Starting on January 17, 2020, the highly successful Green Infrastructure Champions Program will be offered in partnership with Duke Farms in Hillsborough, NJ. The Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program piloted this program last winter through the spring, and 37 people were certified as Green Infrastructure Champions. The pilot program was made possible by support from New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium, The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, and Jersey Water Works. Duke Farms is joining as a partner for the 2020 training.
The mission of the Water Resources Program is to identify and address community water resources issues using sustainable and practical science-based solutions. Green infrastructure is an approach to wet weather management that is cost-effective, sustainable, and environmentally friendly. Green infrastructure management approaches and technologies capture and reuse stormwater to maintain or restore natural hydrology.
Green Infrastructure Champions will be key players in implementing green infrastructure as a stormwater management approach town by town. Green Infrastructure Champions will be able to:
- Enhance their knowledge through green infrastructure workshops, seminars, and personal research
- Engage community leaders to adopt green infrastructure as a stormwater management solution by updating ordinances and municipal master plans
- Encourage local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and schools to incorporate green infrastructure in their existing landscaping
- Secure funding for green infrastructure
- Publicize implementation of green infrastructure through social media channels
The RCE Water Resources Program will dedicate resources to support the Green Infrastructure Champions in their efforts to advocate for green infrastructure and implement demonstration projects.
For additional details about the Green Infrastructure Champions Program as well as the topics discussed at each session, please visit the RCE Water Resources Program at: http://water.rutgers.edu/Projects/GreenInfrastructureChampions/GIC.html.
The 2020 Green Infrastructure Champions Program will be held at Duke Farms, Hillsborough, NJ, on Fridays from 10AM to 12NOON starting January 17, 2020.
To register, go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/green-infrastructure-champions-tickets-78185331431
Contact Marian Glenn at marian.glenn@shu.edu or Sara Mellor saramellor@envsci.rutgers.edu for more information.
All 10 classes are available for a single fee of $150, or you can purchase individual workshops for $20 each. A minimum of five (5) workshops are required for a certification.
