Are you familiar with the terms Ecosystem Services or Natural Capital? Do you want to learn more?

• Visit the Gund Institute for Ecological Economics home page: www.uvm.edu/giee 
• Read the seminal paper, “The value of the world's ecosystem services and natural capital” available at http://www.uvm.edu/giee/publications/Nature_Paper.pdf. pdf
• Also read, “Ecosystem Valuation” at www. ecosystemvaluation.org
• And the Global Restoration Network’s “Natural Capital “ at www.globalrestorationnetwork.org/restoration/restoring-natural-capital/

Have you measured the Carbon Footprint of a site?
• Try Using: http://buildcarbonneutral.org/ or http://www.urbemis.com/

12 Simple Things Landscape Architects Can Do to be More Sustainable 

(adapted from Stopwaste.org’s “Bay Friendly Landscape Guidelines”)

Wondering what you can do as a landscape industry professional to develop a more sustainable practice? The following list of a dozen actions can help you get started!

1) Mulch regularly
a. nurtures the soil as it decomposes
b. reduces irrigation needs by trapping in moisture

2) Specify low embodied energy products and local suppliers
a. minimizes transportation energy use and cost

3) Shade paved areas
a. minimizes heat island effect

4) Minimize impervious surfaces 
a. reduces stormwater runoff

5) Reduce the lawn
a. reduces irrigation needs and fertilizer use in many climates
b. lots of non-turf options are available to replace it

6) Diversify the plants you use to increase biodiversity
a. allows for greater variety of habitat
b. helps reduce pest problems

7) Use local, natural plant communities as models
a. connects to the beauty of the regional landscape
b. reduces fertilizer, irrigation and pest control needs

8) Protect soil from compaction
a. keeps soil draining well and healthier for micro-organisms
b. enables roots to penetrate the soil and plants to grow and thrive

9) Avoid synthetic, quick release fertilizers 
a. slow release, organic fertilizers provide micronutrients and make nutrients available to plants when they are needed, and enhance the life of the soil
b. avoids quick release caused flushes of growth that attract pests

10) Designate areas to reuse plant debris onsite
a. reduces greenwaste
b. reduces transportation energy use and cost

11) Capture and treat stormwater onsite 
a. landscape design stormwater BMP’s use plants to help filter water
b. plants slow runoff and reduce peak stormwater flows into civic utilities

12) Minimize the use of chemical pesticides – use IPM to prevent pest problems 
a. reduces water pollution
b. helps support soil life which promotes resistance to plant disease