A recent nine-figure estimate by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to prevent future flooding that has in recent years plagued the city of Findlay included a series of expensive water diversion pathways and a Herculean effort to remake the Hancock County landscape.

The University of Toledo Lake Erie Center will be visited by Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur to help highlight an alternative that can store floodwater, prevent storm sewers from being overwhelmed, all while improving water quality. UT will unveil a new rain garden Monday, Oct. 5, at 3:30 p.m. at the Lake Erie Center, 6200 Bayshore Road in Oregon.

The rain garden was designed by a local junior high school robotics team.

“Rain gardens provide green opportunities for storm water treatment and storage and water resource protection,” said Dr. Hans Gottgens, UT professor of environmental sciences. “At the same time, the gardens serve as natural laboratories for students and researchers and help preserve natural habitats for a diverse array of species.”

A rain garden is installed in a depression where floodwater might normally gather, Gottgens explained. Deep-rooted vegetation that tolerates wet soil is planted and when combined with imbedded irrigation drains, storm water is absorbed and slowly released into the surrounding soil, helping to prevent surface flooding.

The garden also serves as a natural filter as pollutants in the water are retained and broken down by microbes in the soil, leaving clean water to re-enter lakes, streams and the evaporation cycle, he added. A rain garden can be any size, formally landscaped or filled left to grow naturally.

“We anticipate that our Lake Erie rain garden demonstration project will not only purify our building and parking lot runoff water, but inspire the public and commercial sites to construct their own,” said Dr. Carol Stepien, UT director of the Lake Erie Center.

In fact, the University already has installed rain gardens on its Main Campus for educational, environmental and flood control purposes.

While no one is suggesting rain gardens alone can solve flooding problems as massive as those that occurred in Findlay, when faced with a price tag of more than $100 million, the city also might consider rain gardens to mitigate flooding in some of the city’s most sensitive areas.

After the six days of looting, assault and arson during the Los Angeles Riots of 1992, many people were looking for a form of healing. Since then, the South Central Farmers have worked to build a better community and helped feed area residents through the creation of a local 14-acre garden.

To many members of that community, the garden was seen as a blessing in the midst of one of the county’s most blighted neighborhoods — until a wealthy developer bought the land and threatened to destroy the unifying garden.

As part of The University of Toledo’s Hispanic Heritage Month, Scott Hamilton Kennedy will present and discuss his Academy Award-nominated documentary, “The Garden,” Wednesday, Sept. 30, at 6 p.m. in Doermann Theater on Main Campus.

“The Garden” follows the lives of the farmers, from the extensive work done on the urban farm to their efforts to save the soul of their community in City Hall. Although many of the community residents emigrated from Latin American countries where they feared for their lives if they spoke out, this film shows the community as it organized, fought back, and demanded answers.

In addition, “The Garden” further explores and exposes several fault lines in American society and invokes challenging questions about liberty, equality and justice for the poorest and most vulnerable populations.

Kennedy

“There are so many reasons I was inspired to pick up my camera and follow this story,” Kennedy explained in his director’s statement. “The first time I stepped onto the garden at 41st and Alameda, the city of Los Angeles seemed to vanish. Surrounded by the varieties of fruits, vegetables and herbs, the smell, the air was different immediately. And the people: warm, humble and generous in spirit and with the bounty of their plots.”

In addition to being nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, “The Garden,” won the Best Documentary Award at the American Film Institute/Discovery’s SILVERDOCS Festival, and was an official selection at the L.A. Film Festival.

For more information on this free, public event or other Hispanic Heritage Month happenings, contact the Office of Multicultural Student Services at 419.530.2261.

Brooks Martner will discuss what it’s like to live in a house that runs on solar power Thursday, Oct. 1, at 7 p.m. in Wolfe Hall Room 1201 on UT’s Main Campus.

Atmospheric scientists Brooks Martner and his wife, Marcia Politovich, posed for a photo with their photovoltaic array in Lafayette, Colo.

In 2008, the retired scientist from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration purchased a solar panel system to power his home in Lafayette, Colo. The 5-kilowatt photovoltaic system is connected to the utility company’s grid, which serves as an automatic backup when the sun isn’t shining.

