New Bedford Green/Verde
New Bedford, Massachusetts
Citizens making New Bedford a more verdant, livable and sustainable city
Join us! Contact: NewBGreen@gmail.com
PROPOSED ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE CHARTER [download]
NEW!
NB Energy and Green committees forming!
Stay tuned. Email for info: newbgreen@gmail.com
Examples of energy committees (these will open in separate pages)
Newton (Newton has several other related committees, including this)
Milton (Milton also has a wind committee)
Planting a no-mow lawn alternative landscape in Wings Court, downtown New Bedford
Projects:
Garden Night and Green City Night (with Sustainable SouthCoast)
NB Green/Verde Steering Committee
The project will demonstrate ecological landscaping practices that divert stormwater runoff (CSO), reduce contaminants, and demonstrate phtyoremedation methods. That includes strategic plantings, rainwater collection methods, raingardens, and planted bioswales. It will also demonstrate no-mow landscapes and an oil-slick cleaning wetland.
Wings Court is the largest green space in downtown New Bedford. The Wings Court EcoGarden presents a green revisioning of Wings Court to welcome children, families and dogs into a truly green environment that demonstrates principles of toxic reduction, stormwater use, natural cooling, and solar electric generation.
The EcoGarden will feature:
- Plots of plants grown for their ability to remove lead and other contaminants from the soil; this method is called "phytoremediation"
- An artistic bathtub-enclosed wetland will demonstrate active phytoremediation and denitrification modalities.
- Demonstration of a full
repertoire of low-impact development techniques for treating and reducing
stormwater ecologically, including raingardens, porous pavement and
depaving
These modalities are under consideration for the CityÕs CSO reduction plan. - A no-mow landscape
A portside location, such as Tonneson Park, will also be explored for an extension of this project. As an attractive pocket park, Wings Court gardens will provide an educational playspace for future earth stewards to experience and learn in a natural open environment tucked into the heart of the city. Additionally, this garden space will offera balance to the interior global learning space provided by the Explorium on Union Street.
Wings Court is also the future planned connector of the pedestrian pathway from the Acushnet River waterfront, the National Park and on to Buttonwood Park. The creation of this eco-network will improve the inner-city experience for all ages, Stormwater diversion is relevant to the CityÕs planned stormwater drain disconnection.
Diagram of a raingarden:
Photos to come
Sept. 11: former Olympic cyclist and Fairhaven resident Gary Thomson will lead an easygoing bike ride from downtown New Bedford to Fort Taber. Details to come.
Next event, Sept. 5: NB Sustainability Task Force Report Grassroots Conversation (with Sustainable SouthCoast) click here for more detail
Forthcoming: Presentations on solar hot water heating, small wind and solar power systems, green roofs, green jobs, ecological wastewater recycling, community gardens, and home heating on a low budget
See a video of our June urban Garden Night
Annie Hayes
Carol Steinfeld
Mark Truran
and others (list to come)
NB Green/Verde is a volunteer-run nonprofit with 501c3 through the Community Foundation