VMPs are useful tools for HOAs, property management companies, and property owners that can provide a legal avenue for landscape maintenance within critical areas and buffers, while reducing the time and expense of future permitting. Environmental specialist Amber and associate planner Kenny are here to answer your questions:

What is a Vegetation Management Plan?

A Vegetation Management Plan, or VMP, is a planning document that establishes a landscape maintenance goal, such as orderliness or view preservation, and outlines short- and long-term prescriptions to achieve and maintain that goal. Typically, a VMP consists of two components: a report and a map set.

What’s included in a VMP?

The VMP report includes an inventory of the property’s existing conditions, including significant landscape features and critical areas; vegetation type and coverage; land uses on and adjacent to the property; and structures or facilities present. The report describes where and which maintenance activities will occur, ranging from typical hand maintenance (like mowing or pruning), to more intensive activities (like tree planting and removal). Depending on how the landscape is used and what vegetation is present, zones can be established with different maintenance prescriptions and protocols. The VMP map set clearly illustrates the extent of the management area, including zone boundaries, along with critical areas and buffers, significant landscape features, roads, and structures.

Segment of a Vegetation Management Plan zone map, defining areas by type.

When is a VMP appropriate?

A VMP is appropriate when non-routine landscape maintenance is needed within a critical area or critical area buffer. Needed maintenance could include initial pruning or trimming of shrubs, clearing, planting, restoration activities, and tree pruning or removal.

Who can benefit from a VMP?

Homeowners, property owners, and property managers in need of a strategy for conducting short- or long-term landscape maintenance in or around critical areas or critical area buffers could benefit from a VMP. For example, a homeowner who would like to make changes to vegetation in a critical area buffer in order to improve or maintain their views could benefit from a VMP.

Homeowner associations and other owner groups can also benefit from a VMP. A VMP outlines short- and long-term management prescriptions that can stay in place through ownership transfers on individual properties. Having a VMP in place can provide for consistent maintenance of joint or shared landscape areas, such as common areas, easements, or non-municipal rights-of-way.

How does a VMP work?

As an example, in the City of Bellevue, a VMP can be utilized to permit long-term maintenance activities under a single land use and construction permit. Maintenance can then follow the prescriptions identified in the VMP for several years into the future. Additional permits in subsequent years are not required to complete maintenance activities that are outlined in the approved VMP, provided they occur within the defined management area.

Recommended plant species that can be planted within Vegetation Management Zone 1.

When is a VMP not necessary?

This varies by jurisdiction. For example, in the City of Bellevue, a VMP is not needed for continual routine maintenance of an established ornamental landscape occurring within a critical area or buffer, provided (1) the landscape was first established legally and with all required permits, (2) maintenance activities have been kept up consistently since the landscape was established, and (3) maintenance consists of typical landscape management activities, such as mowing, pruning, and planting. Furthermore, any typical maintenance activities that occur outside of critical areas or critical area buffers do not need a VMP.

I think I need a VMP. How can I get one?

First, contact a local expert to confirm that a Vegetation Management Plan will benefit you. In most jurisdictions, a VMP must be completed by an experienced environmental professional. If you decide to complete a VMP, the expert’s team will visit your property to assess its unique features and gather information needed to compile the VMP report and map set. Additional research will be conducted offsite to look into local codes and regulations and other relevant information, such as restrictive covenants, that could inform the final landscape management prescriptions.

If you might need a Vegetation Management Plan, The Watershed Company can help! Contact Amber or Kenny to get started with the process today.

If you are a green landscape enthusiast, you’ll be pleased that some of the Sustainable Sites Initiative™ (SITES™) credits are beginning to find their way into LEED.  The bulk of the SITES™ credits, however, remain currently unincorporated. On the bright side, ASLA and the University of Texas at Austin are in negotiations with the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) to establish a collaboration that will ensure the long-term future of SITES™ and aid market transformation for green building practices in the landscape.

If you aren’t a green landscape enthusiast and just want your credits, then you’ll be pleasantly surprised that the bulk of the credit changes won’t impact your development footprint substantially.  In some cases, you might actually be able to gain buildable area.  What you will see overall, however, are increased upfront assessment and design documentation requirements.

Here’s the inside scoop on the five major landscape-related credit differences between LEED 2009 and LEED v4, along with our take on their implications.

