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Upcoming and Recent Workshops
Greening Your Yard, Naturally: Safe Lawns, Native Landscapes & Edible Gardens
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
6:30 to 9:00 PM
First Church of Christ
190 Court Street
Middletown, CT
Join members of Project Green Lawn for a practical program on natural and green yard care.
A panel of experts will offer short
presentations on Growing An Organic and Healthy Lawn; Alternatives to Lawns & Landscaping with Native Plants;
Starting a Vegetable Garden; and Using Edibles in Your Landscape. Panelists include Susan Holland with Natureworks; Bettylou Sandy
from CT-NOFA; Patrice Barrett, Community Garden Coordinator for the North End Action Team (NEAT); and Vivian Felten with USDA-Natural
Resources Conservation Service and the Ecological Landscaping Network.
An "Ask the Experts" session after the panel will provide the opportunity to ask individual questions. In addition, information about
eco-friendly yard care, and landscaping supplies and products will be on display and for sale before and after the program. Exhibitors include Agway, Home Depot, Natureworks, the
Connecticut Chapter of the Northeast Organic Farmers Association (CT-NOFA), City of Middletown Recycling Office and Project Green Lawn,
The Jonah Center, and Connecticut River Coastal Conservation District.
For more information contact the Conservation District office at (860) 346-3282.
Click
here for a printable flyer (open PDF).
Project Green Lawn is a City of Middletown public awareness campaign to encourage residents and businesses to maintain healthy lawns
free of chemicals that are harmful to people, pets and the environment. It is a collaborative project of the Middletown Public Works
Department, Recycling Advisory Committee, and Conservation Commission, with support and assistance from the Connecticut River Coastal
Conservation District and The Jonah Center.
Hosted by The Jonah Center
Diversity on a Suburban Lot: Creating a Backyard Wildlife Habitat
Saturday, June 14, 2008
9:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Middletown, CT
Back by popular demand--this was essentially a repeat of our sold out workshop held in 2007.
Eleanore Milardo's seven year project has transformed her 3/4-acre suburban lot from a lawn-dominated landscape
into a highly diverse array of plants and habitats, with more than 120 native plant species. In the past year, she
also worked to connect her landscape with the adjacent woodlands through a new trail system.
CT DEP Wildlife biologist Peter Picone joined Eleanore to give an on-site seminar describing the
plant choices she has made, and to provide inspiration to anyone interested in making a similar transformation.
Emphasis was on the relationship between native plants and the abundant insects, birds,
mammals, and other organisms that now share the garden.
Cosponsored with the New England Wild Flower Society, Connecticut River Coastal
Conservation District, Project Green Lawn, and the Ecological Landscaping Network.
Fee: $20. All fees for this seminar support the cosponsors' education and conservation programs.
Peter Picone points out a blueberry plant in Eleanore Milardo's rain garden
Restore the Mattabesset! Workshop Series
This four-part series held in Winter 2008 provided an opportunity to learn from local experts how we can work together to restore and preserve the health and quality of the Mattabesset River.
Workshop topics included: Water Quality Impairments and the Mattabesset Total Maximum Daily Load analysis; Watershed Restoration;
Planning for Stormwater; Assessment and Management of Septic and Sewer Systems; and Backyard Stewardship of Water Resources.
Featured at the second workshop was a presentation on an analysis of restoration potential in the Mattabesset conducted by the Conservation District, a Comparative Subwatershed Analysis (CSA).
For more information about the CSA see the summary report, The Mattabesset River Watershed Comparative Subwatershed
Analysis: Developing a Framework for Watershed Restoration in the Mattabesset (open PDF).
If you missed the workshops, the following presentations (PDFs) can be viewed here:
The Mattabesset: A Brief History of
Water Quality and Watershed Management
How Much is Too Much? The Mattabesset Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for Indicator Bacteria
Achieving TMDL Reductions through the Municipal Stormwater General Permit Program
Prioritizing Watershed Restoration Efforts
Watershed Restoration Strategies:
Retrofits, Repairs and Replacements
Planning for Stormwater
Managing Onsite Sewage Disposal Systems
Sewer Maintenance: Continuous Assessment and Repair (MDC's Clean Water Project)
Protecting Backyard Water Resources: Safe, Simple & Sound Solutions for Better Stewardship
Please phone the Conservation District office at (860) 346-3282 with questions.
The workshop series and CSA project were made possible with a grant from
the Long Island Sound Futures Fund administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
Reading the Land: A Practical Workshop for Realtors
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
9:30 AM to 12:30 PM
deKoven House Community Center, Middletown, CT
This valuable practical training, offered every other year, covers several important natural resource topics of concern to Realtors. Participants learn about
soils and how to use web-based soil maps; get the facts about septic systems; learn about wetland identification and permits; and
hear about innovative Low Impact Design practices. The workshop is approved for 3 Continuing Education Units by the Real Estate
Commission.
See flyer for more information (open PDF).
Please phone the Conservation District office at (860) 346-3282 about future Realtor workshops.
Rain Garden Workshop
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
UConn Extension Center, Haddam, CT
Participants learned how to create their own Rain Garden at this free how-to workshop presented by UConn Extension Educator Karen Filchak, co-author of
Rain Gardens in Connecticut: A Practical Design Guide. In addition to adding beauty and interest to your landscape, rain gardens
protect streams, ponds and wetlands by reducing stormwater runoff, improving water quality and promoting infiltration. For a brief description of
rain gardens and their benefits, please see the cover article in our 2004 newsletter (open PDF).
Co-sponsored with the Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials (NEMO) Program, Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR), University of Connecticut.
See flyer for more information (open PDF).
Eleanore Milardo's backyard rain garden
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