Posted by Leif Riddervold on May 1st, 2008 in Agriculture, Education and Inspiration, General, Green Building, Nature/Environment

This contraption has been turning a lot of heads on Plank Road these days, with several neighbors calling to ask what we are up to.   Are we attempting communication with alien civilizations?  Actually, this is a data collection station that a University of Virginia Hydrology class has set up as part of their field lab. 

Todd Scandon’s (UVA Environmental Science Professor) hydrology class is making use of Bundoran Farm’s ample space to learn about data collection methodologies for hydrologic investigations.  This instrument not only measures meteorological and stream flow variables, but also measures carbon flux.  That is, how much carbon dioxide is being released or sequestered at any given point in time, then integrating that data over several weeks or months to determine the carbon flux at that point in the pasture. 

We are pleased to report that their data indicates a net carbon uptake in this pasture.  In other words, the pasture and its soils are sequestering carbon.  With over 1,000 acres of pasture and an equal number in hardwood forest, Bundoran Farm serves as an important carbon sink.  Hopefully we can persuade the folks in the Environmental Science department to conduct some more detailed studies to determine the actual tonnage of carbon sequestered, and perhaps determine if any particular land use change might increase the level of uptake. 

Part of the mission at Bundoran and the Baldwin Center for Preservation Development is to facilitate and provide a venue for agricultural and environmental research opportunities, so that we all can benefit from the knowledge gained. 

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Posted by Joe Barnes on April 26th, 2008 in Education and Inspiration, General

During my boys recent springbreak, we made the American family pilgramage to Walt Disney World. During our visit, we made a side trip to Celebration, FL, the town I was priveleged to work on with my current partners from Celebration Associates — Charles Adams and Don Killoren.

Building a new town from scratch is not an easy endevor. It requires the talents, passion and hardwork of many people. Of all the items we had to assist with the creation of Celebration, the most important item of all was the fact that everyone involved had a extremely clear vision of what we hoped the town would look like and feel like.

It was great to that Celebration not only looked great, it felt great.

During my drive back to Charlottesville, I reflected on the vast differences between Celebration and Bundoran Farm. Perhaps the biggest difference is that with Celebration, we had to image what things would look like when the initial development activites were finished. At Bundoran Farm, you don’t have to image to hard to see what things will look like in 5, 10 or 50 years since the look and feel of this legacy landscape can be experienced by touring the property today. And thanks to all the steps we have taken to preserve the character and use of the land in perpuity and to respect the traditions of the Charlottesville/Albemarle County region, the before and the after will be nearly identical.

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Posted by Casey Williams on April 16th, 2008 in Bundoran Farm Events and Occasions, Education and Inspiration, Green Building, Nature/Environment

On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment.  Earth Day celebrations are now held every year on April 22 to expand environmental awareness and promote environmental stewardship.  In Charlottesville however, the celebration has evolved into a week-long experience that includes an Eco-Fair, roundtables, workshops, and movie screenings.  Historic Garden Week and the EarthCraft Home Tour are also coming up later this month.  Details on some of these events are provided below.   

Earth Day Eco-Fair,  Saturday, April 19, 10-3, Charlottesville High School

Check out what over 50 local groups are doing to address climate change and how you can join them.  A schedule of events and list of participating organizations is available online at www.earthweek.org.  

Energy Efficiency Roundtable, Tuesday, April 22, 7 pm CCDC

Any way you look at it, energy matters.  Come hear an expert panel discuss the environmental, social and political relevance of energy efficiency today and what can be done at the individual and community level to address it.  Panel is free and open to all. Light refreshments will be served. 

Workshop: Residential Energy Audits Demystified, Wednesday, April 23, 6pm CCDC

Ever considered getting an energy audit?  With rising energy costs hitting us hard in our wallets, now is the time to learn how to cut down your monthly utility bill while improving comfort and indoor air quality in your home.  Workshop is free and open to the public. 

