Educate and empower individuals to make impactful change in their own backyard

NEW YORK, June 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Tilly, the custom online landscape design service that creates custom landscape design plans for homeowners nationwide and the nation’s leading conservation organization, the National Wildlife Federation, have partnered to help homeowners across the country easily design sustainable landscape plans for their yards.

Tilly reaches thousands of enthusiastic homeowners each year through its online landscape design services. Sustainability has always been a key goal, but through this strategic alignment, the National Wildlife Federation will provide additional in-depth training for Tilly landscapers and landscape architects. Tilly’s team is made up of designers who live across the country and manage projects remotely in their respective regions. Training sessions will cover regional issues including native plants, invasive species, water conservation, biodiversity, best housekeeping practices, among many other topics.

Tilly’s direct communication with owners will be used to educate and empower owners to make positive sustainable decisions in their own yards, further expanding the mission of the National Wildlife Federation. Through this strategic collaboration, Tilly will make it easier for homeowners to incorporate the National Wildlife Federation’s Certified Wildlife Habitat requirements into their residential landscaping.

“People want to know what actions they can take to address climate change and support wildlife where they live..” said Carey Stanton, Head of Innovation and Partnerships for the National Wildlife Federation. “Together, we can take the guesswork out of sustainable gardening practices and foster a meaningful connection with the nature around you.”

Studies of National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat yards show increased biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and water conservation compared to yards without habitat features. Their certification standards include native plants and wildlife habitats for all course types and sizes. Tilly’s designs will incorporate the National Wildlife Federation’s mission, goals, and extensive research into their design practices.

The National Wildlife Federation will be Tilly’s lead nonprofit partner as part of its 1% for the Planet Pledge, in which the company contributes 1% of annual sales to support environmental nonprofits. approved worldwide.

“Our designers work with and educate thousands of owners every year, so we have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact through our work,” said Alexis Suton, co-founder and president of Tilly. “One million acres of wildlife habitat are lost to suburban development every year, which means homeowners can make a difference by making sustainable choices in their own space.”

Tilly’s simple online design process takes the intimidation out of the landscape world. For the design, Tilly customers buy a front, back or full yard set. The deliverable includes an aerial planting plan and a plant calendar with plant names, sizes and quantity. This partnership also complements the program recently launched by the National Wildlife Federation Native Plant Collections which are available to be shipped directly to homeowners to start their habitat gardens.

About Tilly

Tilly is a women-founded online landscape design company serving the UNITED STATES and Canada. Tilly partners homeowners with professional landscapers and creates custom plans for their yards. Tilly is a proud member of 1% for the Planet with a strong commitment to taking responsibility for the health of the planet. Learn more about tillydesign.com and instagram.

About the National Wildlife Federation

The National Wildlife Federation is America’s largest and most trusted conservation organization, uniting all Americans to ensure wildlife thrives in a rapidly changing world. Follow them on Facebook, Twitterand instagram.

SOURCE National Wildlife Federation

Chicago had its cows. Saint-Paul had his Snoopys. And now, St. Louis Park and Golden Valley have 10 original characters created by resident artist Adam Turman to encourage neighborhood “artventures.”

Turman’s bold graphic illustrations, which often depict Minnesota culture, can be seen statewide at muralsposters – and even underwear.

For this project, Turman remodeled some of his recurring icons into larger-than-life cutouts to showcase local attractions: Paul Bunyan swings a club at Brookview Golf & Lawn Bowling and Hotdish Girl tote at Golden Valley Commons.

Turman also created several new personalities for mark prominent nodes in the area. There’s Freddie the fox, mountain biking at Theodore Wirth’s Trailhead; Oscar the oriole splashing at the Rec Center water park; and a Lebowski-esque Bowling Guy representing the Texa-Tonka Mall (and nodding to SLP natives Joel and Ethan Coen).

QR codes at each destination link to web pages with information about the area’s history, nearby attractions, and special business offers.

Discover St. Louis Park wanted to collaborate with Turman, who lives in St. Louis Park and has a studio in the Golden Valley, on a project that would showcase his works in all communities. The format was inspired by Turman’s annual Halloween display of oversized characters painted on plywood, said Trish Foster, the organization’s marketing director.

Characters make neighborhoods more memorable and draw attention to their hidden gems, Foster said. “We have a winery and two distilleries located in an industrial area tucked away behind the Methodist Hospital,” she explained. “A lot of people don’t realize they’re there.”

Even Turman, a local for two decades, learned something new about his own backyard. “I had no idea the industrial park area off Louisiana Ave. had a name!” he said. “Skunk Hollow: that’s cool!”

social media promotions encourage visitors and residents to share selfies with the characters, explore area amenities, and win prizes of gift cards for restaurants and shops in each node. Additionally, there is a chance to win a stay in the region for those who visit all 10 characters before the posting ends on September 5.

This Vancouver home nods to Canadian west coast modernism

The Bonetti 2 Residence in West Vancouver was born when a longtime friend and business associate asked architects David Battersby and Heather Howat to design his new home in Vancouver. The duo not only seized the opportunity to create a contemporary family home that elegantly blends glamor and modesty, they also had the chance to design the home as a 21st century interpretation of West Coast modernism. Sympathetically linking the built and the natural, this stellar strand of mid-century architecture includes in its legacy the work of 20th-century masters such as Cornelia Hahn Oberlander, Ron Thom and Arthur Erickson.

The living room, with open-plan interiors that further enhance the feeling of being surrounded by vegetation

The site, at a steep 45 degree slope overlooking a rail cut and ravine, was generous but not without its challenges. “We did the clients’ first home in West Vancouver, so this was our second attempt. They made us have a look at the site before buying it, because it was not at all obvious how one could possibly benefit from it. It was nothing more than a steep bank covered in brambles,” Battersby recalls. “Our immediate reaction was to use the house as a massive containment structure so that we could create a courtyard-like scenario between the roadside and the dwelling.” And that’s what they did, placing the house against the long side of the plot, allowing the creation of a structured garden in front of it, with various geometric terraced areas and walkways connecting the interior to the exterior. outside.

The sinking of the single-story structure below street level helped to isolate it from the surrounding houses, thereby ensuring privacy for residents. If strolling through the house gives you the feeling of being engulfed in greenery, it is thanks to the mastery of the architects and carefully edited perspectives that focus on the canopy and the garden. The architects refer to an affinity for nature that is best exemplified in the work of Erickson, one of Canada’s most important modernists, whose houses seemed intrinsically connected to their context. “We try to express a similar reverence,” says Battersby. “The architecture is relatively low-key, it’s more of a mechanism to connect with the natural world. The white recessed areas, with all the windows and doors, are literally and figuratively the thresholds between inside and outside , artifice and nature.

Light flows through the living room to the courtyard terrace and pool, while the black-clad facade makes the house less imposing

The piano nobile contains a sequence of connected living areas, as well as the master bedroom, while the lower level houses three further bedrooms. An L-shaped configuration allows the garage to sit at one end of the house, connected to the street by a sloping driveway. Linear volumes, clever openings that allow an abundance of natural light and a palette of refined materials make it a sophisticated and contemporary space. The result is a design appropriate for its owner, a developer who was looking not only for a family home, but also for a building that would showcase his business and his passion for design, art and architecture.

“House design is infinitely variable. It’s such a rewarding process,” says Battersby. “We want to do great design work that facilitates a connected feeling of being in the world. We believe this is more important than ever. Sometimes that means architecture needs to be a little quieter – not all houses need to scream “LOOK AT ME!” §

The master bedroom is located at the edge of the property, overlooking the ravine. Its impressive ceiling is covered with hemlock