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Elder Creek Landscape Design Studios
Stepping Towards Sustainability
The Sandbox



Exploring the thoughtwork that drives quality design
for our clients | for the profession

rick9162
Apr 13, 20244 min read
Do water-efficient irrigation systems work against low-carbon goals?
The carbon footprint of any given material is not necessarily obvious or even intuitive. This brief intro should help you begin to wrap...
18 views

rick9162
Mar 18, 20246 min read
It's Not Just About Carbon | Using the Three Pillars Framework to Guide Ecological Literacy in the Landscape
It's about ecosystem services, and carbon is a part of that. I obviously support balancing our landscapes within the carbon cycle....
49 views


rick9162
Aug 4, 20233 min read
Elder Creek Said No to Organic Fertilizers a Long Time Ago.
Elder Creek said no to organic fertilizers back in 2010. Actually, we say no to all fertilizers wherever possible and use organics for...
70 views

rick9162
Jun 23, 20233 min read
Should We Claim Existing Carbon Assets as our Own?
What is the moral and practical stance on claiming existing sequestration assets when developing a new project? This is a hotly debated...
16 views


rick9162
Jun 3, 20234 min read
Precision vs. Accuracy
precision accuracy; exactness: the degree of refinement with which an operation is performed accuracy the condition or quality of being...
23 views


rick9162
Jun 3, 20232 min read
You're landscape isn't Carbon Balanced, you say?
So your landscape isn't carbon balanced? It isn't even balancing out in the next 10 years? All I can say is, Welcome to the party!...
17 views


rick9162
May 12, 20232 min read
Succulents and Sagebrush, The Future of Sonoma County landscapes?
At last fall's ASLA Conference in San Francisco, I was lucky enough to share a table with a grad student committed to carbon solutions...
40 views

rick9162
May 12, 20233 min read
Can i really have a carbon negative landscape? and a pool? and concrete patios, and everything else.
Probably Not at least not in any reasonable timeline. The truth of the matter is that many of our lifestyle choices and many of the...
28 views
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