Davey Tree Flipbooks

May/June 2014 | 15 A t the Cleveland Clinic's Twinsburg Family Health and Surgery Center, meadows of wildflowers bloom and extensive groundcover creates a show of green. And it's done all without extensive landscape maintenance. The groundcover is no-mow, the lawn care program only uses organic materials, and even weeding practices are highly selective. "Aside from occasional mowing, there is really nothing done mechanically," explains Kent Winterhalter, Davey's CLS Cleveland East branch manager. This Cleveland Clinic facility earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED properties conserve energy and water, save money, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to a healthier environment. Davey's Cleveland East CLS branch collaborated with Davey Resource Group's natural resource consulting (NRC) team to meet Cleveland Clinic's sustainability goals —some of which were very specific, such as renovating the landscaping surrounding two helipads and establishing sustainable upland habitats. "This project has been a seamless team effort involving the whole Davey family from DRG to CLS, including the Davey Nursery," Winterhalter says. "This collaboration makes it convenient for our clients." GREENER PASTURES. DRG conducted a site inspection to determine which plant species required removal and which species could thrive and contribute to a healthy ecosystem. "From wetlands to upland meadows and everything in between, helping the Cleveland Clinic restore these valuable natural resources exemplifies the future of sustainability," says Nick Dios, a site manager for NRC's Ohio Ecological Restoration Service (OERS). The landscape appears virtually untouched, but Davey closely monitors this area to ensure the meadows are maturing into a balanced ecosystem of beneficial plants by ruling out the "bad guys"—or weeds and invasive or non-native plant material. Low-maintenance groundcover beds are It's back to nature at a Cleveland Clinic facility that achieved a sustainable, LEED-certified landscape. managed with hand weeding, and as plants mature the beds will require far less labor. The plantings also provide other benefits to the buildings, points out Ken Christensen, a senior biologist at DRG. "Davey can create efficient watering strategies by planning landscapes with site-specific planting plans and by using native plant materials," Christensen says. "We want this to be a natural, self-sustaining landscape as opposed to a high-maintenance, disturbed construction site," Dios adds. MAINTAINING INTEGRITY. Ultimately, Davey created a landscape plan that incorpo- rates no-mow areas, native plants and natural features that require less maintenance, as well as sustainable lawn care practices. The collaboration between CLS and DRG contributes to the energy efficiency and sustainability of the space—LEED practices that are the right thing to do for the property. And thanks to Davey, Cleveland Clinic Twinsburg continues to flourish as a natural environment and set an example for the future of sustainability. Right: "Wetland mitigation ensures nice, healthy wetland and woodland areas," says Nick Dios, a biologist and urban forester for DRG. The wildflowers Davey maintains at the Cleveland Clinic Twinsburg facility bloom at staggered times to provide a show of color year-round. Left: Davey suggested installing meadow- grass, which at first requires maintenance just a few times each season, at the Cleveland Clinic Twinsburg facility.

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