Screening: Amory Lovins Lecture on Energy Efficient Buildings, Thursday, April 24, noon, CCDC

This is the first in a 5-part lecture series on designing for improved building performance by Rocky Mountain Institute Founder Amory Lovins at Stanford University in March 2007. Free and open to the public. Run time 1 hour and 36 minutes. 

Earth Week Film Series: Crude Impact, Thursday, April 24 at 2pm, Gravity Lounge

This feature film explores the interconnection between human domination of the planet, and the discovery and use of oil. Crude Impact has been an official selection at over twenty film festivals around the world and has won numerous awards. $5 adults/kids free. 

Earth Week Film Series: Kilowatt Hours, Saturday, April 26 at 2 pm, Gravity Lounge

Filmmaker Jeff Barrie takes viewers on a journey from the coal mines of West Virginia to the solar panel fields of Florida, as he discovers solutions to America’s energy related problems. Al Weed of Public Policy Virginia will lead a presentation and discussion afterwards. $5 adults/kids free 

EarthCraft Home Tour, Saturday & Sunday April 19 – 20 and 26 – 27, 12:00-5:00 pm

The tour consists of 15 EarthCraft Certified Homes that exhibit a wide range of home sizes, price ranges and neighborhoods.  Preview the houses, get directions, and find more information about the EarthCraft Program online at http://www.blueridgeearthcrafttour.org/.  Admission is Free. 

Historic Garden Week, April 19 – 27, 2008

This annual event offers open-house access to gardens of historical interest.  Sponsored by The Garden Club of Virginia, tours benefit the restoration of important historic grounds and gardens throughout the state.  For more information about the houses and gardens featured in this area, including the schedule, tour highlights, and ticket information, is available online at http://www.vagardenweek.org/.

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Posted by Casey Williams on April 3rd, 2008 in Education and Inspiration, General, Green Building

The second of four construction tours showcasing a variety of green building features will take place this coming Saturday, April 5th at 10am.  The homeowners, Brian and Joan Day, and the owner of Upstream Construction, Terry Herndon, will be on hand to answer questions about the project.  The home is being built to attain three green building certifications:  LEED for Homes, EarthCraft and EnergyStar. 

Tour #2 will focus on the installation of utilities in Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) walls and advanced insulation techniques, such as BioBased Soy Spray Foam applied under the roof.  These advanced building techniques can yield an insulation R-value well above local code requirements and ead to excellent energy efficiency.  Other unique features of the home construction will also be discussed. 

Please wear shoes suitable to walk up a steep gravel driveway.  If the weather is wet, it will be muddy. Directions to the building site can be found at www.Upstream-Construction.com.

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Posted by Leif Riddervold on March 6th, 2008 in Agriculture, Bundoran Farm Events and Occasions, Education and Inspiration, Nature/Environment

Here at Bundoran Farm we are taking steps to diversify our agricultural base. In order to determine the best products to raise on the farm, we need to establish which crops or livestock will do well in our climate, and can be raised sustainably from both an environmental and economic perspective. This begins with considerable research and visits to other farms. Then we experiment on a small scale. One of the products that we have determined could be a good fit for Bundoran Farm is Shiitake Mushrooms.

Shiitake’s are native to areas of East Asia with a similar climate to central Virginia. In fact Albemarle County provides ideal conditions for Shiitake mushrooms, with warm humid summers and generally mild winters.

Last week we engaged one of our Founding Stewards, Grady Lewis, to help us inoculate over 100 oak logs with Shiitake mycelium. It was quite a lot of work, but also great fun. It is quite rewarding to look at the logs at the end of the week and realize that in six months or so they will be sprouting loads of delicious and nutritious mushrooms! Once the logs complete the spawn run stage (initial period of time when fungus colonizes logs), they can be stored in a shady area. Grady and Diane Lewis are building a home on a wooded site ideal for growing a few mushrooms, and will certainly enjoy picking some fresh Shiitake’s from there back yard logs.

In future posts, we will let you know about other alternative agricultural ventures that we initiate.

Leif Riddervold
Natural Resources Manager

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