Efroymson Conservation Center

In September, I did a speaking tour for 

The Nature Conservancy.

One of my presentations was at their headquarters in Indianapolis, the Efroymson Conservation Center.

Exterior of the center

Though I've toured several gold LEED rated buildings, this is the first platinum LEED rated building I've ever come across.

Lobby

All the brick in this building and much of the wood was reclaimed and reused from the building previously on the site.

Rainwater is captured and used by the green roof or the gardens around the center which are planted with native species. Storm water that falls on the property is also gathered via permeable pavement to be reused on site to water plants or to flush the toilets in the center.

"Green" roof

LiveWall planted with species native to Indiana

 Geothermal heating and cooling and a lighting system that automatically senses when it is needed are also components making this an incredibly GREEN building.

Horseshoe Harbor on the Keweenaw

Ben standing before a wall of 

conglomerate stone

While hiking the shores of Lake Superior on my 1000-mile Great Lakes Hike, I explored a bit of the Keweenaw Peninsula.

Ben was along on this part of my adventure.

A solitary sandpiper works the marshy edges

I enjoyed learning about the geology of this unique landmass. The peninsula is actually a  syncline, the tilted edge of the earth's crust. Eons ago, this area bubbled with lava and the weight of that cooled magma depressed what would become the basin of the lake and the earth's crust tore and lifted at the edges.

I hike along a trail at the tip of the Keweenaw 

Ben scurries down a rocky hillside

Ben stands on the tilted edge of a slate layer 

I explore the geology of Lake Superior and its edges in my upcoming book:

A 1000-MILE GREAT LAKES WALK

The book will be released in 2013. Please "like" my Facebook Author Page in order to keep current on the release of the book and my speaking engagements.

Saugatuck Nature Preserve

Back in January, I wrote about a tract of lakeshore -- 171 acres of it -- which had been purchased and protected as a nature preserve.

Today, I finally got out to hike this land. It was almost 60 degrees, clear and mild, a wonderful day to explore these rolling dunes just north of Oval Beach in Saugatuck, Michigan. The tract of land stretches up to the mouth of the Kalamazoo River where it empties into Lake Michigan. There were patches of snow still nestled in the dune grass, but the lake was completely clear of the shelf ice that stretched out into the fog the last time I was out to this side of the lake.

The Land Conservancy, the City of Saugatuck, and The Nature Conservancy joined with private donors to protect this land just before 2009 ended.

A Timely Gift

A tract of lakeshore -- 171 acres of it -- has just been purchased and protected. This untouched land is located just north of Oval Beach in Saugatuck, Michigan, and stretches up to the mouth of the Kalamazoo River where it empties into Lake Michigan. The Land Conservancy, the City of Saugatuck, and The Nature Conservancy joined with private donors to close the $20 million dollar deal just before 2009 ended.

The preservation of this wild area is a gift to us all.