LANDSCAPER FOR FORMER PRESIDENT GEORGE H. BUSH HELPS COLORADO MEDITATION RETREAT CENTER ADOPT 50-POINT ENVIRONMENTAL PLAN

A landscaper who for five years designed, installed and maintained the Kennebunkport, Maine gardens of then-President George Bush and his wife Barbara is helping the Shambhala Mountain Center in the Colorado Rockies adopt a bold environmental plan that aims to protect its fragile land. The retreat center expects to host 15,000 visitors from around the world this year.

Red Feather Lakes, CO (PRWEB) July 22, 2003 - A landscaper who for five years designed, installed and maintained the Kennebunkport, Maine gardens of then-President George Bush and his wife Barbara is helping the Shambhala Mountain Center in the Colorado Rockies adopt a bold environmental plan that aims to protect its fragile land. The retreat center expects to host 15,000 visitors from around the world this year.

Were neither Republicans nor Democrats here, were just green," said Jim Tolstrup, the Land Steward at Shambhala Mountain Center and landscaper for George H. and Barbara Bush from 1987 to 1992.

Tolstrups staff of 10 volunteers works six-day weeks to protect the communitys 600 acres of mountain valley, less than an hour from Fort Collins, Colorado and Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Shambhala Mountain Center has adopted a 50-point Land Protection Plan for its 600 acres of 8,000-ft.-high mountain valley. The comprehensive Land Protection Plan includes everything from using a constructed wetlands area to remove nitrates from waste water to creating a Landscape Restoration Internship, carrying out an annual bird count, battling non-native invasive plant species and engaging in outdoor walking meditation. (The full plan is available upon request.)

About Shambhala Mountain Center
Shambhala Mountain Center is located one hour from Ft. Collins, Colorado and two-and-a-half hours from Denver. The Center is the site of The Great Stupa of Dharmakaya, the largest example of Tibetan sacred architecture in the West. The Great Stupa has won a prestigious award for its specialized construction, which is expected to endure 1,000 years of extreme mountain weather. At Shambhala Mountain Center, leading teachers host educational programs and retreats on meditation, yoga and other contemplative traditions. This year, the nonprofit community will open a botanic garden that will become one of the highest such gardens in Colorado. Visit shambhalamountain.org for more information.

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