Shangri La Earns Prestigious Platinum Certification for LEED®-NC,

February 20, 2008

ORANGE, Texas, February 20, 2008 – Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center, located on 252 acres in the heart of Orange, Texas, has been awarded the U.S. Green Building Council's (""USGBC"") Platinum Certification for LEED®-New Construction (""NC""), which verifies that the design and construction of Shangri La reached the highest green building and performance measures. Shangri La is the first project in Texas and the 50th project in the world to earn this prestigious honor.

Slated to open to the public beginning March 11, 2008, Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center – a program of the Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation – is already a world-class facility with a mission to Mentor Children of All Ages to Be Kind To Their World. It includes formal Botanical Gardens with more than 300 plant species and a Nature Center with a cypress/tupelo swamp, outdoor classrooms, laboratory, and more, which will allow visitors of all ages to connect with nature and learn about the unique ecosystem of the Southeast Texas area.

“From the very beginning, the Stark Foundation supported Shangri La's philosophy of becoming the most earth-friendly facility of its type in the nation,” said Michael Hoke, Managing Director of Shangri La. “This support reinforces that at Shangri La we will practice what we preach, preach what we practice, and most importantly, teach what we preach.”

Shangri La was designed by San Antonio architects Lake|Flato and landscape architects Mesa Design Group and Jeffrey Carbo Landscape Architects. “The buildings and grounds of Shangri La reflect the heroic mission of the institution by not only incorporating an innovative sustainable design, but, even more significantly, they demonstrate how man can work in harmony with nature,” said Ted Flato of Lake|Flato architects.

Shangri La achieved LEED certification for energy use, lighting, water and material use as well as for incorporating a variety of other sustainable strategies. LEED verifies environmental performance, occupant health and financial return. It was established for market leaders to design and construct buildings that protect and save precious resources while also making good economic sense.

“Shangri La is to be commended for achieving LEED certification. This facility is one that both the community and its customers can be proud of,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO, Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. “Shangri La will be a showcase for high-performance, energy-efficient, healthy design, and an inspiration for others.”

LEED certification of Shangri La was based on a number of green design and construction features that positively impact the project itself and the broader community. Among these features are: proper orientation of the buildings for passive solar heating and cooling, optimized overhangs, soybean-based spray foam insulation in the walls and ceilings, and window placement that contributes to the energy savings. A closed-loop, geothermal heating and cooling system pumps water from an 800-foot-deep well, allowing Shangri La to take advantage of the consistent temperatures deep within the earth.

Thirty-six solar photovoltaic panels throughout the property generate renewable energy. When the sun is out, Shangri La produces 21% of its energy from these panels. Waterless urinals, ultra low flow toilets, and low flow sinks will allow the facility to save approximately 58,700 gallons of water throughout the year – a reduction of more than 75% over standard fixtures.

The majority of the structures in the Orientation Center are formed from reclaimed brick material salvaged from an Arkansas warehouse built circa 1910. Sinker cypress salvaged from rivers in Louisiana is used for siding, slat walls, fencing doors, and gates. The parking lot on the grounds of Shangri La was made from reclaimed asphalt salvaged from the repaving of Green Avenue in Orange, Texas.

In order to reduce transportation impacts and support the regional economy, the team selected 49% of the total building materials by values that were manufactured within 500 miles of the project site. The roofing is designed to reflect heat and collect rainwater in large cisterns; this collected water is then used in toilets and the landscape irrigation system of the Orientation Center. During construction, contractors diverted more than 79% of the construction waste from the landfill.

Almost 13% of the total building materials content by value has been manufactured using recycled materials including the concrete, which contains 41% fly ash as a substitute for Portland cement. The boardwalks that traverse the cypress/tupelo swamp are created from ChoiceDek®, an environmentally-sound decking product comprised of recycled plastic and wood. The total amount of recycled plastic used in the ChoiceDek® boardwalks throughout Shangri La would equal 1.1 million milk jugs or 3.6 million plastic bags.

Hurricane Rita devastated Shangri La in 2005 at the beginning of its construction phase. Rather than conceding a setback, team leaders viewed the situation as an opportunity for salvaging natural materials, as many fallen trees were incorporated into the construction of facilities as well as being harvested for lumber on other projects. Mobile milling equipment was used to salvage the lumber, which is used throughout Shangri La for benches, Orientation Center furniture, and the main pavilion.

It is a distinct honor for Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center to earn the LEED-NC Platinum certification and be included in the select group of sustainable and innovative buildings that are LEED certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. This significant accomplishment extends beyond the buildings, however, and exemplifies Shangri La’s mission to Mentor Children of All Ages to Be Kind to Their World.