SUSTAINABLE SITES CATEGORY (SS)

Site Assessment - NEW

This is a new credit adapted from SITES™.  To gain this credit, you are required to document site conditions ahead of time.  Conditions include topography, hydrology, climate, vegetation including significant trees, soils, human use, and human health effects. 

Our take

Sound daunting?  Check out their handy worksheet.  The level of documentation required is pretty minimal and all you need do with it is indicate how it influenced the project design.  Depending on your site, however, you may need up-front wetland or stream delineation and arborist services to achieve this credit.  The bottom line for the credit seeker is that to achieve this one credit point, you will need to pay consultant(s) to document some of these items that they may not have otherwise. 

For the green landscape enthusiast, awarding a credit based upon how these assessments influenced the design could be seen as subjective.  We feel this credit could be expanded greatly to provide prescriptive paths for what you could do with the information about existing site conditions, once acquired.  These paths could then yield a greater point total that would help to justify to the upfront expense the client has to pay to achieve their point.

Image: sample wetland and stream delineation.

Site Development - Protect or Restore Habitat - CHANGED 

To achieve this credit in LEED 2009, greenfield or undeveloped sites had a lot of dimensional requirements offset from built features.  This was intended to limit the building footprint and therefore impacts to native vegetation.  In LEED V4, the measurement method has been simplified to 40% protection from development and construction activity and is now a requirement to achieve the credit.  In addition to that, on-site restoration is also required or a new financial support option has been added as alternative.

The measurement method for on-site restoration using native or adapted vegetation, has also been changed.  In the 2009 version, it was 50% of the site excluding the building footprint.  Now, it’s 30% of the site, including building footprint.

Restoration of all disturbed or compacted soils that will be revegetated is also required.

Our take

On a purely numbers basis, it is impossible to know how much protection or loss of greenfield area might occur with this new system.  The freedom for the site designer could result in better choices for protection of land and habitat resources as well as flexibility to meet overall project goals.  On the other hand, LEED 2009 provided exclusions to where development could occur. While limiting, it resulted in contiguous stretches of greenfield area.   Now, debate could occur over what will truly remain protected from activity as well as what potential loss of functional greenfield habitat might result.

In the 2009 version of LEED, you either had greenfield site OR a previously developed or degraded site, and only the latter could achieve credits for restoration.  Now, any site has the opportunity to achieve credit through restoration activities.  This is a win-win for greenbuilding landscape enthusiasts and credit seekers. 

Excluding the building footprint from measuring the restoration area required, as in the 2009 version, resulted in the possibility of a really large building with a very small restoration component.  To the applause of landscape architects across the globe, LEED v4’s method of calculating it across the entire site provides a greater equilibrium between the building and the landscape.

The restoration of soils seems more stormwater focused than planting based, since most qualified landscape architects and designers know that restoration of compacted soils is required if you want your plants to live and thrive. 

The fee in lieu option through financial support could allow for credit with no on-site restoration.  We have been involved in developing in-lieu fee programs for mitigation, and know the rigor that must go into developing a successful program that achieves goals within the appropriate region. For LEED’s fee in lieu option, we want to know where that money goes, and how many landscapes can be built for $0.40 a square foot besides lawn?  We want to know how this option is helping the green building movement.  This is a credit, not a requirement .  At the very least, the money generated from a fee in lieu option ought to be more than the cost of the landscape installation required to achieve the credit in the first place, not less, and ought to go toward a local habitat bank or protection of local habitat resources.  

 Open Space  - CHANGED 

The provision for outdoor space to achieve this credit has increased to 30% from the 2009 version, which required 20%.  The option to exceed local zoning requirements has also been removed.  Provisions have also been put on what that outdoor open space must be, including a garden with a diversity of vegetation and year-round interest or a preserved or created habitat that includes elements of human interaction.

Greenfire Campus, designed to achieve LEED Platinum, has extensive open areas.

Our take

This credit update provides for greater emphasis on the open space having vegetation with structure (trees and shrubs, etc.).  Such emphasis creates a greater possibility of a landscape with habitat complexity.

WATER EFFICIENCY CATEGORY (WE)

Outdoor water use reduction - CHANGED 

In LEED 2009, Outdoor Water Use Reduction was a credit only; in LEED V4, it is both a prerequisite and a credit.  The prerequisite is that you must have either no permanent irrigation or reduce your irrigation requirement 30% from a calculated baseline.  For credit, you will receive at least one point for no permanent irrigation and at least one point for further reducing irrigation demand by 50%. Additionally, the allowance for temporary irrigation has increased from one year to two years allowable.

