About two years ago, the MapSOMil Green Team (not the official name) started talking about changing the paradigm of what makes a yard awesome. After lots of work and discussion, re:Yard was born. Lots of residents have signed up to be part of this incredible transformation toward more ecologically sensitive yards. I’ve already applied many of the principles within re:Yard to my projects throughout South Orange and Maplewood, and have gotten wonderful results.
The MapSoMili Green Team is made up of people from Maplewood, South Orange, and Millburn, NJ. The group coordinates with each other to support and amplify individual town efforts as well as team up to do programs together. re:Yard is the first multi-town project I’ve worked on with the team.
re:Yard is a Game Changer
South Orange, Maplewood and Millburn are vibrant communities with the full spectrum of personalities and perspectives. It’s both progressive and sustainably-minded, however, one area where it's stuck in the past is how yards are managed. The old ideal for a beautiful yard is modeled after a golf course. You need huge amounts of toxic fertilizers, chemicals and water to have a putting green lawn. You can have a gorgeous green yard without ever using chemicals or excess irrigation. Natural, organic and non-toxic options are easily accessible. It really just takes a few minor changes.
But your dream sustainable yard doesn’t have to stop with your grass. re:Yard helps educate residents about how a property can fight climate change, create habitat for butterflies & birds and resolve water issues with gardens. As you change your yard into a wonderland of native plants, life and healthy living, re:Yard awards you with more and more points. The more points you get, the higher the ranking you get.
The Levels of re:Yard
re:Yard has four levels for members. The first level is member level. You get this certification by signing up for the program. Bronze and Silver are the next two levels. You qualify for these levels as you amass between 23 and 47 points. The highest level of ranking is Gold! It is challenging to get to Gold, but it is more than doable.
I’m super proud to announce that seven of my projects from last year have all achieved a re:Yard rating. Of the seven, one is bronze, one is silver and five (counting them1, 2, 3, 4, 5!!) are GOLD! The projects include a full menu of green features like listed above. I regularly post about my projects on this blog as well as helpful tips about the technical issues of transforming our yard into green GOLD. All members of the program get a sign that shows your level of certification. Below is one of the gold signs I got to hand out to a client.
The MapSoMili Green Team is made up of people from Maplewood, South Orange, and Millburn, NJ. The group coordinates with each other to support and amplify individual town efforts as well as team up to do programs together. re:Yard is the first multi-town project I’ve worked on with the team.
re:Yard is a Game Changer
South Orange, Maplewood and Millburn are vibrant communities with the full spectrum of personalities and perspectives. It’s both progressive and sustainably-minded, however, one area where it's stuck in the past is how yards are managed. The old ideal for a beautiful yard is modeled after a golf course. You need huge amounts of toxic fertilizers, chemicals and water to have a putting green lawn. You can have a gorgeous green yard without ever using chemicals or excess irrigation. Natural, organic and non-toxic options are easily accessible. It really just takes a few minor changes.
But your dream sustainable yard doesn’t have to stop with your grass. re:Yard helps educate residents about how a property can fight climate change, create habitat for butterflies & birds and resolve water issues with gardens. As you change your yard into a wonderland of native plants, life and healthy living, re:Yard awards you with more and more points. The more points you get, the higher the ranking you get.
The Levels of re:Yard
re:Yard has four levels for members. The first level is member level. You get this certification by signing up for the program. Bronze and Silver are the next two levels. You qualify for these levels as you amass between 23 and 47 points. The highest level of ranking is Gold! It is challenging to get to Gold, but it is more than doable.
I’m super proud to announce that seven of my projects from last year have all achieved a re:Yard rating. Of the seven, one is bronze, one is silver and five (counting them1, 2, 3, 4, 5!!) are GOLD! The projects include a full menu of green features like listed above. I regularly post about my projects on this blog as well as helpful tips about the technical issues of transforming our yard into green GOLD. All members of the program get a sign that shows your level of certification. Below is one of the gold signs I got to hand out to a client.
Here’s another Gold sign in a re:Yard yard!
The re:Yard program has lots to love about it. One thing that stands out for me is that it is easy to integrate into any yard or landscape project. I think that most of my clients work with me because of my design sense and my expertise with sustainability. But every project is a little different with different budgets, timelines and ultimate goals. re:Yard really is sensitive to needs for designers and owners to customize sustainability around lifestyles and aspirations.
I’ve had a great time working on the program with the green team. I’ve had an equally great time working with clients to create sustainable yards! I’m hoping to see re:Yard grow more and more. I’m also looking forward to getting more yards signed-up and certified as Gold!
I’ve had a great time working on the program with the green team. I’ve had an equally great time working with clients to create sustainable yards! I’m hoping to see re:Yard grow more and more. I’m also looking forward to getting more yards signed-up and certified as Gold!
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