One family's continued dedication to the environment and recent changes in national building practices make EcoManor a reality.
EcoManor story page 1

Eco-awareness has been a way of life for Laura and Rutherford Seydel. Years of earth-friendly living and community involvement have fueled the inspiration for their EcoManor residence. Inspiration was not one specific item or event, but more a continuation of their current lifestyle and a promise to their family that they would always do their part to be green. Recent changes and organized support toward residential green building practices have now made building “EcoManor” a reality and will help Laura and Rutherford to further their commitment.

Growing up, Laura Turner Seydel was more aware of environmental issues than most children. As daughter of CNN founder and philanthropist Ted Turner, she was exposed at an early age to how very ecologically desperate some areas of the world were. Rutherford was awakened to alarming environmental issues within Atlanta when he joined the Ecology Club at Lovett High School, which backs up to the eastern bank of the struggling Chattahoochee River. Recognizing the potential for her efforts, she began her commitment toward working to improve the environment in every way she could.

Together, Laura and Rutherford have established themselves as ecological activists, committed to making a difference in their own back yard. Laura and Rutherford are co-founders of the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper Fund and are both active on the boards of many other local and national groups including: Earth Share Georgia; The Nature Conservancy of Georgia; the North Georgia Water Planning District Board and the League of Conservation Voters Education Fund. Currently, Laura serves as chairman of the Captain Planet Foundation, a partner program to the highly successful environmentally focused Saturday morning cartoon, Captain Planet and the Planeteers. The Captain Planet Foundation acts as a national educational conduit to place funds in the hands of groups conducting environmental projects with elementary, middle, and high school students.

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