The Greenfire Campus landscape used drought-tolerant and native plantings to reduce water use, as well as harvesting water in two large cisterns for re-use.

Our take

The implementation of a prerequisite for reduction of water use is a big step forward.  There are enough new drought-tolerant species and cultivars that this is a no-brainer.  There is no change in the credit point for reduction between versions.  Last, increasing the allowance for temporary irrigation to two years makes it much more viable that a landscape could be established with no permanent irrigation. 

Credit: Water metering - NEW

This new credit requires use of water meters for two or more subsystems, including indoor and outdoor uses.  The two uses applicable to the landscape include metering irrigation and reclaimed water, which can be used for irrigation.

Our take

While dedicated meters have the added cost of the meter and the installation up front, they can reduce waste water bills.  Irrigation accounts for 50-70% of water consumption.  Indoor water use goes into the sewer to be processed, whereas outdoor water use goes into the ground.  By establishing a separate meter, you reduce your sewer fees and therefore your water bill.  Additionally, you can have an accurate measure of the outdoor water use.  Last, you get the benefit of a separate shutoff valve for the system.

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES CATEGORY (MR)

Rather than go into each Materials and Resources credit and pre-requisite, since for the most part they apply to the architecture, landscape architects or designers may be more involved with:

• Waste reduction from demolition and recycling
• Reuse of materials
• Obtaining Environmental Product Declarations
• Materials sourcing (extraction and sourced sustainably)

Conclusion

While many of the credit changes may result in added consultant and likely material costs, the ultimate goal is to design a more integrated, sustainable project that will result in reduced life-cycle impacts and energy savings.  These reductions will help both the environment and your utility bills. Plus, you will have the added benefit in knowing that your project has been designed more sustainably from project initiation through installation. 

This is part 3 of our green building series.

Part 1: Green Certifications for Your Non-Building Projects

Part 2: Interpreting Your Green Building and Infrastructure Projects

Landscape Architect Courtney Landoll is a LEED Green Associate with a keen interest in sustainable design. She is serving as the 2013-4 WASLA president.

But when we looked at the plans being formed by the campus design team, we saw an opportunity. What began as a very practical proposition for a trail through the buffer turned into a buffer renaissance.

Path through wetland buffer, showing planting plan with large woody debris and a bioretention cell.

In certain scenarios, paths are allowed in a sensitive wetland buffer area. The general thought is that if the fenced area is obstructing a natural path, it is best to allow and concentrate that access, rather than risk haphazard trampling of the entire area.

Once we had the path, our next thought was interpretive signage to teach students at the King County green school about wetlands. Working with Bellevue School District staff and the campus design team, we created custom interpretive signs and plant identification tags to place along the path and throughout campus.

The signs describe the wetland, the buffer, and the Kelsey Creek Watershed, among other topics. Advanced concepts like denitrification and specialized adaptations in wetland plants would be made clear on signs that would be permanently installed next to the subjects they described. We were on our way to creating an outdoor classroom in the back corner of the campus.

With the mindset of creating an educational amenity, we worked to design habitat improvements that were not only functional, but that would also be visible to users. Snags, bird and bat boxes, and large woody debris were detailed. The civil engineer designed a raingarden. The campus landscape architect detailed benches made from wood reclaimed from the site. The coordination of circulation, planting and amenities between our teams was seamless.

The Odle Middle School design team was led by Integrus and included LPD Engineering and Weisman Design Group for landscape architecture. Construction has just begun and we are excited to see the improvements unfold. Bellevue School District truly embraced the opportunity to incorporate critical areas as site assets. Our mitigation piece of the project is just one of many environmental features in a complete rebuild of this middle school campus. Native plants, pervious paving, geothermal energy, solar-thermal energy, raingardens, and natural light are all low-impact elements that will be present in the newly constructed school.

Left: ecologist Nell Lund overseeing snag creation.

Landscape designer Marina French was deeply involved in developing the mitigation plan as a learning tool and quality wildlife habitat while providing regulatory compliance for the campus redevelopment. She also developed interpretive themes and topics for the signs.

As a fisheries biologist, I use this valuable tool to capture fish for study and research throughout the year.  But during the summer construction season, The Watershed Company helps contractors meet their project permit requirements by using a device that temporarily stuns fish for easy removal fish from construction areas so that they can be safely relocated for their own protection and preservation.

