green team

Denver Botanic Gardens' Green Team is a cross-departmental group of staff and volunteers committed to implementing earth-friendly practices at the Gardens. Whether it's how you get to the Gardens, what you do while you are here, or what you do when you get home, the Gardens can serve as an example for sustainable practices. The Green Team has been “greening” the Gardens’ internal operations–what the staff does in offices and out in the gardens–as well as making information available to the public on ways to incorporate sustainability into work and home.

The mission of Denver Botanic Gardens' Green Team is to support the Gardens' core value of Sustainability through a multifaceted program of environmental and educational initiatives that lead by example.

Learn

What is sustainability? For the natural environment, sustainability includes maintaining the levels of diversity and productivity over time. For humans, sustainability refers to the long-term maintenance and improvement of our wellbeing that depends on our responsible treatment of the natural world.

Greening the Gardens

The Plan - Under Greenprint Denver, an action agenda for sustainable development for the City and County of Denver, Denver Botanic Gardens has created a Sustainability Management Program. Under the program, the Gardens continually sets and achieves notable and worthwhile goals to increase the overall sustainability of both Denver Botanic Gardens and the city of Denver. Visit Greenprint Denver for more information.
Some of our accomplishments:
- Using LED holiday lights for our Blossoms of Light and Trail of Lights events. We introduce 30 percent more LED lights each year.
- Installed a purified water system that connects directly into existing water lines, so that we don't need to have bottled water delivered to the facility.
- Implemented plastic pot recycling and installed a large receptacle to collect all used plastic garden pots and trays.
- Installed a Green Roof in Nov. 2007 on top of what is now Offshoots in the Gardens cafe. This is the first educationally interpreted Green Roof in the Denver area and one of only a few in the country with public access.
Some of our current projects:
- Developed ‘sustainable design guidelines’ for the new construction of our parking complex, visitor center, and greenhouse complex. To improve energy efficiency on these projects we are installing occupancy sensors in restrooms and offices, daylight photo cells with automated lighting controls, high efficiency fluorescent induction lamps, tankless instant water heaters, and high-performance glazing on glass and reflective white roofs to reject heat gain.
- Develop a program plan to open a CSA (community supported agriculture) at Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield in 2010, and train volunteers to help with the project.
Some of our plans for the future:
- Utilize 100 percent LED holiday lighting for both Blossoms of Light and Trail of Lights by 2014.

Programs and Blogs

Denver Botanic Gardens offers classes, lectures, and programs for visitors of all ages
Denver Urban Gardens offers various ways to learn about gardening and composting
Denver Botanic Gardens Green Living blog category

Act

Join our Green Team
Donate

Inform

Teach
- Denver Urban Gardens: Become a master composter and share your knowledge with others.
- If you are confident about your knowledge and have something to teach, sign up for a booth at a sustainability fair.
- Teach your parents and/or children environmentally friendly and sustainable habits.
Spread the word
- Get people talking about sustainability and the importance of keeping our planet healthy.
- Write letters to the editor documenting your experiences with “green change,” pointing out improvements that could be made, or praise for what has been done.
- Post comments on news Web sites or participate in online blogs.
- Recognize the importance of social networking; share your knowledge with friends, coworkers and family.
- Be proud to be green!

green team

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