Photo credit: Massachusetts Office Of Travel & Tourism licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition
The New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill, a nationally recognized botanic garden, will be the first botanic garden in the nation to receive American Green Zone Alliance (AGZA) Green Zone® certification. The Garden is owned and operated by the Worcester County Horticultural Society, the third oldest horticultural society in the nation. Achieving Green Zone status signals New England Botanic Garden’s ongoing commitment to sustainable practices that support a healthy environment and help combat climate change.
AGZA, a global leader in transitioning land care to low impact practices, and Quiet Communities collaborated in assisting Tower Hill with a transition from fossil fuel powered equipment to battery electric equipment used in maintenance of the garden. An AGZA Certified Green Zone is one in which routine maintenance is performed with low impact equipment, helping to reduce noise, emissions, fuel spillage, and toxic waste while saving money from avoided fuel and reduced maintenance.
For our readers in New England, a celebration of the Tower Hill Green Zone will take place on October 27th at 4:30 pm and will include U.S. Congressman Jim McGovern, among others. Click here for the invitation.
We hope other botanic gardens, and municipal parks, golf courses, and other outdoor venues will follow the lead of Tower Hill and become AGZA certified Green Zones.
