Monday, May 3, 2010

Lessons Learned - Heifer International


Greetings! Now that the grass is green and the rain has begun to fall, I'm feeling like a blogger again. Whew!

In March we traveled to Arkansas and visited Heifer International in Little Rock, Arkansas. Their 24-acre urban headquarters is a far cry from the village agriculture that characterizes Heifer projects. However, the sensitivity to environmental issues is a theme carried through in site planning and development. There are a number of features we'll highlight in the next few weeks. The first is the facility's use of water recycling and rainwater collection.

The building boasts an impressive recycled water and rainwtaer collection cistern that holds 25,000 gallons. This water is used in the building's heating and cooling systems as well as for other non-potable uses, such as toilets and irrigation. The tower is built in to the north wall of the building, adjacent to an elevator shaft, so that its profile doesn't seem out of place with the rest of the structure.

Another feature is the treatment wetland you see in the foreground of the above photo. But we'll talk more about that next time.