TOTAL HABITAT
  • Home
  • Natural Swimming Pool/Ponds (NSP's)
    • About
    • Projects
    • Pricing >
      • Financing
    • Maintenance
    • FAQ's
    • In the News
    • Testimonials
    • Design and Construction
    • Products >
      • How-To Guide EBook
      • The Essential Plans
  • Commercial
    • Public Spaces
    • Camps and Retreats
    • Zoo Products and Services >
      • Zoo Exhibits
      • Hot Grass & Hot Vines >
        • Installation Guides: Hot Grass & Hot Vines
      • Other Zoo Products
  • Residential
    • Ponds
    • Retaining Walls
    • Water Features
    • Maintenance and Repairs
  • Blog

Employee Bio: Dale

5/8/2020

1 Comment

 
Picture
Dale has been working with Mick since 1998 when they met at the Sedgwick Zoo in Wichita, Kansas, and has been working full time with Total Habitat since early 2001. Dale is from and currently lives in Wichita Kansas. His favorite thing about working with Total Habitat is that “looming sense of accomplishment” you get when creating something new for a project.  When asked what his favorite tool was he jokingly stated, “Whichever tool that just broke, every time!”.

Picture
Scaling the climbing wall.
Picture
Picture
Dale managing the concrete hose for a specialty concrete rock climbing wall.
Dale is extremely creative both at work and outside of it. He created the stamp we use put on some of our larger concrete projects that you can see above. He has made some terrifyingly accurate zombies costumes, and designed numerous t-shirt, patch, and sticker designs. When he isn't designing something new, you can find him spending time with his 5 dachsunds (Jesse, Mira, Juno, Sadie, Rudy) or singing. You can often find Dale singing karaoke in Wichita, and he especially likes when he can find live band karaoke to participate in across the county when traveling with work.

His favorite joke is, "How many psychologists does it take to screw in a light bulb? One, but the light bulb has to want to change."
Picture
Jesse the Dachshund, the long dog in charge.
1 Comment

Employee Bio: Sophia

5/1/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Sophia (will also respond to Soph or Ace) has been designing with Total Habitat since 2013.  She is originally from Wichita, moved to Bonner Springs in her teens, and has now called Lawrence Kansas home for the last decade. Sophia’s favorite work tools are Vectorworks for creating our construction detailed drawings, and Realtime Landscaping Pro to quickly visualize spaces in 3D.  What Sophia enjoys most about working with Total Habitat is seeing her two-dimensional drawings coming to life in the world. She said it is extremely rewarding seeing people enjoying their completed project knowing it started out as a simple idea on a piece of paper.


Picture
Sophia becoming part of the flora during a job in the Pacific Northwest
Picture
Sophia & Matt discussion the rock climbing wall project
Outside of work Sophia sings and plays in a band named Artful Darling, they play grunge folk music and perform around the Kansas City area.  She is a member of the Kansas City Roller Warriors, the roller derby league in Kansas City. She is on the Victory Vixens team and they are Rink of Fire Championship winners as of July 2019!  

Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Employee Bio: Katherine

4/24/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Katherine (or Kat) has been with Total Habitat as our resident accounts person since the very beginning.  As she said, "I remember when it was just a sparkle in my husband's eye".  We were lucky enough to snag her as our Office Manager full-time after she retired from teaching in 2016.  When asked about her favorite tool she said the old-school adding machine.  She said she had a mishap with the memory save option on a paperless method and won't go back, stating comically, "crying at your desk isn't good for office morale!".
​ 

Picture
Katherine and Joanna at an NSP jobsite
Picture
Picture
Katherine celebrating New Years Eve with her family
Outside of work Katherine enjoys getting together with friends and family, playing music, and painting.  She plays guitar and dabbles in several other instruments.  Katherine has been performing since she was young when she was in a band with her sister, and still continues to play with her family and friends at the Kit Kat Club in Bonner Springs.
0 Comments

Employee Bio: Mick

4/17/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Mick (Mickey or Flip) has been in charge of Total Habitat since he founded it in 1996. Mick has been in the zoo world for many years and was formerly the Curator of Exhibits at the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita.  He had his "ah-ha" moment when he witnessed otters playing in the new chemical-free, and crystal-clear swimming pool exhibit they built. He realized that people should get to enjoy this wonderful chlorine-free experience for themselves!