July through September is the often-hectic “fish window,” usually the only time of year when in-stream work is allowed by permitting agencies such as the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.  Typical in-water construction projects include stream realignment, habitat improvements such as log placement, and culvert work.  Often these projects accompany road widening or utility improvements. 

Stream sections where the work occurs need to be dewatered. So if fish aren’t safely rescued, they’re toast!

Capture typically requires a combination of netting and electrofishing, although sometimes some fish may by herded out of the in-water work areas.  Since electrofishing can be somewhat risky for fish, even when done with care and expertise, seine and dip nets are used first to remove as many as possible.

Electrofishing momentarily stuns fish with a specialized electric shock delivered by a fisheries biologist or technician wearing a backpack “Ghostbusters-style” apparatus.  Basically, they’ve been tased. 

The electric current is delivered to the stream by two opposing electrodes placed in the water several feet apart.  The current can be widely adjusted in both strength (voltage) and form (pulse width and frequency), taking channel dimensions, the sensitivity of the fish, and the water’s conductivity into account.  A safe and conservative approach is to start with a low current level and incrementally increase the strength until fish are adequately stunned – as opposed to just zipping out of the way when they feel a tickle.

Stunned fish are carefully scooped up with a dip net and transferred in buckets for release along unaffected stream sections.  Several passes are usually made through the work area with both nets and the electrofisher prior to and during the dewatering process

Fish removal is often done with a crew of two, a qualified fisheries biologist and technician, but three may be needed if a lot of fish are present or to meet permit requirements.  Costs start at under $2,000, including equipment charges for a relatively clear, straightforward stream section up to a couple of hundred feet in length that can be comfortably fished in a day. 

The more notice, the better, for project planning. But since we understand these jobs are seasonal and subject to difficult scheduling, we do our best to make them a priority.  Besides, fishing jobs are fun, fast-paced, and exciting.

The 2014 Bike Month team, left to right: ecologist Katy Crandall, landscape designer Mike Droske, team leader arborist Mike Foster, landscape architect Courtney Landoll, graphic designer Tracy Durnell & ecologist Nell Lund.

We logged 35 round trips during the month, and pedaled 537 miles. You could get to Southeast Boise on that kind of mileage! Tracy rode more times to work than anyone else (over 50 percent of her commutes), and Mike Droske was a close second. Nice job, you guys!

Kirkland is not a particularly easy place to bike. The hills (e.g., Finn Mountain), traffic jams, and incomplete bike infrastructure add to the challenge. But we found Sound Transit and Metro to be great for bridging Lake Washington and parts of Kirkland in a pinch, and identified some beautiful and bike-friendly routes through the City and beyond.

My goal is to have 10 participants for the commute challenge next year, and to log a total of 700 miles. Well done, team!

So, the question is: when should humans get involved?  How do we know when an animal is truly injured or abandoned?  Wildlife rescue and rehabilitation organizations have the best of intentions and do great work, but when is the right time to call for their help?

Wetland biologists Ryan Kahlo and Katy Crandall got a crash course on this subject one beautiful May afternoon in Normandy Park.  We were performing a routine wetland and stream delineation study and searching for restoration opportunities in a well-used city park, when a friendly park user approached us asking if we were there to help the owl. 

“Which owl?  What’s wrong with it?” 

Sure enough, just a short distance away was a juvenile barred owl clinging to the roots of a tree with what appeared, initially, to be only one foot. It was difficult to tell if the owl was injured or just in shock, but its ambivalence to the flies landing all over it made us fear the worst.  Apparently the woman had watched this little owl fall out of the tree during a scuffle with the neighborhood crows.  After sitting with our little friend for the previous 20 minutes, she had to go back to work, leaving us with the decision of what to do with this poor owl.  She had already called the City’s animal control, which conveniently had no one on duty that day. 

So, we decided to call a couple of wildlife rescue groups, which both said the same thing: “Put it in a box, and bring it to us.”  Being that we were working, we had neither the time nor the flexibility to drop everything, package up an owl, and drive it to another city, but we couldn’t just leave it there, could we?  If we were deep in the forest, that would be one thing, but in a city park with small children, dogs, and a group of ornery crows?  Surely, there was a better solution.

