Well done, Discovery! Not only is it the greenest park in town but it consintues to do the right thing by the environment including cancelling parties for the good of Houston's ecology! See...it's really isn't about the all mighty dollar, DISHIES! You really can just do good!!
Here's the DISH: Discovery Green is increasing its water conservation efforts due to the extreme drought conditions in Houston. The park will close its Gateway Fountain on Monday through Friday beginning August 22 and open for weekends ONLY from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. In addition, the Inaugural Discovery Green Adult Swim Fundraiser presented by eVgo scheduled for August 26 has been cancelled. Ticketholders will receive a full refund. The small fundraising event was scheduled to be held in the Gateway Fountain on Friday, August 26, with proceeds benefitting the free programming at the park.
“While we are disappointed that current weather conditions have forced the cancellation of Adult Swim, as a leader in conservation and clean energy, eVgo commends the City of Houston and Discovery Green in their efforts to encourage water conservation during this drought,” said Arun Banskota, president of eVgo.
Conservation – both energy and water – was a pivotal aspect of the design of Discovery Green, which is LEED certified at the Gold Level. The Gateway Fountain is highly efficient, recycling filtered water from an underground reservoir source. However, a small amount of water is lost to evaporation and wind. Houston’s recent extreme high temperatures increase the amount of water lost. To conserve water with minimal impact, the fountain will close on weekdays once HISD begins classes on August 22.
“The fountains at Discovery Green are hands down the most popular attraction at the park, but like so many others, we are adapting to the current weather conditions,” said Discovery Green President Barry Mandel said. “With the revised weekend hours we hope to continue to be the cool spot for families and children.”
While adhering to the City’s restrictions, Discovery Green reduced its watering of the park’s landscape so that minimal amounts of water are used. Watering occurs on the days designated by the City of Houston. TreeGators, 20-gallon water sources are rotated throughout the park, attached to trees to release water with the greatest efficiency over a five to nine hour period. Finally, the Mist Tree, located on the Sarofim Picnic Lawn, and the Riley Fountain, located in the Wortham Gardens, are currently turned off and will remain so as long as the city’s water conservation measures are in effect.
Discovery Green will continue to monitor weather conditions and the status of the City of Houston’s water restrictions and adapt operations accordingly.