Creating a Path to Good Health

 There are approximately 2 miles of walking trials at the Potawot Health Village for the purpose of promoting good health and recreation. The trails are made from local rock (shale) and are bound using pine resin which was derived as a by-product of a mill. The surface is semi-impervious and does not contain petroleum products that would otherwise leach into the wetlands and eventually the groundwater. The trails were funded by the UIHS Diabetes Program as a way to encourage healthy lifestyles.

Working to bring Balance to our Community and our Environment

Today many of the resources we use are quite different than those of the past, but we must share the same respect for our resources as we have in the past. Reduce, reuse, and recycle, our future generations are depending on us.

The UIHS solar system is 42 Kilowatts, which is equivalent to the energy needed to support 12-16 average size homes. The system is comprised of 216 Evergreen solar modules distributed to six 6 kw Sunnyboy inverters; each inverter receiving three series of twelve panels This is only the first phase of the project, and with additional fundraising efforts and as funds become available, UIHS plans to increase the size of the solar electric system to be able to meet the energy demands of Potawot.

Rain (stormwater) collected on the parking lots and roofs are gravity fed into a treatment wetland where the pollutants are filtered. The treatment pond in Ku’ wah-dah-wilth is named Too-mahnocks, meaning “tule” or “bulrush” in the Yurok language. The pond naturally improves the quality of stormwater by filtering sediments and other pollutants that are carried to the wetland with runoff from the roofs and parking lots.

A number of materials used to build Potawot Health Village were made from recycled materials. This compliments the Traditional Resources Advisory Committees goal of providing opportunities and education for cultural enrichment that acknowledge native values as they relate to renewable and sustainable practices. Many of the decks, picinic tables and benches found along the trails are made from recycled plastic bags and waste wood.

Recycled Materials.........

Recycled redwood info here

UIHS supports the use of sustainable/renewable practices and demonstrates examples of such at Potawot Health Village. These sustainable practices act as a model for providing opportunities and education for cultural enrichment that acknowledge native values as they relate to these practices. You will find examples of sustainable technologies used at Potawot throughout this site.

What do we mean by Sustainability?

Sustainable Practices Info here