The Conservation Fund and Partners Participate in the U.S. Botanic Garden’s Summer Exhibition

May 23, 2008

Washington, DC – Visitors to the nation’s capital this summer will have the opportunity to learn about sustainable lifestyles and communities at the United States Botanic Gardens. This year the ever-popular summer exhibition – “One Planet – Ours!” – will feature displays from government agencies, non-governmental organizations and individuals who are leading efforts on sustainability, including two exhibits from The Conservation Fund and its partners on Sustainable Schoolyards and Green Infrastructure.

Sustainable Schoolyard exhibit: This exhibit illustrates some of the outdoor classroom concepts, ecological teaching tools and creative play ideas that can be added to almost any schoolyard in America. Explore this exhibit and learn how Sustainable Schoolyards contribute to and inspire active living, sustainable communities and smart growth.

The Sustainable Schoolyards exhibit is presented by Friends of Smart Growth and Sustainable Communities, which includes the following organizations: American Farmland Trust, American Planning Association, Concern, Inc., National Association of Realtors ®, National Association of Counties, The Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education, The Conservation Fund and the Smart Growth Network. This coalition was formed with the intent to demonstrate healthy schoolyards as key elements of green, active and sustainable communities.

For more information, visit: www.SustainableSchoolyard.org.

Green Infrastructure exhibit: The Conservation Fund, in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Association of Regional Councils, and other members of the growing Green Infrastructure Community of Practice, is providing an exhibit on Green Infrastructure, the development of an interconnected network of green spaces within a community. The exhibit will define Green Infrastructure and provide real examples of successful networks from across the country. There will be additional emphasis placed on the diverse benefits of Green Infrastructure, on low impact development techniques as an important piece of implementing a network locally and on efforts within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

To see The Conservation Fund’s Green Infrastructure work, visit: www.GreenInfrastructure.net.

“One Planet – Ours!” opens on May 24 and will remain on display through October 13. Exhibits will be displayed in the Conservatory Terrace, the National Garden and Bartholdi Park. The exhibition is open to the public and is free of charge. Further information is available by calling (202) 225-8333 or visiting http://www.usbg.gov/education/events/One-Planet-Ours.cfm.

About The Conservation Fund

The Conservation Fund is the nation's foremost environmental nonprofit dedicated to protecting America's land and water legacy for current and future generations. Seeking innovative conservation solutions for the 21st century, the Fund works to integrate economic and environmental goals. Since its founding in 1985, the Fund has helped its partners safeguard wildlife habitat, working landscapes, community “greenspace” and historic sites totaling more than 6 million acres. With 1% fundraising costs and 97% program allocation, The Conservation Fund is recognized as the nation's top-rated environmental nonprofit by both the American Institute of Philanthropy and Charity Navigator.

http://www.conservationfund.org