Mick grew up in Kansas City, and has lived in Lawrence and Wichita before moving back to Bonner Springs.  One of his favorite projects was a Natural Swimming Pond in Tennessee. We rented an excavator that reached an extreme length of  60 feet so that we were able to use one large machine instead of several small ones to navigate around this huge pond project complete with water slide and swimming grotto!



Picture
Mick acquiring reference material for artificial rock builds
Picture
The finished NSP project where we used the 60' reach heavy machinery as mentioned above
Picture

Outside of running Total Habitat Mick enjoys spending time with his family and grand-dog Kona.  He enjoys writing music and poetry.  You can often find him playing music with friends at the Kit Kat Club at Lake of the Forest in Bonner Springs, Kansas.

0 Comments

Project Announcement: Greensboro Zoo Expansion

1/24/2020

3 Comments

 

Heading Back to North Carolina!

This summer we will be taking a crew and heading to build a number of new zoo exhibits: cassowary, pygmy hippo, chilean flamingos, sand cat, black-footed cat, serval, fishing cat, and red panda. Some of the exhibits will be upgrades to animals already at the zoo, while others will be for animals new to the Greensboro Science Center! We had a wonderful meeting with many of the zoo's employees where we were able to showcase the models we built.  These models help give a visual example of what we hope to accomplish in an accurately scaled model, which also makes it easier for their experts to communicate the needs of the animals and feel comfortable in proceeding with the fabrication by Total Habitat.

Below you can view some of the original (V1) models we made for our first big showcase meeting.

Exhibits from 10 Years Ago

Picture



On our last trip to the Greensboro Science Center we had the joy of building the Maned Wolf, Gibbon, New World Monkey, Meerkat, Lemur, and Alligator exhibits. Mick & Dale checked in on our past exhibits when they went back to the Greensboro Science Center for the New Exhibits Meeting.
Picture
Meerkat Exhibit 10 years later!
Head over to the Greensboro NC website & read their article talking about their exciting new zoo expansion!

We can't wait to head back to the Greensboro Science Center and start making some new exciting exhibits for these animals! Check back here on our Blog or follow us on Facebook or Instagram for updates on this project and more!

3 Comments

Happy New Year from Total Habitat!

12/20/2019

0 Comments

 

2019 In Review

We have had such a busy and wonderful year at Total Habitat! We wanted to take some time and share with our followers some of the great projects we participated in this year.

Kansas City Zoo

We did a lot of work in the Kansas City Zoo in 2019. We gave the hippos Cairo and Liberty a new sand pit to roll around in as well built in a sun shade for those sweltering Kansas summer days. We participated in the building of the new Tree Kangaroo Exhibit by constructing artificial trees for them to climb on, in both the inside and outside enclosures. And lastly this year we got to completely re-do the previous meerkat exhibit in the discovery barn to make way for Arnie the two-toed Sloth!
Picture
Tree Kangaroo Outdoor Enclosure
Picture
Tree Kangaroo Indoor Enclosure
Picture
Two-toed Slot Exhibit
Picture
Sun Shade in Hippo exhibit

Maryland Zoo

Picture
We love working with the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore and usually have a project every year with them. This year we did a large amount of demolition work and rebuild in order to fit themed reptile enclosures in the 'Meadow' area of the zoo which features species native to the Maryland area. Check out an article showcasing the animals in the renovated exhibit here. We are looking forward to being back at the Maryland Zoo for a new project in early 2020!

