ArenaGreen Footing One Stride Closer in Selection for International Water Change Maker Awards 2020
“We’re really excited that our private organization has made the second cut,” said Alex Carr, environmental specialist for ArenaMend, LLC, whose environmentally-safe, dust-free, and waterless ArenaGreen Footing is one stride closer to the finals in the worldwide Global Water Partnership’s Water ChangeMaker Awards, presented in support of the UNFCCC Resilience Frontiers Initiative, at the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland later this year.
Carr, whose extensive environmental training here and overseas includes studying water quality in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, and elephant conservation, eco-tourism and coral reef degradation in Thailand, had been following the GWP (Global Water Partnership)for several years when she saw the Water Change Maker Awards initiative announced on World Water Day, March 22, and that an invitation for submissions was open until June 20.
“I thought we’d be a great fit,” said Carr, “because we save millions of gallons a year in water and so far, that hasn’t been effectively done in the horse industry. We’re not only trying to promote a greener product we’re trying to make a change in the equestrian industry.”
Carr, who grew up in Wellington, Florida, says a high school science project – converting cooking oil into biodiesel – taught her how one of the byproducts, glycerin, is a natural dust suppressant. “So, I called my dad and suggested adding it in arenas. That sparked the idea for a waterless, dust-free footing that was environmentally safe.”
Carr and her dad haven’t been the only ones who have liked the idea. ArenaGreen Footing made the second cut in the Water ChangeMaker Awards 2020 and is already being recognized as part of a vibrant community of environmental and water champions. ArenaGreen Footing now faces the semi-finals, and the hope of an invitation to join this year’s Alumni Group of Water ChangeMaker finalists or Hall of Fame winners; each finalist will be invited to the UN Climate Change Conference.
Among the thematic areas that the ChangeMaker Awards encourage are: Water Decisions in leveraging Nature-Based Solutions for Climate Resilience; Building Integrity in Water Decisions; and Mobilizing the Private Sector in supporting Water Decisions for Climate Resilience.
The next round of the Water ChangeMaker Awards is coming up this month. “If you make the finals, you join a network of worldwide water initiatives. It would be amazing to get European recognition, because Europe is more advanced in water regulation than the United States. There’s still a lot of change that has to take place in our horse industry, between high levels of emissions from transporting horses, to more recycling at horse shows, and better water conservation,” Carr explained.
The sustainability of ArenaGreen is enhanced by the fact that it can be consistently produced anywhere in the world. ArenaMend, LLC has 10 manufacturing sites across France, Spain, Canada, Mexico, Denmark and five in the United States (and meets California Prop 65 standards).
ArenaMend, LLC is making the best footing on earth that’s also the best footing for the earth, thanks to its innovative technology to fabricate sand using only organic materials. The result, ArenaGreen Footing, is non-hazardous, fabricated sand using no polymers or petroleum, just a plant-based binding agent that is 99% bio-renewable. The revolutionary horse footing is unparalleled in eco-responsibility and requires no watering. Water conservationists applaud ArenaGreen for its enviro-consciousness at the same time competitive equestrians praise its rideability.
ArenaGreen is the only footing that delivers a consistently effective performance surface that can be maintained with or without water, making it an ideal choice for arid and tropical climates. ArenaGreen has been installed at The Palm Beach Masters Series CSI5* and CSI2* at Deeridge Farm and is the preferred footing of Olympic Show Jumping Gold medalist, Ben Maher. NARG (North American Riders Group) gave ArenaGreen its highest US score on its 2020 Winter Sports rankings.
ArenaMend waterless equestrian footing offers a non-synthetic, temperature resistant, non-oil-based additive that eliminates irrigation or water usage while improving consistency and traction in new or existing arenas. Learn more and follow ArenaGreen in the Water ChangeMaker Awards at www.arenamend.com.
Photo: Alex Carr of ArenaMend LLC awaits results of ArenaGreen Footing submission in the next round of the worldwide Global Water Partnership’s Water ChangeMaker Awards. (Photo courtesy of ArenaMend,LLC)