BLeaflet | Issues 1 - 7

Vol. 2, Issue 1

January 2024

THE BLEAFLET SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE Giving Back to the Earth

Actionable Tips: Did you know that window collisions are one of the most significant causes of bird deaths? Unfortunately birds face many threats in our “human built environment” and glass surfaces are one of the most dominant dangers. To read more about this and how to create visual cues visit: Reducing Collisions with Glass

PERSPECTIVE: Our More-Than-Human “Clients”

Here at BL, we cultivate the Leadership Competency of Client Focus. One of our Core Values is Relationships. But who exactly are our clients, and what relationships do we prioritize? Consider this: here in North America, we largely live in and operate from an “anthropocentric” worldview. The concept of “anthropocentrism” is that humankind is the central or most important element of existence. Within this belief, humans are regarded as separate from and superior to nature while other entities are “natural resources” that are used for the benefit of humankind. Or, if we do not take care, exploited. You may have heard that scientists and sociologists place us in “the Anthropocene”, a geological age in which human activity has been so impactful to the planet that it is the dominant shaping influence of the climate and the environment. Ecologists, environmentalists, and sustainability-lovers – like us! – strive to focus on the “more-than-human” world, by recognizing that humans are just one species among many on this planet and that all forms of life have intrinsic value and agency. Let’s revisit the question above with this in mind. On your last project, was your client a municipality or a real estate developer? An energy company? A State DOT (Department of Transportation)? Who were the stakeholders you worked with on your project? Your team may have conducted a wetlands assessment or

environmental impact study to comply with regulatory requirements, but it’s a safe bet the plant and animal population at the site of your project were not exactly the “clients” for whom you were designing. Imagine: How would the project have been different if these more-than-human clients had more of a say in the design? Biodiversity & the Built Environment The built environment has a significant impact on biodiversity – the biological diversity of species, genes and ecosystems. Development that does not appropriately consider the needs of both the local and migratory more-than-human population can cause significant environmental degradation and species harm through habitat depletion, interruption of migration pathways and long-term environmental contamination. Compared to the history and scale of development of our built environment, laws that protect biodiversity are very new. The preservation of biodiversity is rising as a global concern along with climate change, and as such could have a major impact on the future design of buildings and the built environment. As a design professional firm, BL provides services that shape and re-shape both the natural environment and the built environment. We have a crucial role to play and an amazing opportunity to support biodiversity through our design work.

Building an insect home will not only bring beneficial insects to your garden but also helps to deter ones that may be damaging. Many of us don’t realize that modern development and the trend for smooth, clean surfaces lacks the diversity of natural materials that bugs seek to find safe spaces to reproduce and live. To learn more about the benefits and to learn how to build one take a look here: How to Build a Bug Mansion

According to Wikipedia a wildlife corridor, habitat corridor, or green corridor is an area of habitat connecting wildlife populations separated by human activities or structures (such as roads, development, or logging). When areas are broken up, populations can become unstable and these corridors can reconnect fragmented populations and help stabilize a population. Wildlife refuges provide vital passages for birds, fish and mammals on the move and should be another consideration when developing areas. You can learn more about these wildlife corridors here: 7 Crucial Wildlife Corridors in the United States

Learn more here:

1. DDT Regulatory History https://www.epa.gov/archive/epa/aboutepa/ddt-regulatory-history brief-survey-1975.html 2. Long Island Osprey https://www.psegliny.com/wildlife/osprey 3. Enhancing Biodiversity in Cities through Design https://icon-science.org/enhancing-biodiversity-in-cities-through design-2/