Picture
Picture
Picture

Topeka Zoo

We started a big project this fall for Kay's Garden at the Topeka Zoo, we are building all of the water features and we completed Phase 1 this winter! Below you can see the streams that will eventually connect to a large koi pond that will be completed in 2020. Read more about this project or take a virtual walk through of the future Japanese Garden at www.topekazoo.org/kaysgarden
Picture
Picture
Picture

Rock Climbing Wall: Prairie Schooner Girl Scout Camp

We finished a huge Rock Climbing Wall for Camp Prairie Schooner in Missouri in early 2019. We were happy to hear that a number of girl scouts reached the top of the climbing wall, but it was still a challenge! Go to our blog post here to read more details about this huge project, and don't forget its Girl Scout cookie season.
Picture
Sculpted rock wall before paint
Picture
Finished Climbing Wall

Hoop House for Wolf Park

We sent a team of two out to the Wolf Park in Battle Ground, Indiana to build a large Hoop House named Grey Haven for foxes. Our team members had a wonderful time getting to know their interns and Wolf Park employees, and even got to have a meet & greet with some of their ambassadors wolves! See more details from this project as well as a very cute picture of one of our team members with a fox on their shoulder on our previous blog post here.
Picture
Picture

NSP Projects

We had numerous natural swimming pool projects this year, as well as a decorative pond with a rock slab retaining wall in Kansas. We built two pools in Napa, California and Fort Bragg, California at the same time with two different teams. We also consulted with a team on an island off of Spain to make a beautiful Natural Swimming Pool that fit wonderfully into the landscape.
Picture
Natural Pond and Retaining Wall
Picture
Natural Swimming Pool in Spain

Looking forward to 2020!

We want to thank everyone for following with us on our journey this past year, we are looking forward to some big projects we have coming in the next few months and everything that we have coming our way for the year of 2020!

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay updated on our current projects.
0 Comments

Project Announcement: Kay's Garden at the Topeka Zoo

11/22/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
We are very excited to announce that we have been working at the Topeka Zoo along with other construction companies as well as Kogi Morimoto, a Japanese Garden Master to create the much awaited Kay's Garden! Total Habitat will be creating all of the water features within Kay's Garden. This project is a legacy gift for the former Kansas Supreme Court Justice Kay McFarland who established a living trust to build and maintain her dream of a world class Japanese Garden in the state & city she served for over 3 decades.
*Read more about Kay E. McFarland here

We are well into Phase 1 of the project which includes all of the upper level streams, 2 ponds, 7 bridges  and 12 waterfalls!  In the pictures below you can see some completed stream rock work, the large rock plates or weir plates are a vital part of the water falls creates that classic cascading effect.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Phase 2, which will begin in 2020, features a massive koi pond which will circulate over 250,000 gallons of water. The adjacent upper level streams will join back together after their separate journeys through the garden via a large waterfall into the koi pond.

Below you can see our model that was presented before beginning the project, there you can see the stream systems, the 2 upper ponds, and the large koi pond with walking paths throughout.
Picture
The lower half of the garden that ends in the large koi pond
Picture
The upper half of the garden, that starts with the origin pond
Picture
Picture
spray-painted bushes for the model
Picture
For more information on Kay McFarland's legacy and vision, as well as a full 3-D rendering walk-through video of the whole project visit the Topeka Zoo's page here.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for photos and updates on this project and more!
0 Comments

Specialty Team in Spain

11/11/2019

1 Comment

 

Building a Natural Swimming Pool in 7 days in Spain

Picture
 Last week we put together a three person team from Total Habitat (Mick, Kathryn, Joanna) to consult for a Natural Swimming Pond with the a local crew and built it in just seven days. The Spain crew finished the excavation process before Total Habitat's contribution and were able to complete the Natural Swimming Pool in record time thanks to the dedication and efficiency of both crews working together. The Spain crew was amazing to work with and we had a great time getting to know Scott, Helder, Chris, Robbie, Miguel, Mario, and Valdi.
Picture
Picture
Picture
We were able to source materials almost exclusively from the island where the home was located. Having local materials helps the NSP harmonize with the surrounding landscape as well as keeping costs and environmental impacts lower. This particular Natural Swimming Pond is roughly 25,000 gallons (~94,600 liters) with a tall water fall feature nestled into the hillside of the property.
Picture
Dinner with the Spain & Total Habitat crews
Picture
Photo taken by Total Habitat crew member
1 Comment

Fall & Winter: NSP's VS Traditional Pools

11/6/2019

0 Comments

 

Which would you Prefer?

