Landscaping professionals, watershed organization members, and community leaders gathered with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, and New Hampshire Sea Grant for a workshop held March 25-26 in Greenland, NH. The event focused on best practices for creating attractive landscapes while protecting local water resources.
The workshop addressed the importance of responsible landscaping to help maintain the health of lakes and rivers. Participants learned about soil characteristics, ecosystem services, estuary education, marketing water-friendly services, state regulations related to shoreland protection, plant selection strategies, stormwater management techniques, and principles for safeguarding water resources.
Presentations included topics such as assessing soil by Amy Papineau; ecosystem functions by Julia Peterson; estuary insights from Kelle Loughlin; marketing approaches also by Peterson; an overview of the NH State Shoreland Water Quality Protection Act from Jay Aube; plant selection and stormwater best practices by Kat Kelleher; considerations in landscaping from Tom Swenson; and resource protection strategies again led by Peterson.
University of New Hampshire Extension serves as the outreach arm of the University of New Hampshire through partnerships with county, state and federal entities according to its official website. The Extension promotes social well-being through healthy communities and resilient ecosystems according to its official website. It utilizes county offices along with specialized facilities such as a geospatial training center and a soil testing lab according to its official website.
The organization engages around 6,000 volunteers each year across 14 programs according to its official website, aiming to enhance communities throughout New Hampshire via hands-on learning and collaborative efforts according to its official website. Amy Loader began working at University of New Hampshire Extension in 2001 as an agriculture educator according to its official website.
Organizers said they look forward to future workshops where more community members can participate in learning about sustainable landscaping that supports clean water.