Martner said the panel array was designed to be large enough to produce sufficient power to offset the home’s annual electrical consumption.

Prior to harnessing the sun’s energy, Martner’s monthly electric bills ranged from $40 to $90. These days, that cost averages $8.

He will talk about the cost of the project, rebates, tax credits, and how long it will take for the system to pay for itself.

Martner also will present data collected from a weather station located next to the solar panels. Seasonal and environmental variations — air temperature, snow cover, sun angle, length of daylight — will be discussed, and comparisons of Colorado’s and Ohio’s solar climates will be made.

The free, public lecture is sponsored by the UT Department of Physics and Astronomy. It is one of several special events planned as part of the College of Arts and Sciences’ 100th anniversary celebration year.

For more information, call the UT Physics and Astronomy Department at 419.530.2241.

For more than 30 years, Apple Tree Nursery School has been dedicated to providing quality child care as a convenient and affordable service to students and employees of The University of Toledo.

In addition to providing quality care, Apple Tree recently has started raising “green” awareness for all attending children. See how these children are learning smart environmental habits at the Growing Green Open House Thursday, Sept. 24, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Apple Tree Nursery School on Main Campus.

The open house will include a full tour of the facilities, a look at some activities that demonstrate the development of “green” awareness, and some of the children’s thoughts on being “green.”

“We started our initiative by introducing the children to proper recycling techniques and gardening, and we even tried our hand at composting,” said Sherry Roush, director of Apple Tree Nursery School. “Now we have taken things one step further by gardening indoors and introducing the students to solar technology — like the solar oven our preschool group uses to make nachos and cheese.”

Apple Tree has received full accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s Academy of Childhood programs. In addition, Apple Tree was awarded three stars in Ohio’s quality rating system.

For more information on this public event, watch the video below or contact Roush at 419.530.1070.

The University of Toledo will officially dedicate the Scott Park Campus of Energy and Innovation Monday, Sept. 21, at 10:30 a.m. as it takes its initial history-making steps toward developing a zero carbon footprint campus.

Workers installed a solar array last week on the Scott Park Campus of Energy and Innovation.

The ceremony will occur in the shadow of a newly installed 100-foot wind turbine and near a new 10-kilowatt solar array from Xunlight by the intersection of Nebraska Avenue and Parkside Boulevard.

Remarks will be heard from UT President Lloyd Jacobs; Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur; James Tuschman of the Ohio Board of Regents; Dr. Rosemary Haggett, UT Main Campus provost and executive vice president for academic affairs; Rich Housh, president and CEO of PlugSmart; and Greg Jarosinski, CEO of Constellation Energy Projects and Services Group Inc.

Olivia Summons, chair of the UT Board of Trustees, will read a proclamation dedicating the campus.

“I believe the Scott Park Campus of Energy and Innovation will play a significant role in moving the world away from its dependence on fossil fuels, as well as serve as an extremely valuable resource for our students,” Jacobs said.

The Scott Park Campus of Energy and Innovation will serve as a hands-on alternative energy laboratory used for teaching, research and demonstration, as well as to generate energy and reduce the University’s carbon footprint.

“The goal is to power the entire Scott Park Campus through alternative means, as well as to deliver excess energy to the power grid for use at times when there isn’t enough sun or wind,” said Chuck Lehnert, vice president for facilities and construction. “The end result is that the Scott Park Campus will have a neutral carbon footprint.”

A larger, 1.12-megawatt solar array of First Solar panels will be installed in two fields at the southwest corner of Parkside Boulevard and Hill Avenue near the UT soccer field. This solar field and the wind turbine are owned and operated by Constellation Energy Projects and Services Group of Baltimore.

UT, a national leader in solar energy research, is the only university in the country to commit an entire campus to advancing renewable, alternative and sustainable energies. Proposed projects will include work with wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, energy storage, electric transportation, and transformational grid analytics and modeling.

Data from the projects will be streamed on the Web, allowing companies to test new technologies and students to study alternative energy in real time.

In addition to the many educational opportunities, the Scott Park Campus of Energy and Innovation is expected to foster regional economic development through commercialization and business incubation efforts.