Then we noticed a small group of walkers coming down the trail with a couple of dogs – one of which was off-leash.  Since the owl was in plain sight, right on the edge of the trail, my concern that a dog would go after it before the owner knew what was happening seemed like a real possibility.  So we explained the situation, and asked them to please put the dog on a leash.  Of course, their curiosity was perked, and after talking to them for a few more minutes, one of the ladies offered to box up the owl and bring it to one of the wildlife rescues.  Great!  Problem solved. 

Only, it wasn’t.

While our Good Samaritan was heading back to her house to get a box, we noticed that the little owl had put down his second foot and had moved to the other side of the tree.  The more we thought about it, it began to occur to us that this owl may not have been injured at all.  Surely, every young owl falls out of a tree at least once in its life, right?  We began to realize that it was probably just stunned and scared.  After all, from the moment it hit the ground, humans were standing around staring at the poor thing. 

At that point, we decided to call a friend of ours, a wildlife biologist who specializes in birds.  After looking at some photos we sent, she agreed – the owl wasn’t injured.  Surprised that the wildlife rescue organizations hadn’t suggested it first, she recommended picking the owl up and placing it on as high of a branch as possible.  She assured us that, eventually, the parents would find it.  What’s the best way to pick up an owl, you may ask?  “From behind, and don’t worry about the beak.  It’s the giant talons you have to watch for.”  And, yes, they were some pretty big talons for such a little guy.  We needed better gloves. 

So, after a short walk to the car and back, the plan was to do exactly what she told us.  Only, to our surprise, when we got back to the spot, the owl was gone. 

It hadn’t gone very far, though, just back up to the branch it had fallen off of in the first place. 

This was definitely the best outcome for everyone involved.  The owl was safe from beagles and crows, nobody had to drive 30 miles out of their way, and we didn’t have to find out just how strong and sharp an owl’s talons can be.  Of course, after seeing us, the poor thing got scared again and almost fell out of the tree second time.  At that point, it was obvious that we should move along.  Our little friend sat in that tree and watched us the rest of the afternoon.  We can only assume (and hope) that its parents were able to get it back in to the nest, once all the annoying humans were gone. 

The moral of the story?  Unless we’re absolutely certain an animal needs our help, it’s probably best to just let it be.  Sometimes human interference just makes a bad situation worse, and maybe Mother Nature knows what she’s doing after all.

At The Watershed Company, we design interpretive signs that inspire users to help the environment. Encouraging users to help protect natural resources at home is simple: make change appealing and easy!

Make Sustainability Appealing

Spell Out Personal and Community Benefits

A sign for Scott County in Minnesota spells out the direct benefits to homeowners who choose to install native plants along their shorelines instead of grass, showing that it’s a win-win for both homeowners and the environment.

This interpretive sign explains four key watershed benefits from stormwater improvements at a golf club in a residential neighborhood of Santa Barbara, CA. A map of the watershed, as well as the sub-basin, helps users pinpoint their influence on the greater watershed.

Use Statistics to Catch Users’ Attention

Signs along the Sammamish River Trail in Bothell, WA, call walkers’ attention to ecological features, local history, and environmental impacts. An array of startling statistics, illustrated with simple graphics, jump out at readers.

­Make Sustainable Decisions Easy

Offer Sustainable Alternatives

This interpretive sign, at Premera Blue Cross’ Mountlake Terrace, Washington, campus, encourages users to replace thirsty plants in their garden with drought-tolerant plants. A photo montage and tables listing plant attributes help users pick beautiful plants that will work in their garden at home. (See more signs from this project.)

Teach Better Methods with Simple Steps

A water conservation demonstration garden in Redmond, Washington, uses interpretive signs to explain sustainable gardening practices. It breaks down the best practices for soil amendment into four key steps.

List Concrete Actions

The Carolina Clear initiative in South Carolina aims to change user attitudes towards stormwater features, like stormwater ditches, using a set of interpretive signs distributed throughout the state. This interpretive sign offers a clear list of actions that users should and shouldn’t take to protect their waterway’s health. (See more signs from this project.)

What techniques have you used to encourage sustainability?

Learn what makes Pierce County Landill's wetland mitigation site effective and sustainable in their presentation (.pdf).

Ranking Fish Passability

We visited each additional culvert, estimated its length and slope, described any substrate through the culvert and outfall plunges, measured upstream and downstream channel width, and developed a qualitative fish passability assessment (on a scale of 1 through 4) based on the information as follows.