Picture
Our workshop NSP, photo taken November 5th, 2019.
Picture
Traditional Pool in the winter that wasn't covered
One of the biggest advantages a Natural Swimming Pool/Pond has over a Traditional Pool is that it is beautiful year round. You don't have to drain it or cover it in the fall or winter like a traditional pool, and, in most places in the USA you can leave your NSP running all year long. If you live in a cold enough climate, you can even let your pond freeze over and ice skate on it!
Picture
A Natural Swimming Pool during winter in the Appalachians
It's important when building a Natural Swimming Pool/Pond to know the requirements for winterizing depending on which climate the NSP is built in. For example, you need to bury certain parts of your plumbing underneath the frost line to prevent damage to your pumps or other parts of the mechanical filter system. Every climate has different and specific adjustments that need to be made to ensure it runs smoothly for years to come.
0 Comments

10 Reasons to Build Your Natural Pool Next To Your House

11/4/2019

6 Comments

 

1. Better Views

Picture
Picture
Picture
A Natural Swimming Pool/Pond is a joy to see throughout the year... as long as it is visible! One of the best things about NSP's is that you don't need to cover or drain them over the winter. In fact, in all but the coldest places, you can run your pool/pond all year long, providing you with spectacular views of the waterfall(s), fish, plants, wildlife and crystal-clear water, even when you're not swimming! When designing a NSP onsite, we always consider the views from major gathering spaces, such as the kitchen or dining room window or a back deck or patio, often positioning waterfalls and other special elements so they are as visible as possible from these points.  

2. Easier Access

Picture
Imagine it's a hot summer day and you are just dying to take a dip in your crystal-clear swimming pond! If your NSP is right next to your house, it is really easy to simply jump in and enjoy! Now, imagine you've built your pool/pond 50 feet or more away, in a back field or somewhere downhill from your house; enjoying your NSP becomes more of a day trip than a passing activity. Picture having to haul all your towels, water toys, refreshments, snacks, and sunscreen out to the pond every time you want to use it, corralling kids and pets along the way. Then, (inevitably) oops, you forgot something up at the house or you need to use the bathroom... time to hike again! Trust me, as someone who grew up at a lake and always had to endure at least 20 minutes of planning and organization before we could finally get to swimming, it is definitely worth it to put your NSP as close to your house as possible! Plus, if you have any family members or guests who are elderly or otherwise may have trouble getting around, it is much easier to include them in the fun if your NSP is near the house. 

3. Better Site Drainage

Many people see a depression or a low spot in their yard and automatically think "that's the place for the swimming pond". This is a common misconception and couldn't be more wrong! A Natural Swimming Pool/Pond is not like any old murky, muddy farm pond; it is a closed system, meaning we filter the same water over and over again and we don't want any runoff from the yard to drain into the NSP. So, your pool/pond is actually best off if it is placed at the highest point in your yard, which is typically right next to your house. It is also best to place your NSP in a relatively flat spot, which is also usually next to your house, where the site has already been graded. Locating your NSP near your home can save you a lot of money raising/grading a new spot in your yard and/or having to create additional site drainage to keep dirty water from constantly running down into your nice, new swimming pond!

4. Creates a Central Gathering Space

Picture
Picture
A NSP is not just a swimming pool; it is also a focal point in your yard -- something you can design other elements around, like a patio, pergola, outdoor kitchen, fire pit, vegetable garden, treehouse, etc. Next to the pool/pond is where you will drink your morning coffee, host parties, read a good book, curl up with a glass of wine at sunset, where you will dangle your feet in the water after a long day and watch the kids discover frogs, turtles and dragonflies. Every well designed space needs a central focus, a main fixed element that everything else revolves around; that is what a Natural Swimming Pool/Pond can be in your yard!  

