Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Stormwater Management Track for Mid-Atlantic Accreditation Course



Glen Abrams of PHS
For the second year, NOFA OLC offers a 2 track option on the final day of the Accreditation Course in Organic Land Care (http://www.organiclandcare.net/professionals/accreditation) so students can pursue an in-depth study of a topic relevant to their work. Glen Abrams designed this curriculum to offer land care professionals both the GSI big picture and focused sessions applicable to work which can be done for landscaping clients. The other concurrent track offered is Organic Turf Management with Chip Osborne.

Stormwater Managment Track Description - Mid Atlantic Course 2014 Dec 8-11, 2014

Facing difficult decisions regarding compliance with Clean Water Act rules concerning stormwater runoff and combined sewer overflows, many communities have opted to pursue green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) strategies over conventional approaches to managing runoff.  GSI is an engineered landscape system that intercepts rainfall, infiltrates a portion of it into the ground, evaporates a portion of it into the air, and in some cases releases a portion of it slowly back into the city's sewer system.  The intention is to design an urban landscape to restore natural hydrologic processes to reduce the volume and water quality impacts of the built environment while achieving additional social and economic benefits.  The Green Stormwater Infrastructure track will explore GSI practices in different contexts, focusing on case studies of institutional, commercial, and residential practices.  Furthermore, we will discuss issues that arise during construction of GSI practices and explore how these systems are maintained.

 Learning Objectives:

  •   Learn the definition of Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) and become familiar with different land-water-plant based systems through case studies of GSI practices in several land use contexts
  •  Learn about the regulatory context driving the need for stormwater management and the EPA's growing support for GSI
  • Learn how site characteristics, regulations, and client desires shape GSI design 
  •  Learn about vegetation choices for GSI practices
  • Learn about common challenges when constructing and maintaining GSI practices
  • Learn about how GSI design choices can impact maintenance of these systems

  Speakers:
Altje Hoekstra, Meliora Environmental Design
Alden Zove, Cedar Run Landscapes

 And
 Tom Johnston, ThinkGreen
 Jonathan Nuss, David Brothers Landscaping (not-confirmed)

Schedule: Dec 11, 2014
8-8:30              The Regulatory Environment for Stormwater            Glen Abrams
8:30-9:10         Institutional/Commercial GSI Applications                Altje Hoekstra
9:10-10:00       Residential GSI Applications                                       Alden Zove
10:00-10:15     BREAK
10:15-11:05     Construction of GSI                                                     Tom Johnston
11:05-11:55     Maintenance of GSI                                                    Jonathan Nuss (invited