1. Fully passable. 

May have relatively minor shortcomings with respect to current design standards, but is fully passable to fish based on observed width, flow depth, slope, substrate and roughness, (lack of) internal or outfall plunges, and anticipated velocities. Little or no improvement in upstream habitat accessibility for fish would result from culvert replacement.

2. Hindrance to passage. 

Most fish can pass upstream through the culvert most of the time based on slope and velocity etc., but the culvert has moderate to significant deviations from current design standards.  Culverts along a fish-bearing stream segment should eventually be replaced and brought up to standard.

3. Partial barrier. 

Some fish may be able to pass at some flows, but the culvert could result in significant limitation or disruption in upstream fish movements.  Velocities or plunges may be too high for juveniles at all or most flows, and may be too high for adults at only moderately elevated flows.  Upgrading or replacement would result in significantly improved habitat access for fish.

4. Full or nearly full barrier. 

The present condition and configuration of the culvert allows for little or no upstream fish passage, generally due to high velocities and/or plunges.

Prioritizing Culvert Improvement Based on Fish Passage and Habitat Access

Finally, the results of these evaluations were used to prioritize culverts for upgrade or replacement based on improved fish passage and habitat access. We ranked the priority of each culvert on a scale of 1 (highest) through 4 (lowest) in consideration of the following factors. 

Fish-Bearing?

Known fish-bearing streams rated high; for streams not known to be fish-bearing, we asked whether the stream offered potential fish habitat or whether it was inherently unsuitable (whether too small, too steep, or seasonal upstream of a natural barrier).

Accessible for Fish?

We checked for existing (natural or manmade) barriers downstream to determine whether the stream up to the culvert was accessible to fish. We wanted to know whether replacement of a culvert would need to be combined with another fish passage project downstream to be effective.

Upstream Habitat?

How much potential habitat upstream (and of what quality) would be made accessible by upgrading or replacing this culvert?

Cost Feasibility?

Would available funds be better spent on other projects that would result in more and/or better habitat being made more accessible?

Making the Final Prioritization

Culverts were assigned the highest priority for replacement if they:

a) were located on a fish-bearing or potentially fish-bearing stream segment,

b) were rated as a full or partial barrier,

c) would independently restore access to a high or moderate amount of good-quality habitat, and

d) could be corrected at a relatively low to moderate cost.

Greg Johnston is senior fisheries biologist, and spends much of his time assessing or designing fish passage and fish habitat improvements.

Interpretive sign explaining the function of a stormwater pond at a green campus remodel in Mountlake Terrace, WA.

Why Bother Interpreting Your Green Building Project?

1. Draw Attention to Sustainable Design – and Why It Matters

People have noticed your green project as it’s been constructed – and, once it’s built, passers-by will notice any unusual features, like trees on the roof. Capture their curiosity to promote sustainable design. Using green techniques in your project benefits the environment – educating users about those green techniques can help them spread. Your project’s reach can extend beyond your site if you can convince other people to use green methods in their future projects.

Sometimes green infrastructure projects get ‘lost’ once they’re built – people don’t realize that the pond next to the parking lot manages stormwater, or that this sidewalk is paved with a different material than usual. Interpretation can promote continued interest in the project and focus user’s attention on low-profile sustainable options.

You have lots of reasons you chose to build green. Interpretation is your chance to share your reasoning with the public and to teach them about the environmental benefits from your project.

Walkers on this public trail in Redmond, WA, can learn about the stormwater wetland that cleans runoff from the parking lot of the large shopping center adjacent.

2. Get Public Buy-In for Green Development

Building green is more challenging than using traditional building techniques – get credit for your hard work by drawing public attention to what’s different about your project.

Infrastructure projects are inherently technical and can be confusing to the public. You can use signs to educate your community about how these projects are enhancing both infrastructure and the environment. By incorporating interpretation and outreach into your projects, you can teach citizens while building support for future public works programs.

3. Get LEED and SITES Credits for Interpretation

Incorporating an interpretive program into your green building site can help earn a LEED Innovation in Design point for school projects (Credit ID4—The School as a Teaching Tool) or  2-4 points in SITES (Credit 9.1 – Promote sustainability awareness and education). The goal is to share the site’s sustainable features and encourage users to adjust their own behavior to be more sustainable.

Eleven Techniques for Interpreting Green Building Projects

1. Emphasize the Project's Context

Maps help users visualize the project's place in a broader context, making it easier for them to understand why a green infrastructure project here will affect the environment over there where they live.

