Mahtomedi – church goes green

Church looks to blend into nature
Environmentally friendly expansion project in harmony with nature

Oct 02, 2007 – 11:36:20 CDT.

by Mike Morgan
Staff Writer

MAHTOMEDI – When White Bear Unitarian Universalist Church leaders realized they needed more space for their growing congregation, they decided to let the land be the landmark rather than the building.

The philosophy is evident as soon as one drives into the church’s new parking lot, which is lined by mature Oaks and punctuated by several tall trees that jut up from specially built islands of soil.

Saving as many trees as possible was just one of the ways the church made its nearly completed project as environmentally friendly as possible.

The parking lot also features a state-of-the-art storm water management system that uses porous pavement to filter water.

The trees that did have to be cut down were processed and used to make wall paneling inside the new sanctuary’s lobby. Leftover scraps are being made into furniture.

Instead of building a flashy new building, planners opted for a rustic look. Literally.

A special type of steel alloy was used for the outside walls, which will develop a deep reddish-brown coat of rust designed to blend into the woods behind the church.

“We love the site,” said Klay Eckles, a member of the congregation who helped plan the project. “Being in harmony with nature was one of our primary principals.”

Everything from storm water management to alternative energy was considered. Aesthetics were considered, too.

Services in the new building are held in front of a large window that offers a view of the woods and a creek that was built in conjunction with the expansion.

Eckles said church leaders’ green ambitions were embraced by the Rice Creek Watershed District and the city of Mahtomedi.

The watershed district provided funding for the parking lot system, which is the biggest of its kind in Minnesota and will serve as an example of the technology for developers thinking about using it in future projects.

Porous pavements have been used extensively in other parts of the country but not in Minnesota because of questions about how it responds to freeze-thaw cycles.

The church is hoping its system proves the technology works well and builders begin using it. The watershed district was eager to help the cause, Eckles said.

Filtering rain water where it lands is considered better for the environment than the traditional method of piping it into ponds because fewer pollutants get into the water.

Church members are happy the expanded parking lot is better for the environment but are also eager for its main purpose: Allowing more people to come to the church and participate in services and events.

Eckles said the church is an inclusive faith community where people from all sorts of religious backgrounds gather.

Unitarian Universalists value the interconnectedness of all existence and support service to the community, according to the church’s Web site.

People with all sorts of ideas and beliefs are welcome.

The church will dedicate its new building during an Oct. 14 ceremony. Call 651-426-2369 or visit www.whitebearunitarian.org for more information.

Mike Morgan can be reached at 651-407-1218 or whitebearnews@presspubs.com

Students Greening of School

Students Bring Environment Lessons to Their School

Posted on: Monday, 24 September 2007, 09:00 CDT

By Megan Boldt, Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.

Sep. 24–Mounds Park Academy is taking steps to go green, thanks to some prodding from two students.

Seniors Christine Hansen and Katherine Gherty persuaded school officials to test a rooftop garden and solar panels in hopes the Maplewood school could incorporate the environmental practices into its next phase of construction.

The students’ advocacy is no surprise to those who know the two teenagers from White Bear Lake. They also started the school’s environment club two years ago.

“They have really raised awareness about these issues,” said Dave Aune, Mounds Park’s finance director. “They were very persistent. They wouldn’t give up.”

Hansen was the brains behind the rooftop garden. She talked to structural engineers and Maplewood city officials last year to see if such a garden would work at the school. Rooftop gardens not only help reduce runoff, Hansen said, they also cut heating and cooling costs because the vegetation insulates the roof.

She finally persuaded Mounds Park’s facility committee to let her build a small version of a rooftop garden just three feet off the ground. Construction begins next week. Hansen is working with the school’s science department so students can collect data as part of their class work to see which types of plants work best. If plants can thrive on the test garden and prevent runoff, Hansen’s idea could be a part of the cafeteria’s new roof when it’s refurbished in about three years.

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Gherty decided to tackle solar energy when the environment club was looking for a larger-scale project to work on.

“I thought solar panels in the school would not only educate students but educate parents about how easy solar energy really can be,” she said. “It’s really not that expensive.”

A one-kilowatt system with six solar panels — which produces 1,200 kilowatts of energy a year — will be placed on the gymnasium roof. Machines will collect weather information and record how much energy the panels are bringing in.

“Obviously, it won’t power the school. It’s a test to demonstrate how it works and whether it’s feasible here,” Aune said. “The dream would be to incorporate them into our roof structures. It would save money, and, environmentally, it’s the right thing to do.”

Hansen’s and Gherty’s projects are just part of their work to raise environmental awareness among their peers and teachers. About 25 to 30 students regularly attend weekly meetings of their environment club.

The group has helped plant and weed the four rain gardens on Mounds Park Academy’s grounds and started cardboard recycling at the school. The club also runs various awareness campaigns on global warming, recycling and other issues.

“There are little things students can do to help, and they don’t know about them,” Hansen said. “It’s so easy.”

Julie Vigness-Pint, a district technician with the Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, has worked with Mounds Park on its rain gardens and the rooftop garden. She said the school has gone above and beyond getting students involved in these projects and supporting their ideas.

“These students have a lot of energy. And they have a lot of focus,” she said.

Megan Boldt covers education, including Washington County schools and the North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale school district. She can be reached at mboldt@pioneerpress.com or 651-228-5495.