A sustainable community consists of residents forming networks to communicate about ways to help ecosystems thrive. Becoming a resident in Lagoon Valley promises to be an exhilarating experience, but that excitement does not stop at one’s four walls.
GREEN BUILDING STANDARDS IN LAGOON VALLEY
When residents embrace the advantages of protected and maintained open space, a symbiotic relationship evolves between nature and people that enhances the joys of living. And people who show the highest respect for their community take the greatest care of it.
Many homes feature expansive yards and the Lagoon Valley golf course is set to achieve Audubon Sanctuary Certification, further supporting vibrant ecosystems and connecting wildlife habitats across the community. Parks and open spaces foster diverse wildlife habitats, seamlessly integrating with protected natural areas. By embracing these sustainable practices, residents enjoy a higher quality of life while contributing to a thriving, restorative environment.
Community building is at the heart of our sustainability efforts. We encourage residents to embrace the 4 R’s—reduce, restore, recycle, and reuse—fostering a culture of ecological literacy and collective responsibility. From minimizing waste to sharing resources, this collective awareness energizes our community, making Lagoon Valley a place where sustainable living and neighborly spirit go hand in hand.
ECOLOGICAL LITERACY IN LAGOON VALLEY
The Lagoon Valley Conservation Community has been painstakingly crafted to promote the ideals of Ecological Literacy. Lagoon Valley was conceived to foster ways in which plants and animals can thrive in the community. Residents of Lagoon Valley are encouraged to achieve a basic understanding of how to coexist and thrive with abounding nature.
To be literate in human and wildlife ecology encourages a community to become not merely sustainable, but evolving, diverse, and dynamic, for all species which inhabit that place. When residents embrace the advantages of protected and maintained open space, community-supported agriculture, and corridors specifically set aside for ecosystem conservation, a symbiotic relationship evolves between nature and people that enhances the joys of living. And people who show the highest respect for their community take the greatest care of it. That is what Lagoon Valley offers, and asks of, its residents.
A sustainable community is comprised of residents forming networks to communicate about ways to help ecosystems thrive. The Lagoon Valley birdwatcher’s club might meet monthly to discuss new sightings and arrivals. The hikers club might meet monthly to discuss trail maintenance and flora and fauna discoveries. The community organic farm committee might meet monthly to plan for upcoming crop rotations and farm stand operations. Because all three of these pursuits are connected in nature’s realm, imagine the possibilities if all three organizations met quarterly to share their stories and adventures. The networking becomes invaluable.
Becoming a resident in Lagoon Valley promises to be an exhilarating experience, but that excitement does not stop at one’s four walls. The Lagoon Valley Conservation Community has been designed to become a wildlife sanctuary with amenities rarely of equal for a community of its size anywhere in California. Surrounded by over 1,300 acres of open space, the residential neighborhoods also adjoin over 120 acres of wetland preserves, habitat restoration easement areas, and ephemeral streambeds that weave a tapestry of plant and wildlife habitats unlike any other community. This means that many new species of birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, and amphibians are expected to call Lagoon Valley home over time.
The four immutable components of successful wildlife habitat are (1) food sources; (2) water sources; (3) protective shelter; and (4) living space. Many homes have generous front, side, and rear yards that will include a variety of potential habitats for wildlife. Private property spaces frequently adjoin and flow into biologically protected areas that are to be conserved in perpetuity. Ideal wildlife habitat is a complex mixture of plant communities and cover types. For one example, woodland areas with well-developed shrub edges support a much wider population of bird species than habitats which do not intersperse along such edges. Lagoon Valley’s golf course is being designed as a candidate for Audubon Sanctuary Certification, which means that such optimal edge conditions will flow throughout non-playable areas. Corridors of habitat will connect to encourage the overall health and vigor of bird species.
Ecological literacy also suggests striving for best practices in the 4 R’s – reduce, restore, recycle, and reuse. We all have choices to reduce consumption of harmful materials; we all know that restoration of household objects in favor of simply discarding them makes sense; we all know that recycling reduces waste that ends up in landfills; and we can often find a neighbor in our community that can use that perfectly good bicycle that our child has outgrown. Collective awareness in the 4 R’s brings new energy and vitality to a community. Lagoon Valley aspires to become filled with residents who comprehend and hold dear that awareness.
When we encourage each other as community members to welcome and embrace the interdependence we have with the natural world and the wildlife habitat which surrounds us, what results is restorative ecology for mutual benefit. Humans can and do learn much from nature, when we simply open our minds to the wisdom gained from observation of thriving plant and wildlife ecosystems.
