The music of falling water and a bird?EUR??,,????'???s-eye view of an evolving aquatic ecosystem now greet visitors to the headquarters of the National Wildlife Federation. Since the ponds and cascading stream were completed last winter, a diversity of wildlife, including birds, amphibians and dragonflies, has been colonizing the new habitat. "It was a big event when the first American toads showed up and started singing in March," said Wayne Schmidt, NWF?EUR??,,????'???s staff director who directed construction of the ponds and the three-story office building in Reston, Virginia. The habitat is a living educational tool that NWF is using to show how people can bring wildlife to their own homes, businesses and communities. It provides the four essential elements: food, water, cover and places for wildlife to raise their young. "And, it is beautiful," said Schmidt. "This was a huge risk trying to create a large natural-appearing water feature right at the entrance to our new building. But it?EUR??,,????'???s perfect." Several years ago, NWF determined that it could save money for its conservation work by selling its old headquarters facility just outside of Washington, DC, which had become expensive to operate and maintain. Its goal was to build a cost-efficient, environmentally friendly headquarters building. The seven-acre site that was selected is next to a large wooded park ?EUR??,,????'??? ideal for NWF?EUR??,,????'???s educational work. The landscaping includes tree-save areas and all other areas planted in native vegetation. A unique trellis fronts the three-story, 95,000 square-foot building that was completed in 2001. As native vines cover the trellis, they will provide vertical wildlife habitat and also serve to shade and help cool the south-facing building in summer and passive solar heating. What was missing from NWF?EUR??,,????'???s new habitat, however, was water. NWF?EUR??,,????'???s architect, Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum, proposed a formal, linear water garden and waterfall, crossed by a 30-foot bridge at the building?EUR??,,????'???s entrance. NWF kept the bridge but insisted that the water feature have a natural design. "I knew from seeing the controversial, but spectacular landscape of the new Getty Center in Los Angeles that naturalistic landscaping could complement and enhance a more formal architectural building design, " said Schmidt. To design and build the water features, NWF selected us based on HOK?EUR??,,????'???s recommendation. Co-owner Dave Duensing specializes in natural-looking water feature design, construction and consulting. Duensing has been working with natural stone in landscape design since the late 1970s, and progressed to a focus on creating natural-looking water features in 1989. NWF?EUR??,,????'???s headquarters construction budget was modest and intended to demonstrate how any company can build using common sense features that protect and enhance the environment. The water habitat, notwithstanding its educational values, was not part of that budget. Construction was contingent upon finding financial and in-kind contributions. In addition to his expertise, Duensing brought a strong network of manufacturers, suppliers and contractors to the NWF project. He approached several manufacturers and suppliers of water feature products and contractors for donations or reduced prices on equipment, building materials and labor, and succeeded in gaining commitments to make up about half the estimated project costs. Companies including Kane Brothers Inc., Envision Waterfalls, PondSweep Manufacturing Co., Firestone BP, Sta-Rite Industries, Supreme Concrete Block, United Rental, and Luck Stone made the project possible since much of the pond equipment (such as filters, pumps and liner) were donated at no charge from the manufacturers; most of the miscellaneous supplies and labor were also provided at reduced cost. Completed in December 2001, the water feature consists of a large, irregular shaped main pond approximately 40?EUR??,,????'??? in width, 70?EUR??,,????'??? in length and with a maximum depth of 3?EUR??,,????'???. The stream which begins more than 13?EUR??,,????'??? higher than the pond, cascades over five waterfalls of varying heights and widths before finally reaching the pond 150?EUR??,,????'??? downstream. Construction materials included more than 400 tons of native boulders, a certified "fish safe" EPDM rubber pond liner and three large PondSweep?EUR??,,????<