Commentaries, Interviews & Profiles

For the Love of Sea Turtles
Are sea turtles medicine? To survive, sea turtles need our help and are the perfect group of animals for Wildlife Conservation Therapy, which helps us in return, explained the late Wallace J. Nichols in this widely read essay on the importance of sea turtles. ...
I Wish You Water: Celebrating the Legacy of Wallace J. Nichols
World Blue Mind Day is observed on July 23rd each year to recognize the emotional benefits of spending time near, in, on, or under healthy bodies of water. When the concept’s founder, Wallace J. Nichols passed away this past June, he left behind profound contributions to our understanding of the human connection to water. Blue Mind is his lasting legacy. ...
Gentle Solutions (Rejecting the Use of Muriatic Acid on Fresh Plaster)
Using acid on newly installed cementitious surfaces is a bad idea, says plaster expert and teacher, Jon Temple. Here he explains his approach to using milder solutions removing mineral residue on exposed aggregate surfaces as a way to avoid common problems and defects. ...
Riding the Wellness Wave
As the desire for a healthy lifestyle increases – while at the same time our population ages – the demand for wellness facilities, products and services looks to dramatically expand in coming years. David J. Peterson believes this powerful global macro-trend spells opportunity. ...
The Waters of Yosemite: A Tale of Nature’s Majesty
Nestled within the heart of the Sierra Nevada mountains in California lies Yosemite National Park, a land of breathtaking natural beauty and awe-inspiring landscapes. The waters that have shaped its iconic landscape stand among the park's many natural wonders. ...
Certifying Growth
There’s a big difference between paying lip-service to the importance of education and actively embracing the learning process. For Joe Dempsey, Jr., pursuing continuing education certification is a cornerstone of success. It’s a professional obligation, he says, and ultimately an opportunity to unlock your full potential. ...
Restoring the LA River
For most of the past century, natural waterways in Southern California have existed as lifeless concrete channels. Efforts to “regreen” some of those once-beautiful waters have given rise to hopes that the Los Angeles River, and others like it, will one day recapture their former natural health and riparian beauty.   ...
An Open Letter to the California Contractor’s State License Board
In this open letter to the California Contractor's State License Board, Scott Cohen argues that the state should adopt mandatory continuing education for pool contractor licensing and license renewals. It's a change he believes would ultimately protect contractors and consumers by reducing the number of construction defects. ...
Caution: Don’t Forget the Tape
For all of the complexity and sophistication of watershape construction projects, some of the most important considerations are also the simplest. Chief among those, says Scott Cohen, using caution tape to help prevent jobsite injuries is an essential measure, but also one that can be all too easy to forget. ...
Perfecting Substrates (the importance of bonding agents)
Concrete bonding agents play a crucial role in ensuring a strong and durable bond between shotcrete and plaster in swimming pools. They offer a host of advantages that can work to improve durability of a cementitious finish, while evening out its appearance, explains Jon Temple, who urges builders and plasters to think twice before skipping the bonding agent. ...