Gifford Pinchot is credited with coining and popularizing the term "Conservation." Borrowed from the British Indian
use of forest managers as conservators.
The Yale School of Forestry, which had it's summer program in Milford from 1901 to 1926, provided the leadership for many
of the forest conservationists in America, and in other parts of the world.
The Blooming Grove Park Association (now Hunting and Fishing Club) in the 1870s hired professional European foresters
to develop a management plan for their land in Pike County.
Until his death in 1946, Gifford Pinchot made Grey Towers a virtual boarding house for Whose-Who in the American Conservation
Movement. The philosophy of conservation was discussed and shaped here by Gifford, and to a certain extent, his wife
Cornelia. She added a considerable human rights component to the philosophy of what conservation meant.
Gifford's father, James Pinchot, a patron of the Hudson River School, and proponent of modern scientific forestry, endowed
the Yale Forest School in 1900, and also the Milford Experimental Forest - America's first experimental forest.
America's great conserevation leaders: from Presidents to company heads, at some time or other came to Milford, often
staying either at Grey Towers, or the Hotel Fauchère. Theodore Roosevelt, Aldo Leopold, Bob Marshall, Supreme
Court Justice Brandis, and countless others spent time in Milford, and in one form or another shaped the view of society toward
conservation.
Grey Towers
Grey Towers
No visit to Milford is complete without visiting Grey Towers, the home of the French Hugeuenot family, the Pinchots,
who came here in the early 1800's, and whose descendants are still active in Milford. Gifford Pinchot was the first
Chief of the Forestry Service under President Teddy Roosevelt.
Here are some efforts that Grey Towers has made to reduce their carbon footprint and increase our sustainable operations:
* Motion activated faucets, toilets, and urinals in their newest visitor center bath rooms, and low volume flush
toilets in their older bathrooms spaces (water reduction). * A few solar powered battery night lights were installed
for outdoor security use. They hope to expand the use of solar panels (electricity savings). * They recently
exchanged two vehicles for more gas efficient (better MPH) vehicles. One of them is capable of using 85% ethanol
when that is available in the area. (fuel savings). * Prepared for the a replacement air conditioning system chiller unit
with one that uses a non- ODS (ozone depleting substance - refrigerant that is not Freon) . * Insulated all buildings be
heated and cooled (reduced fuel costs).
* Increased the use of compact florescent lightbulbs. (electricity savings). * Investigated and continue to pursue
the proper disposal of them (hazardous material reduction). * Reduced electric consumption of their outdoor landscape lighting
by turning off half of the lighting, reserving the remainder for evening events only.
* Hazardous materials are contained to particular areas, recorded and tracked.
* Purchase of collection bins for "used but reusable" printer and copy paper. * Create home-made "note-paper pads"
from collected "used" printer or copy paper. * Utilize locally-owned small business to provide for fresh conference snacks.
* Have installed native drought resistant grasses & plants on their landscape to reduce the need for irrigation.
Click below to watch a video on
Grey Towers
Eco-Friendly Energy Efficient "Green" Houses
Ed Nikles Custom Builder of Pike County, PA recently started a new trend in “green”
homes. Not only do these green
homes benefit the environment by being 30% or more energy efficient, due to greater efficiency in water and energy usage,
homeowners can also enjoy lower utility bills. Temperatures in the home will be more even due to better environmental control
and a tighter building wrap. A healthier indoor environment is another plus thanks to eco-friendly materials and better air
filtration systems. Homeowners will also have to do less maintenance over time. Nikles incorporated the National Association Home Builders (NAHB) green home
building guidelines into four eco-friendly designed homes.
Nikles’ custom “Green Country Homes” begin with
lot design and preparation, which incorporate resource efficient site-design and development to help save trees, provide proper
outdoor drainage, and when possible build the house to maximize on passive solar energy to reduce utility bills.
Resource
efficiency maximizes a house’s
function, but also optimizing the use of wood products, which use more than 50% more of the log than conventional dimensional
lumber. It also utilizes products made from recycled materials such as composite outdoor decking.
Energy
efficiency saves the environment
but also hundreds of dollars for a “green” house homeowner. All Nikles’ “Green County Homes”
are wrapped with a cross-woven house-wrap that has a smaller percent of air leakage and are protected from moisture and ultraviolet
ray damage. Nikles’ “green” models are built with Pella windows and sliding patio doors, which need no painting,
staining, or refinishing, meet all Energy Star requirements, and use Low E Argon filled insulated glass to reduce energy loss.
Other features include an Energy
Saver Gas Instant Hot Water Heater, compact fluorescent light bulbs, Hi-R Formaldehyde free Fiberglass insulation and an Energy
Star Certification.
Water
efficiency - the average house
uses more than 64 gallons of water daily. Nikles “Green County Homes” uses water reduction products, both inside
and outside the home. One unique feature is a rain water collection system for your garden and lawn needs.
Indoor
Air Quality - at least 7 months
of the year in this part of the country is spent indoors. Breathing clean, unpolluted air is probably the most important aspect
of a Green home. Synthetic
felt carpet cushion use industry-derived recycled fibers that are designed for high traffic areas, and are yet suitable for
high moisture and humidity environments. Recycled glass countertops release no volatile organic compounds and keep tons of
glass from landfills each year. With low VOC paint, no volatile organic compounds are released and there is virtually no odor.
This paint has an easy soap and water clean up so interior design is almost mess-free. “Green” models can be equipped with one-of-a-kind bamboo
flooring. These bamboo floors are 25% harder than oak flooring. This is a quicker renewable resource: bamboo takes about 5
years to regrow after being cut, whereas an oak tree can take up to 60 years to reach maturity.
Operation
and Maintenance of a “Green
Country Home” comes with an education, so homeowners can extend the green
impact of their new home.
