Summer monitoring continues

CCSF finished acquiring supplies and equipment for more extensive monitoring of the wastewater treatment system, wetlands, and energy system to be used in the fall! In the meantime, the supplies and equipment is currently aiding monitoring that has been conducted all summer long. These students are taking water samples, which are being tested for microorganisms such as E. Coli and enterococcus. 

Weeding the Living Roof

LEJ's Executive Director and Nursery Manager Patrick Rump works with CCSF student Jonathon Greer give the living roof some tender loving care. They're pulling out some of the plants that aren't intended to be there while replenishing the roof with some native plugs. Even though the semester is over, a few CCSF students are so committed to the EcoCenter that they are doing work throughout the summer with either LEJ staff or instructor Peggy Lopipero-Langmo.

Seaside daisies are blooming the background (light purple flowers) while the Douglas irises will soon be flowering.

CCSF's Presentation of Learning

The academic semester is coming to an end for CCSF students, which means it's time to wrap up their final projects! They blew away LEJ youth, staff, board members, and prospective students of the sustainability course in their Presentation of Learning on May 15 at the EcoCenter!

Facilitated by former EcoCenter Programs and Operation Manager, Tracy Zhu (right), the Presentation of Learning featured students projects on specific EcoCenter green systems: energy, building materials, wastewater, wetlands, rainwater harvesting, native landscaping/living roof, and environmental monitoring.

It was evident how much the students researched each of their topics using the EcoCenter's past history as well as outside sources, going through user manuals and documenting best practices. It was especially clear how much sweat equity each student dedicated: from cleaning the floors and bathrooms to cleaning the solar panels, weeding on the living roof, planting native plants in the landscape, and leading volunteers.

BIG THANKS TO CCSF STUDENTS AND INSTRUCTOR PEGGY LOPIPERO-LANGMO! Without your expertise, passion for learning and genuine commitment and partnership, the EcoCenter wouldn't be in half as good of shape as it is! You truly are bringing learning to life in this "living classroom," harking back to the EcoCenter's original name and intention.

Looking forward to the ongoing relationship into the summer and next fall!

Wendy Brummer, LEJ Board Member (front right) attends
CCSF's Presentation of Learning

Bay Natives donates a meadow made of native grasses!

Bay Natives is deepening its relationship with the EcoCenter and its footprint! Yesterday, Bay Natives and students from CCSF planted plugs of native grasses that Bay Natives donated in the area in front of the entrance to the drip field. When the plugs are fully mature, it will develop into a meadow of hearty native grasses that will need very little irrigation! In the meantime, LEJ staff and CCSF students will be water the lawn with rainwater caught from the EcoCenter's living roof to make sure the grasses get to where they need to be in order to sustain themselves. Thanks Bay Natives for continuing to help enhance the EcoCenter's native landscaping!

Patrick Rump (far left) and CCSF students lay out plans for the native meadow.

Planting native grass plugs donated from Bay Natives

CCSF students hard at back breaking work, while the rainwater catchment tanks (silver tanks in the background) provide water to irrigate the seedlings.

Work, work, and work at the EcoCenter!

Our great friends, Rebuilding Together were back! Remember two years ago when Rebuilding Together brought out hundreds of volunteers from Salesforce's Dreamforce conference to bring the EcoCenter to near completion? This time, they partnered with Walmart and St. Ignatius Church freshen up the EcoCenter's aesthetic, inside and out! Together they: 

• Planted approximately 6000 seed pods in prepared landscape areas
• Planted seed pots (at Bay Natives facility across the street)
• Cleaned and re-painted interior walls & door/floor trim in classroom, rest rooms, mechanical room and interior walls of sun room
• Developed design solutions to re-mount repurpose wood flooring on exterior parapet wall and re-install wood slats

For more pictures, check out Rebuilding Together's blog post and Flikr!

PS Shoutout to Salesforce and Accenture for making it out to the EcoCenter for corporate work days earlier in the month!

Bay Natives Nursery spreads its knowledge and seedlings!

Our neighbor, Bay Natives Nursery, have been hosting awesome workshops like edible native plants and pruning and propagation by cuttings at the EcoCenter. Since their grand opening last November, not only can you purchase San Francisco native plants online from Bay Natives but you can come down to their location at 10 Cargo Way, directly across the street from the park entrance, to check out plants up close and personal.

Next Wednesday, they'll be back at the EcoCenter for another workshop! Check them out on Facebook for more details. 

Stay tuned for future collaborations between Bay Natives and the EcoCenter!

Urban Permaculture Institute lends a hand at the EcoCenter

On the first Saturday of the month, the Urban Permaculture Institute led by Kevin Bayuk did a work exchange with the EcoCenter: in exchange for the use of space, Bayuk and students of UPI put some sweat equity into the native landscape surrounding the EcoCenter. This is the third year in a row that UPI has come out to the green building; we love folks who continue to deepen their relationship with this piece of land over time.

Source: Picture Actors