Green pets

The Plains Animal Hospital and the Northeast Veterinary Referral and Emergency Hospital, located at 242 South River Street in Plains Township, Pa., were founded by Dr. Douglas Ayers, VMD. Together, these two veterinary hospitals provide services to roughly 35,000 pets across Northeastern Pennsylvania.

In 2008, the construction of their new green facility was completed, totaling 7,000 square feet, and the upgraded building opened to serve its animal clientele. After touring the building and interviewing Dr. Ayers -- eight years after he embarked on an unpredictable renovation -- it's apparent that the sustainable features and efficiency of the facility are something special.

Upon arriving at the Plains Animal Hospital, visitors take note of a large area of low-lying plants, bushes, and trees grouped together, which sometime seem to be flooded. What people may not know is that this seemingly random grouping of plants is actually a pothole wetland that was created to absorb storm water, reduce flooding, and provide habitat. Smaller wetland plants such as grasses can be found around the building and in the employee parking lot, which is designed as a green parking lot.

The green parking lot is not paved, rather, graveled and it was designed to be slightly angled so stormwater would run into the areas that contain the plants. By doing so, rainwater is absorbed instead of being dumped into the adjacent Susquehanna River, which would create more flooding and pollution issues. Another green feature of the facility that helps reduce flooding is its underground water containment system. These large holding tanks are located underneath the visitors parking lot so that when it rains, the tanks collect and hold the water and then slowly drain it.

Look for more blogs about northeastern Pennsylvania's green infrastructure and sustainable buildings in the months ahead.

Brittany Czerniakowski is an intern in PennFuture's Wilkes-Barre office. She is entering her senior year toward a B.A. in Environmental Studies at King's College, Wilkes-Barre.