Green Community Movement

Aquascape launched the Green Community Movement in 2009 with our “Extreme Green Community Makeover” project in the Chicago suburb of Sugar Grove (see more below).  We’re passionate about growing this green movement by teaching like-minded folks about sustainable landscaping and its benefit to our environmental surroundings. The "Creating Opportunity with Sustainable Landscapes" seminar tour (see more below) is step one in motivating individuals to carry the eco-friendly baton and pass it on to further the movement so that it grows and flourishes across the nation. Won’t you join us in the cause and learn what can happen when a motivated community meets a great idea? Giving people an opportunity to be part of something bigger than they can accomplish by themselves is the cornerstone of the Green Community Movement.  One landscape can make a difference, but see what happens when groups of people come together with a common “green” goal in mind!

Just The Beginning of the Movement
This year during Pondemonium®, our "Extreme" event came in the form of a community green makeover.  Starting on Friday night, July 17th and working into Saturday, July 18th, everyone came to take part in a series of water feature builds that would "green" an entire neighborhood in Sugar Grove, IL known as Lakes of Bliss Woods subdivision.  These homeowners were excited about taking part in this event that would make their subdivision into an environmentally-friendly neighborhood which would launch a green movement like no other.  This is just the beginning of something HUGE.

Some of the projects that were installed during this Extreme Green Community Makeover event:
- 6 RainXchange™ Rainwater Harvesting Systems with fountainscape water features
- 3 RainXchange™ Rainwater Harvesting Systems with permeable paver patios and a fountainscape water feature
- 3 RainXchange™ Rainwater Harvesting Systems with Pondless® Waterfalls water features
- 3 Standard Ecosystem Ponds/Water Gardens
- 1 Intermediate/Advanced Pond with a negative edge application
- Numerous rain gardens and rain barrel installations throughout the community
- A large aeration system added to the community’s retention pond & native plantings added to the banks of the pond.
- LED lighting installation and native plantings incorporated into the residential landscape projects.

The Conservation Foundation (www.theconservationfoundation.org)  was on hand to certify yards that qualified for its Conservation @ Home Program. Qualifying yards received a sign identifying it as a wildlife haven and environmentally friendly yard.  Partners working with Aquascape to create the first-ever Extreme Green Community Makeover include Unilock of Aurora, IL; JFNew of Walkerton, Indiana; Aqua Control of Spring Valley, IL; and the Conservation Foundation of Naperville, IL; Caterpillar of Peoria, IL; Toro of Bloomington, MN .

To see how it all began, check out these video blogs. 

Extreme Green Community Makeover Introduction Clip 
Extreme Green Community Makeover Part One
Extreme Green Community Makeover Part Two
Extreme Green Community Makeover Part Three

How Can You Get Involved with the Launch of the Green Community Movement?

From contractors to architects, city engineers to conservationists, we are inviting all those involved, or those who want to be involved, to be included in capitalizing on the “green” movement that’s sweeping our planet. For those principals there has never been a more opportune time to align their organizations around the greening of our planet. From water conservation to storm water management, LED lighting to xeriscaping, if it’s happening outdoors and it’s conservation-oriented, it can be part of the movement.