PlugSmart Solutions of Columbus, Ohio, is serving as a consultant in the transformation of Scott Park Campus.

PlugSmart is performing an energy audit of the entire University to find ways to conserve energy, and it is working to line up financing and partnerships for the Scott Park initiative.

Ever notice the debris along the Ottawa River that runs through UT’s Main Campus?

On Saturday, Sept. 12, volunteer a few hours and become part of the solution at the 2009 Clean Your Streams event, which includes a kickoff location starting at 8 a.m. outside Carlson Library. The University is a partner for the community-wide event, which will have more than 700 volunteers and more than 30 cleanup sites in the Toledo area.

“Over 190 volunteers registered at the UT site for the Clean Your Streams event on Sept 13, 2008, in the pouring rain,” Dr. Patrick Lawrence, UT associate professor of geography and planning and chair of the President’s Commission on the River, said. “And more than 50 large bags of garbage and several large items were removed from the river on campus.”

Light bulbs, tents, grills, CD players, a car door and a 50-inch TV were among the items found last year by 760 volunteers who scoured the banks of area waterways.

Clean Your Streams is part of the Ohio Coast Weeks Program and the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup Event. In Toledo, the event is organized by Partners for Clean Streams.

Volunteers may check in at 8 a.m. at any of the following locations:

• Upper Ottawa River — Olander Park Shelter House, 6360 Sylvania Ave., Sylvania;

• Middle Ottawa River — UT Carlson Library on Main Campus;

• Middle Ottawa River — St. Francis High School, 2323 W. Bancroft St., Toledo;

• Lower Ottawa River — Washington Township Fire Station, 2469 Shoreland Ave., Toledo;

• Swan Creek — Swan Creek Watershed, 1865 Finch St., Toledo;

• Lower Maumee River — International Park, 26 Main St., Toledo;

• Lake Erie Tributary and Middle Maumee River — Lake Township Friendship Park, 27975 Cummings Road, Millbury; and

• Maumee Bay Tributary and Lower Maumee River — Oregon Municipal Building, 5330 Seaman Road, Oregon.

Clean up will begin promptly at 9 a.m. For more information and to register groups, go to www.partnersforcleanstreams.org/cys.html.

Lawrence stressed Clean Your Streams is a great opportunity for students involved in a fraternity or sorority to gain philanthropy hours.

Can’t make the Clean Your Streams event? Not to worry, there are a couple events organized by the President’s Commission on the River planned for the 2009 Celebrate Our River Week.

Join the University of Michigan Arts on Earth Program for a Mapping the River presentation Wednesday, Sept. 9, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Student Union Room 2582.

Or meet on the north side of the Center for Performing Arts to celebrate the planting of its rain garden Thursday, Sept. 10, from 4 to 6 p.m.

For more information on Celebrate Our River Week, contact Lawrence at patrick.lawrence@utoledo.edu or 419.530.4128.

The renovated Memorial Field House is so green it’s gold.

Students milled around and studied last week in the Memorial Field House, which received a gold rating for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The former home of Rocket basketball games and rock concerts reclaimed its pivotal place in the lives of University of Toledo students last semester, and now it has been certified as a green building with a gold rating under Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards.

It is the first LEED gold rating for a UT building.

“As a University known as a leader in alternative energy and sustainability, we are proud that all of our new construction is focused on being as environmentally friendly and energy-efficient as possible,” said Chuck Lehnert, vice president for facilities and construction. “This is the first of what we think will be many accolades for our green building efforts.”

The U.S. Green Building Council awarded the rating to the Memorial Field House for meeting a very strict set of parameters to cut energy and water use and lessen a building’s carbon footprint. Specifically, the field house earned points for installing energy-efficient lighting and heating and cooling systems, providing large amounts of natural light, planting water-efficient landscaping, and recycling building materials.

The building also received points because of its close proximity to two bus loops and a conveniently located bike rack, making it a potentially efficient destination.

A gold ranking is the second highest in LEED’S four-tier green building rating system, which ranges from basic certification to platinum status.

The Memorial Field House, constructed in 1931, was totally renovated at a cost of $27 million and opened in January with 54 state-of-the-art classrooms, 70 faculty offices, a three-story central atrium and a 250-seat auditorium.

