Category:

Viewers from around the world will be able to learn more about the connections between green infrastructure, economics, and human health by attending a live webcast of the Grey to Green Conference on August 25th, 2014. “The live webcast allows individuals who cannot afford the time or money to travel the ability to take advantage of the excellent and leading-edge content being provided at this event,” said Steven W. Peck.

“Now all four governments can benefit from the single education effort that is occurring, and all residents in the Valley are aware that their local governments take the issue seriously, regardless of what jurisdiction the knotweed falls within. In small rural communities such as ours this is the type of program that relies on collaboration for success,” stated Nancy Hofer.

“We require a healthy, natural living environment for us as a species to do well. So in order for the future to do well in Surrey, we need to ensure that biodiversity does well. And for that you need land and all of the services that biodiversity provides us,” said Deb Jack.

“One of the more thoughtful landscaping undertakings I have seen will be installed over the next fifteen years on, appropriately enough, the grounds of the US Department of Agriculture headquarters in Washington. The site is prominently placed on the National Mall just steps away from the Washington Monument. The lengthy, detailed description of the People’s Garden reads like a manifesto for outdoor sustainability,” writes Kaid Benfield.

“We can think of our natural resources — trees, streams, lakes, wetlands, soils — as infrastructure because they provide things we need such as shade, good air quality, drinking water, food and recreation. We need to know where our best forests, wetlands or farms are located in order to better protect them,” said Karen Firehock.

“We’ve reviewed thousands of scientific sources, and the evidence is in – experiences of nearby nature in cities are associated with improved human health and wellness. Parks, trees, and gardens are indeed beautiful, but our work on economic values is showing that ‘vitamin N’ could become a therapy to reduce health costs,” said Dr. Kathleen Wolf.

“Initially the space was an unwelcoming pit — sited well below street level and surrounded by 22-foot-high concrete walls. A massive dry well to capture and disperse rainwater sat at the bottom, covered by thick concrete. The designers made the most of the existing structure, fabricating a showstopping waterfall and trellis to capitalize on the height of the concrete walls,” wrote Bonnie Monte.

“The ideas being developed in Cities Alive seek to capture not only the beauty of nature but also the sustainability of balanced ecosystems. Cities Alive provides an important opportunity for ecosystem specialists to work closely with landscape professionals to optimise how we build for our future,” stated the Royal Botanic Gardens’ Monique Simmonds, OBE.

“The topic redefines how decision makers approach community planning, and is especially relevant with the record amount of rainfall Atlanta is experiencing this year; the existing infrastructure has been overstressed and there is a great opportunity to leverage green infrastructure for improvements in city parks,” says Walt Ray.

Pamela Zevit, Coordinator for the South Coast Conservation Program, presented an overview of regional tools to protect species and communities at risk. Her mission is to bring local government representatives together to overcome barriers and challenges.