be on the mailing list or check out www.jrgbc.org/charlottesville.—C.K.
By the numbers
 Turn it down! Running your AC just two degrees warmer can make a big difference in energy use. |
“Americans spend more than $22 billion a year and use a whopping 183 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity to cool their homes with air conditioning, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. All that A/C combined with cold-season heating also makes our collective carbon footprint grow ever larger, with the emission of about 129 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.”—www.ConsumerReports.org
