Trees of Laurelhurst Park

The Trees of Laurelhurst Park

There over 1000 trees in Laurelhurst Park and 115 different species.  They are very tall and old and young and bubbly-trunked (one of my favorites: the sycamore!); they are green and red and blue (one is the weirdest green then blue I’ve ever seen); they are powerful and yet they gentle the space.  

To be in this park is to feel green seep into your energetic field.  I have never walked into the park and not come out happier…

A real estate brochure from 1913 says: “Nature has bestowed upon this beauty spot her choicest favors with marvelous prodigality.”

My living room window looks out at a line of Douglas Firs with Dawn and Coastal Redwood, Sycamore and Cedar in the background.  To watch them change seasons, thus colors and textures is the view I try to sit with an hour each day.

There is a wonderful map and I will follow up this post with the means to get this map called “The Trees of Laurelhurst Park” and a little more on the fascinating history.

Thanks,  Kristine Akins

The sun was shining and the wind was light as people began to gather at the Green Dragon Bistro & Brew Pub around 4pm on Friday, June 25^th in Portland, OR. Some people were holding note pads, others were sitting in front of their computers typing away, while others just sat with a beer in hand.  As the crowd got larger you could hear a variety of conversations, some based around blogging and some not. Friday was the 3^rd annual summer kick-off for Beer and Blog and their second annual Luau Party, with an authentic roasted pig.

Beer and Blog started as a way to swap information among those other individuals within the Portland tech scene. As time moved forward, it grew into a weekly happy hour for bloggers and friends, alike. As Justin Kistner, founder of Beer and Blog stated, “Sometimes we work, sometimes we just discuss ideas but often we just hang out and have fun.” In a way Beer and Blog has become a way to celebrate the shift from the long workweek to the weekend.

As Kristine Akins and I sat waiting for the event to begin, we spent time chatting about experiences in life. I have to admit, I am blown away at how many things my boss has accomplished throughout her life. Kristine’s independently driven mentality, always looking for something new and intriguing, has certainly provided her with a number of phenomenally rewarding opportunities throughout her life.

Not long after the Luau started, we grabbed the attention of Justin Kistner. As Justin personally sat down with us to go over a few questions we had about our blogging, one conversation lead to the next, and suddenly we had a table full of about 6-8 people all engaged. Although the conversation had transitioned away from blogging, after a while, it was fascinating to listen to people interests and passions. The conversation crossed an array of topics from: the BP Oil Spill, to terrorism, to local organic gardening movements, to dwarf trees, to the hope that one day humanity will understand that we are not “individuals” but instead all interconnected.

As Kristine and I gained some knowledge of ways to improve this up and coming blog of Treeinabox, we also spent several very valuable hours conversing with mere strangers. Beer and Blog is just another way we are opening up more and more connections for Treeinabox, as well as for ourselves. It certainly is amazing what an open mindset can do for yourself and those around you! Great event for Treeinabox!!

Thanks to all!

Written by: Adrienne Carlson

What’s worse, Methane gas or Carbon Dioxide? Some research states that Methane gas is 23 times more potent as a green house gas than Carbon Dioxide. While other research states that: compared with carbon dioxide, Methane has a high global warming potential of 72 (calculated over a period of 20 years) or 25 (for a time period of 100 years).  Many scientists have been trying to study the effects of burning methane, as they know that Methane turns into Carbon Dioxide and Water once burnt. Although this alteration of chemicals is a slight improvement, it still leaves a green house gas, no matter how patented it may be.

Earlier this week, I came across an article on treehugger.com that proposed a new use for methane gas, produced by animal waste such as dog poop. The designer of this project, Matthew Mazzotta, wants your dog to provide power to the very park when he just pooped in. The system would need dog walkers to collect their dog’s poop in biodegradable plastic bags, which they would then throw in the Park Spark Methane Digester.

As the article explained, the project is a simple passive system that uses the heat and light that is produced from burning Methane, generated from dog waste itself to power public art works. The digester would use the natural process of anaerobic decomposition, where organic matter is sealed in an airtight container, to produce methane. More specifically, the Park Spark Project is mostly buried underground except for a tube and a hand-crank that is above ground, so that people can feed the digester and stir the mixture inside. In the end, this captured Methane gas could produce enough energy to keep a lamp post lit, or maybe even two.

What a creative idea? How many dog parks are there in the US alone? Some say there are over 600 city or county-sanctioned off-leashed areas in the US; and over 1,100 exist in Canada and the US combined. And what do most people do with their fluffy friend’s waste? Most, throw it straight in the trash. Then, their trash is later taken to the dump where there are a number of potent green house gasses that are being released as things continuously decompose.  If we were able to begin using this Methane gas, what an improvement that would be, rather than adding one more thing to our dump that is extremely detrimental to our environment.

