Wright Scoop Issues Eco Challenge

Richmond, VA, January 03, 2011 --(PR.com)-- From the rain forests of south-east Alaska to the deciduous forests of the Mid-Atlantic region, climate change reaps havoc on America's landscape. “The challenge,” says The Wright Scoop –Sylvia Hoehns Wright, recipient of the "Turning America from Eco-weak to Eco-chic" award sponsored by Hines Horticulture, Project Evergreen and Today’s Garden Center magazine, “for present-day communities is to identify eco solutions that enable sustainable landscapes."

Eco-weak to Eco-chic, green America’s landscape -
Historically, eco strategies were defined in terms of reduce, reuse and recycle but Wright encourages use of green-scaping concepts: build and maintain healthy soil, install right plant for site requirements; and during seasonal appropriate cycles, be water wise, adopt earth-friendly pest and weed management, implement natural lawn care and install plants during least climate stress conditions.

Although three generations removed from a Quaker heritage, “In some ways,” says Wright, “I have an advantage. There is one central guideline – caretaker – which continues to influence my perspective.” Aware her legacy not only initiated but continues to influence all aspects of life experiences, in her book – A Path Worn Smooth - http://www.lulu.com/content/5345570 , Wright shares the story of her legacy inviting readers to walk on a path worn smooth by generational expectation.

The 2011 Difference –
“Eco-chic - sustainable - landscapes,” says Wright, “are not just a result of lifestyle choices but reflect how we feel about the environment. While keeping it simple (as in simple living) is the name of the game, there is a more important underlying factor – a commitment to ultimate greening: providing for the present without sacrificing the future. So, as the recipient of the ‘Turning America from Eco-weak to Eco-chic’ award, I challenge all to take the concept of sustainability a step further, not simply use of plants that works-well in their region but those that contribute to both regional economic and environmental sustainability: developed, grown and distributed within their community.”

From Eco-weak to Eco-chic: landscape green -
Nationally recognized as an eco contributing writer and communications specialist, Wright launched a book, From Eco-weak to Eco-chic: landscape green, http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/from-eco-weak-to-eco-chic-landscape-green/7539795 . Through combining workshop style assignments with research and "hands-on" experience, strategies are shared that respect existing vistas, preserving and enhancing environmental health. Recommended by Today’s Garden Center magazine, readers describe Wright’s book as: “Sylvia’s eco-chic advocacy embodies every aspect of the consumer education campaign we hoped to inspire,” says Den Gardner, executive director of Project EverGreen, www.projectevergreen.com. “The judges were impressed with her ongoing effort to teach eco-green. For, our vision is to be a global organization that empowers people within communities to change society through the responsible creation and preservation of sustainable green spaces, such that the ever-increasing impacts of global warming in the world are measurably reduced; because Green Matters!”

“Sneed’s commitment to organics, the community and the environment,” says designer Jenny Jenkins-Rash of Sneed’s Nursery & Garden Center located in Richmond Virginia “are echoed in Wright’s book: the challenge for the present-day homeowner is to create a garden from an eco-chic point of view, a ‘waste not, and want not’ ecological commitment: be a caretaker for the environmental community. We support Wright’s advocacy through hosting book signings and having her book on site for sale.”

Career History –
Sylvia Hoehns Wright - a graduate of the Virginia Natural Resource Leadership Institute program - is featured by Virginia Home Grown WCVE Richmond PBS TV, the Times Dispatch newspaper, State by State Gardening magazines and Birds & Blooms magazine for her hands-on eco-activities. Details of her books and activities are available at web site www.TheWrightScoop.com or contact Sylvia@TheWrightScoop.com or call 804-672-6007; or, follow Wright’s activities through facebook group The Wright Scoop or twitter ID WrightScoop.

Side-bar: Wright Scoop Advocates Eco-chic Landscape Strategies

Hitch hike onto seasonal cycles.
Conduct a site analysis.
Develop a master landscape plan.
Create bio-diverse landscapes (blend of native and non-native plants).
Be water wise.
Create layered tree/shrub shelter.
Create ‘critter’ and ‘people’ habitats.
Match landscape style to buildings.
Create transition between design areas.
Limit texture and contrast.
Make a design personal, add folly.
Create an eco-chic garden, a space that reflects a naturalist "waste not and want not" perspective.

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