95% draft interpretive sign for Odle Middle School in Bellevue, WA

Undergoing a complete redesign, Odle Middle School will be a green campus, using pervious paving, raingardens, and green building materials and energy sources. Students can see exactly where their school fits into their watershed on this broad scale interpretive sign, and why it’s important for their school to practice sustainability.

2. Get Project-Specific to Explain Universal Concepts

Every project is a little bit different, but they share the same general characteristics. Use the specifics of your project, keyed with illustrations, to teach users about green features. When the sign is placed where users can see the feature at the same time, they can easily connect the explanation with the real world function.

A retrofit in Redmond, WA, routed stormwater from a shopping center parking lot through a new series of constructed wetlands designed to filter pollutants. A diagram details the water’s new path from the parking lot through the three ponds before entering the creek, while text defines stormwater runoff and explains why it matters for stream health.

3. Focus on Concepts, Not Project Details

A different approach is to generalize the project’s elements, which can allow signs to be used at multiple locations with the same sustainable features.

Kitsap County’s Public Works Department staged a County-wide initiative to incorporate green features into streets, using interpretive signs to draw public attention. This rain garden interpretive sign illustrates a stylized rain garden, breaking down its function into steps, and calls out their benefits, uses, and restrictions. (See more signs.)

4. Dedicate One Sign to Each Green Feature

Creating slightly smaller signs, focused on a single green feature, communicate that technique effectively.

Bioswales line the parking lot at Premera Blue Cross’ new Mountlake Terrace, WA, office, and the landscape includes grassy swales, rain gardens, and wet ponds. Interpretive signs explain the many green elements of the landscape, educating employees and campus visitors about the company’s dedication to sustainability – one sign per sustainable feature.

5. Highlight All Features with a Site Overview

When you have a large site with many green elements, or repeated elements, a site overview map keyed with those improvements can provide users with perspective on the project's scale.

75% draft interpretive sign for Santa Barbara Golf Club in Santa Barbara, CA

Stormwater features at the Santa Barbara Golf Club in Southern California treat runoff from the golf course, improving downstream water quality and flooding issues. Golfers can follow the flow of water through the features along the course. 

6. Highlight the Alternative to Emphasize Project Benefits

Each of the signs we created for Kitsap County included a callout, explaining the “status quo” that would have happened to stormwater runoff, if not for the green street improvements. This technique forces readers to consider how things usually work, and helps them learn why green infrastructure is an improvement worth making.

7. Connect the Dots, Graphically

Playing with scale can allow you to make connections clear that otherwise might seem disconnected.

95% draft illustration for King County Department of Transportation in Redmond, WA

King County Department of Transportation constructed a new connector road in Redmond, WA, which incorporated low-impact development techniques to reduce stormwater impacts. Grant requirements included interpretive signage to explain the use of stormwater ponds, bioswales, and pervious paving. A stylized diagram draws an explicit connection between the street, stormwater runoff, and the stream nearby.

8. Use Different Angles to Explain Function

Fully explain function by taking advantage of different perspectives to highlight aspects of a site element.

Both plan view and a cross section allow users to envision the function of a bioretention swale outside of Kitsap County’s Public Works Annex building. The cross section emphasizes the downhill flow, while the plan view provides a better indication of scale.

9. Compare Green Methods with Traditional Methods Visually

Comparisons, like metaphors, help people remember new information. King County Department of Transportation installed porous concrete and a rain garden at an intersection in South King County, WA. We used a graphic comparing water flow for four different surfaces to explain permeability.

10. Use Photos to Give Users a Mental Image

While illustrations are useful for simplifying features to explain how they work, there’s nothing like a photograph to show people exactly what green infrastructure looks like.

Photographs of green street features show viewers what to look for around the Kitsap County, allowing them to spot other green infrastructure.

11. Encourage Action by Empowering Users

Calls to action aren’t just for the web – you can use them on your interpretive signs to engage users, and offer them ways to stay involved.

Signs at the Premera Campus paired messages of WHY and HOW: why green stormwater infrastructure helps the environment, and how viewers can contribute at home.

What techniques do you use to teach others about green infrastructure?

This is part 2 of our green building series.

Part 1: Choosing the Right Green Certification for your Green Building Project

Part 3: LEED V4 vs. LEED 2009: What it Means for Your Project’s Landscape

Tracy is a graphic designer for interpretive signs.