Happy Holidays from the EcoCenter

It is pretty quiet at the EcoCenter these days. Since elementary through college students are on break, there haven't been any programs held at the facility.  Welcome rains have nearly filled our rainwater harvesting tanks but keep the battery storage system below 100% charge. So it is perfect timing that not much is going on these days.  Events will be back in full swing and CCSF students return the the week of January 14th. Until then, we wish you all a very happy and prosperous new year.  Come see us and have a look around Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 10 am to 3 pm and Saturdays 10 am to 1 pm in 2013!

CCSF Sust 91 Presentation of Learning and Lunch

Today CCSF Sust 91 students and volunteers gathered one last time this semester to share their work and experiences with Wendy Brummer, LEJ Board Member and Ellen O'dea, LEJ Finance Manager.  Lunch was vegetarian pizza from Goat Hill along with salad and pasta prepared by Julia (also known as JET).  After lunch, each student talked about what they worked and what they got out of their experience at the EcoCenter this semester. Also, great to know that most will be coming back in the spring.

Pond Critters Arrive at the EcoCenter

22 different common pond organisms found a new home in the acrylic tanks and constructed wetland at the EcoCenter this week.  When the system was installed, only snails from another treatment system and rosy red minnows from the aquarium store were added.  Generally, pond sediment rich in organisms are used to seed a new onsite wastewater treatment system such as ours.  This past semester, CCSF students worked with me to research common native pond organisms that could make a more complete food web and help better facilitate the breakdown and absorption of nutrients in the WWTS's effluent.  We also had to chose those that would be readily available from biological supply companies. Several species of algae and cynanobacteria including spirogyra and nostic were added to the acrylic tanks as well as several species of protozoans including paramecium, euglena, vorticella, and amoeba.  Tiny animals such as rotifers, gastrotrichs, and water bears along with crustaceans daphnia, ostracods, and amphipods also were also added.  The fish were more active than ever and had a feeding frenzy. Hopefully some of the organisms managed to survive and will reproduce.  We plan to acquire more critters in the Spring semester and culture them onsite at the EcoCenter so we can continually seed the acrylic tanks and use them to create slides and share with visitors to the facility.  Below are a few photos taken by CCSF student Tom Nguyen. Tom also started shooting videos of the organisms that will be uploaded to the Sust 91 website shortly.

The EcoCenter Living Roof, Research, and the Cities Alive Conference

Lisa Lee Benjamin of EvoCatalyst and the designer of the living roof and constructed wetland came to the EcoCenter this week to discuss with Peggy and CCSF students work on the living roof.  This work will include using the rooftop as one of several research sites across the cities to examine the best plants to use under shallow substrate and drought conditions. Insect traps will also be used to study the pollinators and other six-legged visitors to the living rooftops.  More information on the use of the rooftop for research will be forthcoming in the Spring.The EcoCenter will also be a site for the Cities Alive 2013 conference that will be held in San Francisco next fall!

The EcoCenter is Part of GreenBuild

This year, the U.S. Green Building Council hosted Greenbuild 2012 in San Francisco.  Greenbuild is the world's largest conference and expo dedicated to green building. Building professionals came together from all over the world for educational workshops and seminars, to hear renowned speakers, network, and attend green building tours. 

Green building tours allow visitors the opportunity to see first hand the best of the city’s sustainable buildings and neighborhoods.  The EcoCenter was selected as a tour site together with the Hunter’s View Development Project.  On Saturday, November 17^th from 9:30 am to 1 pm, LEJ Board Chair Milton Reynolds, CCSF students and instructor/LEJ staff Peggy Lopipero-Langmo hosted building professionals from as close by as Bernal Heights and as far away as Brazil, Japan, Iceland, Italy, and Trinidad.  Tour attendees first visited the Hunter’s View Development Project and then made their way to the EcoCenter.  Milton introduced the visitors to the history and mission of LEJ and the EcoCenter followed by a detailed explanation of each sustainable design feature of the facility by CCSF students and faculty.  Attendees were also given time to roam the facility and ask questions regarding research, operations and maintenance, and environmental education efforts.  Feedback from visitors was overwhelmingly enthusiastic.  Click on this link to see a slideshow for photos of the event.

The Rooftop Parapet Gets a Makeover

This week painters and licensed contractors Teresa Romaine and Joan Weir returned to the EcoCenter to help with some needed repairs and paint for the rooftop parapet and ceiling entryway.  In the original design by Toby Long, the rooftop parapet had reclaimed wood in a mosaic on its surface similar to the exterior walls of the entryway to the facility.  Because the parapet is coated with an impermeable sealant that should not be punctured or penetrated, the wood had to be glued onto its surface rather than nailed.  The sun, wind, weather, and salty air conditions were not kind to the reclaimed wood.  Over time the wood weathered grey whereas the reclaimed wood on the wall surfaces remained an orangey brown.  The wood also started to fall off, sometimes leaving holes in the water-proofed coating.  The remaining pieces of wood were finally taken down by CCSF students last spring.  Likewise, the conditions at Heron's Head Park were hard on the ceiling above the entryway.  It also needed to be resealed and painted.  With the generous support and donation of the Hanley Foundation, a small family foundation dedicated to supporting sustainable building and development, we were able to give the rooftop parapet and entryway ceiling a makeover.  Note that this same foundation provided funds so that CCSF faculty and students could set up an field laboratory at the EcoCenter to monitor its sustainable systems.  Following LEJ's Executive Director Patrick Rump's advice, the parapet and ceiling were painted the same russet orange as the other exterior walls.  The choice was an excellent one and now the aluminum heron and moon really "pop" against the vibrant color and the building stands out beautifully from a distance.  The following photo is a "before" image of the building followed by "after" photos of the roof and ceiling.  A sincere thank you to all that made this work  possible!

Jeffrey Ludlow and Shant’e Austin From Treadwell and Rollo Give a Presentation to CCSF Students

Today, Jeffrey Ludlow, Vice President and Intern Shant’e Austin of Treadwell & Rollo, a Langan Company, visited to give a presentation to CCSF students about the work they performed to ensure that the EcoCenter would be safe and strong.  Treadwell and Rollo’s research of the site led the company to recommend that a shallow mat foundation would be the most cost-effective and efficient solution.  The alternative was the more expensive pile foundation that is most often used for buildings on closed landfill sites.  The pile foundation was also not a good alternative as its construction would puncture the geosynthetic clay liner several feet under the building.  The liner serves as a cap to prevent stormwater infiltration into the fill that created Heron's Head Park.  Water seepage could cause unsafe leachate that could make its way into the surrounding soil and water.

Mr. Ludlow also discussed the company’s design of a methane mitigation system that was installed by KLM Builders to minimize the possibility of this common landfill gas from migrating into the building.  The system is located beneath the concrete slab foundation and is composed of a methane-impermeable membrane.  Beneath the membrane is a layer of crushed rock that contains a network of horizontal perforated pipes that lead to vertical risers that vent to the roof.  The system allows any methane gas to be trapped and move through the rocks and pipe to the building’s rooftop exterior.  For over a year, former LEJ youth intern Shant’e Austin under the supervision of Jeffrey Ludlow has come to the EcoCenter to measure methane levels in the building and on the rooftop.  Ms. Austin showed students the meter used to measure both methane and oxygen levels and how it is calibrated before each use.  The methane levels have been non-detectable and the public health requirement for monitoring will sunset April 2013.  All in attendance were very grateful for this very informative and interesting talk that helped deepen understanding of the building of the EcoCenter and important maintenance and monitoring requirements.