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#KnowTheCost – Spreading the Message to Atlantans

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Did you know that it takes approximately 668 gallons of water to make a single soccer ball? Over 663 million people worldwide drink dirty water – that’s twice the population of the United States.

#KnowTheCost. This is the message that IBM, in collaboration with the Weather Channel, wanted to spread. The Mill, an experiential and interactive design studio, chose Piedmont Park as the venue to reach as many Atlantans as possible.

“It seemed like a no brainer with the stunning backdrop of Dockside, and the foot traffic the Park attracts,” says The Mill.

The Mill was challenged to ideate a concept to support a Change campaign that IBM and the Weather Channel were launching in June of 2019 to raise awareness around the issue of global clean water scarcity and water footprints. That is when The Mill came up with an activation ultimately called Know the Cost.

The Mill would take everyday items and freeze them in the amount of ice equivalent to the amount of water it takes to produce each one (leveraging global average). In this activation, a t-shirt, soccer ball, coffee cup and plastic T-Rex toy would be on display. They would work alongside a waterfootprint.org scientist to provide and validate the statistics and claims. 

After some online research for parks in the area and a positive testimony, The Mill found Piedmont Park. The Mill says, “the rental was affordable, spacious, convenient and scenic, with great attractions and foot traffic.” Although it was an outdoor activation, The Mill really appreciated having a building included with the rental to store equipment, escape the heat, and utilize the restrooms. Other amenities that were useful included the security option and easy access for load-in and out.

We love when clients come to us with new challenges and opportunities like these, so the hope is that we’ll continue to do even more of these types of activations in the future, says the Mill. “If the opportunity presents itself, we would do another event here.”

To host your next activation or installation in Piedmont Park, contact ldickinson@piedmontpark.org or (404) 537-2831 to reach Leslie Dickinson. Also, visit https://piedmontpark.org/corporate/ to learn more.

Piedmont Park Greenhouse Open for Education Programs

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On Tuesday morning, the Piedmont Park Conservancy celebrated the opening of a new greenhouse which was generously donated by Wells Fargo. Guests were welcomed with fresh mint-infused lemonade, cucumber water and fresh pastries. The weather was refreshingly cool for a June morning, and the clouds provided a nice blanket of shade. The greenhouse stands adjacent to the Conservancy maintenance shop, and faces out to the Piedmont Commons area. The soft sounds of ventilation fans could be heard, releasing the hot air from within the clear structure.

Representatives from Wells Fargo were welcomed with a recognition decal placed on the opening of the greenhouse. Because of a generous donation from the Northwood Garden Club, attendees were able to peruse the greenhouse which already had its first generation of plantings including peppers, squash and cherry tomatoes, and newly bought equipment to enable the house to flourish.

Mark Banta, President and CEO of the the Piedmont Park Conservancy, welcomed guests and exclaimed that the Conservancy was very excited to obtain this long-desired wish list item. Banta extended appreciation to Wells Fargo’s Kris Christy for partnering with the organization to make this dream possible, and to Chris McDaid for his dedication to the Conservancy and this project. Banta followed up with a thoughtful commentary about the Northwood Garden Club and their continuous support for our horticultural projects, and especially recognizing Esther Stokes for her involvement with the organization.

Then, Mary Yetter, Green Market Manager and the cultivator of Piedmont Park’s gardens, explained that this greenhouse will be crucial to meeting the Conservancy’s future goals of environmental education. From the vast amount of field trips that happen in the park to the EnviroVentures Summer Camp youth, the greenhouse would allow year-round exposure to gardening education. Additionally, the greenhouse opens the potential for future plant sales and member engagement.

The event closed with a ribbon cutting, with a long yellow strand creating a vibrant photo opportunity with the dedication’s special guests. Wells Fargo and the Northwood Garden Club received promising seedlings of tomato plants in soft blue pots as gifts of gratitude.

Appreciation goes to Wells Fargo and the Northwood Garden Club for making this opportunity possible for the Piedmont Park Conservancy. We are excited to give our readers an update on the greenhouse’s progress in the coming months.

Wells Fargo’s Kris Christy and Chris McDaid

 

Northwood Garden Club’s Linda Copeland and Esther Stokes

The dedication was at 10am on Tuesday, June 6. The greenhouse is only accessible by Piedmont Park Conservancy staff. Greenhouse visitation will be infused into various programming. If you have questions about the greenhouse, please email myetter@piedmontpark.org.