Historic Green in New Orleans

Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development’s HISTORIC GREEN New Orleans NEEDS YOUR HELP –
Join CSED in NOLA this March!
From March 8 through March 22, the Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development (CSED) in the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans (blocks away from Brad Pitt’s “Make it Right” project) is hosting a large volunteer event called HISTORIC GREEN, focused on rebuilding historic properties as sustainably as possible. Your interest and expertise are needed as CSED takes on 10 projects in 3 categories: Buildings, Spaces, and Community. EGB’s overarching goals for this effort are: to connect volunteers with existing grassroots community rebuilding programs; to provide hands-on education through lectures, demonstrations, and tours; and to directly benefit the residents of one of the hardest-hit neighborhoods during hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005.

The 10 projects and associated events:
A. Buildings: CSED Design Charrette, Home Preservation & Greening, Home Consulting & Testing, and Home Deconstruction
B. Spaces: Parks & Playground Restoration, Rain garden Construction, and Bayou Restoration & Access
C. Community: Lower 9 Neighborhood Assessment, Greater Little Zion Church HVAC replacement and Neighborhood Tours
D. Events: Lectures / Demonstrations, and Music / Celebration

The CSED seeks to rebuild this community not only in a physical sense, but also by rebuilding its social capital so that it can once again be a thriving neighborhood and a model of sustainability. This mixed community – low and middle income, young and elderly, artists, writers, musicians and blue-collar workers – needs your help. Since your skills lie in green design and construction, you can help in a variety of ways. Historic Green’s efforts will focus on both sustainability and preservation, “where green design and construction meets historic restoration.” An opportunity exists to green the built environment of a historic neighborhood on a scale never attempted before. So come on down to New Orleans to volunteer for a day, a week, or for the whole event!
Please visit www.historicgreen.org for more details. Check back often, as more features will become available on the Web site in the coming weeks.

For more information on the neighborhood and the history of this community, watch a Webcast on the subject at www.zerocarbonNOLA.org.