UT plans to seek a minimum of LEED silver ratings for all ongoing construction projects.

The “Voice of the Great Lakes” will soon be trumpeting the accomplishments of The University of Toledo as they relate to sustainability, the environment and alternative energy.

Detroit’s WJR Radio and UT have formed a partnership to produce a new program, “Environmentally Sound,” that creators say is complementary to the missions of both organizations.

“This monthly, hour-long program will focus on areas where UT has a track record of success in helping to move our nation toward a ‘greener’ world,” said Lawrence J. Burns, vice president for external affairs and interim vice president for equity and diversity, who is host of the program. “With each episode, we’ll be tapping into the work that has earned UT a reputation as a leader in sustainable sources of energy, at the latest trends in the sustainability movement, inviting some of the world’s leading experts to add their voices to this important discussion.

According to Burns, the program will not only focus on UT’s regional efforts, but will also look globally at the latest trends in the sustainability movement, inviting some of the world’s leading experts to add their voices to this important discussion.

The first episode of the pre-recorded program will air at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 23, on WJR Radio, 760 AM.

Guests scheduled to appear include UT President Lloyd Jacobs; Dr. Frank Calzonetti, UT vice president for research and development; Dr. Daryl Moorhead, UT professor of environmental science; Dr. Carol Stepien, director of the UT Lake Erie Center; and Emilia Askari, environmental reporter for the Detroit Free Press.

“This show gives us a tremendous opportunity to position the University as a thought leader in this important area through a wide-reaching radio signal,” Burns said. “I invite everyone to tune in and help make the program a huge success.”

The University of Toledo has signed an agreement with BottomLine Resource Technologies of Columbus, Ohio, to serve as a consultant in the transformation of its Scott Park Campus into a dedicated Campus of Energy and Innovation.

The campus will serve as a hands-on alternative energy laboratory used for teaching, research and demonstration, as well as to generate energy and reduce the University’s carbon footprint.

UT, a national leader in solar energy research, is the only university in the country to commit an entire campus to advancing renewable, alternative and sustainable energies. Proposed projects will include work with wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, energy storage, electric transportation, and transformational grid analytics and modeling.

BottomLine, a subsidiary of Juice Technologies LLC, is a company engaged in consulting, development and program management for utility-scale renewable generation projects, smart electric grid initiatives and energy efficiency projects.

The firm will immediately begin conducting an energy audit of the entire University, highlighting recommended energy conservation measures and potential energy savings. BottomLine also will work with UT to obtain financing for the projects and oversee the implementation process.

“We are energized and excited to manage The University of Toledo’s ambitious plans to become more efficient in the use of electricity and more energy independent through the installation and operation of renewable energy generation,” said Richard D. Housh, BottomLine chairman and CEO. “UT will become the national leader in energy innovation on a campus setting.”

Thomas Hurkmans, BottomLine president and CFO, added, “We will work diligently to assist UT in building all aspects of this project to ensure the lowest possible cost and maximum operating flexibility. This will likely involve innovative public-private partnerships.”

In addition to the many educational opportunities, the Scott Park Campus of Energy and Innovation is expected to foster regional economic development through commercialization and business incubation efforts.

“We are very pleased with our selection of BottomLine Resource Technologies to manage this complex and very important project,” said Chuck Lehnert, UT vice president for facilities and construction. “The Scott Park Campus of Energy and Innovation will be a great resource for our students, as well as a premier location for advanced research and demonstration of energy technologies.”

UT has requested federal stimulus money to support the project.

A formal rededication of the rain garden between Lot 10 north of the Glass Bowl and the Ottawa River on Main Campus will take place Tuesday, June 16, at 11:30 a.m.

All are welcome to attend as the garden is dedicated in memory of former UT staff member Carolyn Edwards.

Edwards, a former secretary in the Alumni Relations Office, passed away in 1993. Her family established a fund in her memory for a garden.

The rain garden was a project of the President’s Commission on the River and was initially presented to the campus community in September with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The garden actively manages storm-water runoff by collecting water and filtering out pollutants before it drains directly into the Ottawa River. It also serves as an outdoor classroom for students studying water quality environmental sustainability practices.