While the term sustainable means to maintain the current status, at Kendal-Crosslands Communities, it means even more. Sustainability and Stewardship are part of our core Quaker-based values. Therefore, we believe that we have a duty to preserve and protect the environment for our local community and for the planet as a whole.
Together, residents and staff work to minimize our impact on our natural environment, and where possible, restore nature as well. Residents augment efforts by forming an Energy Committee on each campus that sets goals of reducing our carbon footprint by 50% by 2030 and reaching carbon neutrality by 2050.
Community in Action
As with all of our core values, Kendal-Crosslands believes sustainability is more than just a policy goal- it’s something we have to act on every day in order to be forward-leading environmental stewards. Our projects include:
-Sustainable Building Practices
The ‘new’ cottages at Kendal were built to Gold LEED-certified standards. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Leadership is the keyword — — leading-edge standards and a voluntary one that is cutting edge and the gold certification was the highest accomplishment under LEED standards at the time of construction. Click here to learn more.
-New Cottages and Apartments with Higher Standards
The cottages and apartments that will be built beginning September 2021 on our Crosslands campus will target the Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) certification. ZERH focuses on efficiency, durability, and indoor air quality, and the energy efficiency requirement for ZERH is stricter than the minimum allowable level in LEED, and up to 30% more efficient than regular building codes. This project will also have the ability to add solar panels after construction as funds allow to further reduce their environmental impact and enhance sustainability.
Scott Pusey, of Steven Winter Associates, a well known leader in helping builders meet sustainability standards, will be part of the group ensuring the builders are meeting the ZERH standards throughout construction. You can read more about it by clicking here.
-Energy-Efficiency Programs
In addition to our long-term sustainability programs, we are always looking to improve our environmental impact by introducing new ways to save energy and reduce use such as:
- Energy-efficient and water use upgrades throughout campus to lower environmental impact. Click here to learn more about the program
- Addition of Electric-car charging stations on campus to encourage the use of non-emission vehicles. Click here to read more
- We are also working to ensure all new replacement home systems, from the HVAC systems, water heaters, lighting, and more are replaced with more energy-efficient systems, to gradually lower our overall energy usage and demand. Click here to find out more from Seth Beaver, Director of Residential and Community Affairs.
- A resident group analyzed our string trimmers and leaf blower capital and operating costs. Switching from gas to electric versions was shown to have a payback period under four years and significantly reduced energy usage/carbon footprint.
- We make all community vehicle purchases through a sustainability lens and currently we have two hybrid vehicles that our Facilities and Grounds staff use.
- Kendal~Crosslands purchases voluntary PA Tier II RECs from 100% of the campus’s anticipated load of electric use.
-Preserving the Existing Environment
Many of our residents are dedicated conservationists, seeking to help preserve our natural environment and even return areas to a more natural state where possible. A former “Golf Lawn” has been made into a lush, blooming meadow for example, and rare ferns have been transplanted along a nature trail to help preserve and foster these native plants, as they may have existed in years past. Ongoing tree planting projects seek to help preserve the wetlands and help improve water quality.
This past Spring, residents planted a Sunflower garden. One of the goals was to bring beauty and hope to campus as the pandemic seemed to wane, but the flowers also will help provide cheerful bouquets to residents throughout the community and seed for local wildlife.
An indoor hydroponic garden was created by residents to supply our dining hall with greens. Using locally-grown greens will avoid the carbon-related issues of fertilizer/pesticide manufacturing, harvesting, transportation, and refrigeration.
Speaking of dining, our Culinary Department recycles fryer oil. Our recycling programs are robust and regularly include more than the standard plastic bags and #6 plastics.
See Our Work In Action
Discover our Walking Trails
Kendal at Longwood and Crosslands have over seven miles of walking and hiking trails, giving residents the opportunity to enjoy the environment throughout campus while enjoying birds and other wildlife on campus.