92 Sleepy Hollow Lane

The Zamarskis, at 92 Sleepy Hollow Lane, are an active, conscience family of five, who have set an example of community involvement and lifestyle choices to merit being our featured Green House to start the year 2012.

House energy use

• Installed programmable thermostat
• Installed replacement insulated window units
• Maintain water heater on lower setting
• Use natural ventilation strategies in the summer instead of air conditioning, operable windows and shades, and spend time on the shaded porch in evenings.

Conservation of water

• Limit laundry and dishwashing to full loads
• Timed sprinkler usage

Landscaping practices

• No fertilizers or synthetic chemical applications on backyard
• Locally produced NPK fertilizer (nutrient based soil amendment) on front yard.
• Plant and maintain an organic vegetable garden

Transportation

• Carpool to activities — Viennawood neighborhood has a Google document carpool list to coordinate school activities, a family member remarked, “it saves tons of gas and time, and reduces emissions!”
• Carpool to work
• Bike ride to work
• One of the children walks or scooters to school every day.

Sustainable purchasing practices

• Participation for years in a vegetable CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and a fruit CSA. The porch has been a pickup location for local families.
• Recycles items and purchases items second hand frequently (Craigslist, Goodwill etc.)

Note:  CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is a system in which consumers receive food directly from local farmers who produce it. Members of community agriculture share in part of each farmer’s risk by paying in advance for a portion of the farmer’s total crop. Crops that do well will be abundant in the share, crops that do less well will be less abundant.