From exhibits to gardens, Springs Preserve is green to its core

The Springs Preserve is green to its core.

From its exhibits to its gardens, learning opportunities are everywhere.

“Almost everywhere you go, you are presented with information about sustainability,” said Aaron Micallef, curator of exhibits at Springs Preserve. “A lot of times when we think about sustainability, people only think about green building, recycling, but it’s also thinking about what we’ve already got and maybe not tearing it up and not removing it.”

Visitors to the Springs Preserve can learn about sustainability by attending cooking or gardening workshops, tours and exhibits, as well as interacting with hands-on activities at the NV Energy Foundation Sustainability Gallery.

According to Beth Moore, public information coordinator for Southern Nevada Water Authority, Las Vegas Valley Water District and Springs Preserve, by focusing a lot of their marketing efforts online and on social media, they are able to reduce their carbon footprint. “We’re out in the community talking about sustainable living and promoting the Springs Preserve and getting people here so they can also learn about sustainable living and sustainable lifestyles.”

Why is being green important?

“I think it’s important because we want to be good stewards of the environment, and I know that can sound a little overused, but at the same time we as humans have to interact, and we are an important part of this environment, but we’re not the only part,” said Micallef.

How can going green improve productivity?

“When we’re using native plants — a non-native plant might need additional irrigation, pruning — all that kinds of stuff. When we’re talking about native plants, they do just well here so we’re probably spending less on man hours on them than you might with another species,” Micallef said.

What influenced your decision to pursue green practices?

“It’s just who we are and it’s what we are based on, and what we were created on and founded on. It’s through our mission — everything we do,” Moore said.

How has being green reshaped your company’s public perception?

“There’s an expectation from the public that what we’re going to present is the best practices in terms of sustainability,” Micallef said. “It’s one very important part of the Springs Preserve, but it’s something that just permeates through everything that we do.”

“We don’t just talk the talk, we walk the walk,” Moore said. “I think the community looks to us as examples and as leaders in that.”

— Andrea Corral/Las Vegas Business Press