5. Easier to Supervise Kids & Pets

Picture
With your Natural Swimming Pool/Pond right next to your house, you can better keep track of kids, pets and guests around your pool/pond. Instead of having to trek down to a pond every time your kiddos want to take a dip, you have the option of supervising from your back deck, patio or kitchen window. 

6. Better Utility Access

The pump(s) for a Natural Swimming Pool/Pond will need to hook up to your existing electrical system (usually your house panel) and you will need access to water for the initial fill and for the occasional top-off. Typically, these utilities are easiest to access and cheapest to run when the NSP is closer to the house. 

7. Less Maintenance Than A Lawn

Picture
If you dread the arrival of warmer weather because it means you have to start mowing your grass every single Saturday morning when all you want to do is relax after a long week at work, then ditch that boring expanse of lawn and install a NSP! A Natural Swimming Pool/Pond is much less maintenance than a manicured yard and is a whole lot more fun! Plus, a pool/pond placed close to your house allows you to create spaces around the NSP or between the pool/pond and the house for low maintenance landscaping, decorative rocks and/or mulched beds. You can also hardscape between the NSP and the house with a deck or patio, so that you don't end up with an annoying strip of grass that you have to constantly maintain between the house and the pond. 

8. Provides Rainwater Harvesting Opportunities

When your Natural Swimming Pool/Pond is right next to a building with a large square footage of roof (aka your house), you can collect the rain water that drains off of your roof and use it to top off your pool/pond! This is called rainwater harvesting and can be done with relatively inexpensive collection barrels that are connected to your downspouts (some are even made to look like decorative pots) or with an underground rainwater harvesting tank. Adding a system like this is a really easy way to save some money and some water!

9. More Value For Your Money

Picture
Picture
Picture
Because placing your Natural Swimming Pool/Pond by your house provides you with easier, quicker access to it and better views of it, you will automatically get more use out of it. That means you get more value for your money and more return on your investment! Plus, it keeps you from needing to spend money building additional site features near a distant pool/pond that you probably already have at your house, like shade on a hot summer day or access to a bathroom. If you build a NSP far away from your house, you will inevitably find in time that you now need to build an additional pergola, patio or pool house near it in order to give you some place to store water toys or simply some place to sit and relax when you're not in the water. You will get much more value for your money if you instead build that pergola next to your home, where it can be used for any number of activities outside of just enjoying the pool/pond; visions of summer barbecues, starlit family dining and a gently swinging hammock spring to mind! Rather than spending twice the money to create two separate destination spaces in your yard, you can direct your hard-earned money towards one multi-use space that will also enhance your biggest investment, the space you spend the most of your time in already; your home!

10. Easier to Fence

Depending on where you live, you may be required to install a fence around any pool or pond you have built on your property. It is much easier and less expensive to fence a NSP if you can use your house as part of the barrier. Plus, it doesn't spoil any views of your beautiful new swimming pond!  
6 Comments
<<Previous
Forward>>

    Total Blog

    Check back with us each month for tips, new project pics, news, and more, here on our Total Blog!

    Archives

    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    March 2022
    January 2022
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    March 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    September 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    September 2018
    June 2018
    July 2017
    February 2017
    October 2016
    June 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    February 2015
    October 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    March 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2009
    September 2007
    August 2007
    April 2007
    March 2006
    August 2005
    March 2004

    Categories

    All
    Camps & Retreats
    Chinese Garden Project
    Exhibit Design
    Media Attention
    Natural Swimming Pools
    Tips
    What's New

    RSS Feed

Zoo products & services

Hot Grass & Hot Vines
Custom Habitats & Visitor Experiences
Theme Park Hoses

natural swimming pools

About Natural Swimming Pool/Ponds
NSP Design and Construction
How-To Guide eBook
Frequently Asked Questions
Customer Testimonials
Total Habitat in the News
Financing Options

CONTACT US

Contact Us Form
Meet the Total Habitat Team
Phone: (785) 856-5546
email: contact@totalhabitat.com
Company Address:
11621 Kaw Dr., Kansas City, KS 66111
Total Habitat Logo
Follow us on Instagram!
Copyright © 2017  Total Habitat