Written by: Adrienne Carlson

Check out the Website: http://parksparkproject.com/home.html

Green Tower

This “Bau-Botanical” Tower was built by a team at the Institute of Theory of Modern Architecture in Stuttgart Germany. It is a living-plant-construction that when completely grown (8 to 10 years) will support three floors made of zinc coated steel.

Shown above surrounded by supporting scaffolding, the trees at the base level are rooted in the ground while the several hundred trees above (White Willow, Salix alba) are potted, but the pots will be removed over time and the roots will be woven into the trees below with a type of grafting process that will create a single living structure.  Lateral limbs will support the floors and the walls will be living breathing structure that will provide an oxygen rich environment.

I am attempting to determine if this qualifies as a use of bio-mimicry, an interest I will be examining in depth through this blog. I am also researching current status of this project as the above phot is about 1 year old.  See more at http://bit.ly/bxnr10

Creative gardening on the go is transforming the way we look at space all around

Considering within the past several years gardening has become one of the fastest growing and greenest activities sparked by the Green Revolution, it is no surprise that artists, activists and DIY hobbyists have all come together with a common goal to transform urban gardening. From Calgary, Canada to Tel Aviv, Israel, people all over the world are experimenting with new ways of garden on the go.  Not only are there simple designs, such as planting a tree in a grocery cart or flowers in a broken down object, there are also much more complex works as well. One of the most innovative projects is gardening on top of a city bus. Dutch artist Annechien Meier has produced a number of works that challenge our perceptions of city and nature. Considering that buses undoubtedly get abundant sun, why not plant on their roofs? Or, how about on a caboose of a metro train? What better way to help offset these public transits pollutions on a daily basis? Plus street-level gardening may be perfect advertisement for Mother Nature. When it comes to mobile gardening, there are no rules, only opportunities through creative innovations.
By Adrienne Carlson

(Written review of: http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/mobile-gardens)

A tree is an amazing “factory”  of graceful elements that work together.

We all know that trees breathe in Carbon Dioxide and breathe out Oxygen.  How about the idea that trees bring water from the ground all the way up to the branches and leaves without a pump? That their roots search out water in the ground in a systematic and scientific manner. That they naturally strengthen themselves at their stress points in reaction to wind, gravity, and even animal life. Leaves are not only flexible and water resistant, but also water absorbing and water channeling, contributing to some of the above processes and assisting nature in others. Some seed coats keep seeds viable for hundreds of years and across multitudes of environments.

Bio-mimicry seeks to consult living organisms and ecosystems and to apply the underlying design principles to innovations in the way we live. (see www.asknature.org for a great site on this subject)

If we could learn from trees how to pump water up a building in a means similar to the way xylem (the vertical tubes in trees’ inner wood) transports water from the soil to its leaves through the force generated when water evaporates from leaves and creates a negative sucking pressure, it would be a no or low energy based means of servicing kitchens and toilets in a high rise building.

I will explore many areas of tree bio-mimicry in more depth within this blog as we build it.  Thanks for paying attention.  The world will indeed be a better place when we have learned from nature how they build and create and live without plundering the earth while they do it.

Written by: Kristine Akins

Tree In A Box has invested with ClimatePartner to continue our effort to offset our carbon footprint. Located in 5 major cities throughout Europe and the United States, ClimatePartner commits to balancing the relationship between commercial enterprises and climate awareness by giving companies a direct financial investment in green technology. ClimatePartner provides science-based emission compensation, allowing Tree In A Box’s calculated emissions beyond its tree planting efforts to be offset by green natural energy sources.  They provide a visible sign that climate protection and sustainability is being taken seriously by Tree In A Box and their other sponsored companies.

ClimatePartner’s core business is sustainable media, as they were the founding company of climate-neutral printing. Numerous leading retail brands, print buyers, and over 140 commercial printers throughout Europe and the US rely on ClimatePartner to provide carbon emission calculations to offset their printing processes.

With each gift that Tree In A Box sells, a portion of their proceeds are given to a Wind Power Generation project in Vani Vilas Sagar, India that is funded by ClimatePartner. As our company continues to grow, we are proud to do everything we can to continuously offset our carbon footprint, striving to be a sustainable company from start to finish. Plant trees to offset your carbon and we will both plant trees and invest in green technology on your behalf.  Thank you!

Written by: Adrienne Carlson