January 18, 2002


Attendees:
Don Berger, Head of School
Sally Butler, parent volunteer
Jess Garcia, Director of Facilities
Todd Lasseigne, Assistant Director, JC Raulston Arboretum
Susan Little, parent volunteer and landscape architect
Eloise Robinson, parent volunteer
Louise Romanow, parent volunteer, head of Grounds Committee
Jon Weiss, parent
Jim Welch, Landscape Manager

The group discussed how to achieve a more sustainable and environmentally friendly campus. We agreed that CA would try to reduce water use, especially on established plantings.

Todd noted that long-lived trees use the least resources while annuals and grasses require the most. In line with our goal of creating a sustainable environment where shade is highly prized, we discussed the amount of grass on campus and ways to reduce that acreage where feasible. We acknowledge that certain areas must always remain in high-maintenance grass. These are the quad and the sports fields. Lawns close to buildings will be kept to maintain a clean campus appearance, but we recognized that as they mature, trees will eventually shade some areas around buildings, preventing grass from growing under them, and some areas currently in grass near buildings may be developed into gardens.

We shall probably consider using a tool suggested by Jon, an overlay procedure proposed by Ian McCard in his book Designs by Nature, where we can create different designations on each overlay, defining different considerations, e.g., pedagogical, ecological, sports, pedestrian traffic, security, soils, slopes, and various activities. This will help us visualize all the purposes (competing and complementary) of the campus.

Plantings in buffer areas will be considered carefully with an eye to sustainability, appearance, and consideration of their purpose. The buffer areas should frame the campus, and tree placement and shape must be relative to buildings. Our long-range plan, which we plan to complete by April, will propose treatments to enhance the environmental impact of Cary Academy, reduce our dependence on irrigation, and aim to minimize disturbance from outside noise and wind.

Louise Romanow
October 21, 2002