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The URI Healthy Landscapes Program is a collaborative effort with URI Cooperative Extension Programs and the Town of North Kingstown, Rhode Island that began in September 2002. Our Project goal is to generate and deliver an Extension education program aimed at pollution prevention best management practices (BMPs) in rural, residential landscapes. Click here for more information about the URI Healthy Landscapes education program.

In September 2006, the University of Rhode Island Cooperative Extension Home*A*Syst and 4-H Programs and the URI Department of Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Science received a three year Extension Education grant to create an education program for small acreage livestock owners and managers focusing on pollution prevention best management practices (BMPs). Visit our small acreage livestock link for more information.

The URI Healthy Landscapes Program includes the following partners:

URI Cooperative Extension Home*A*Syst Program, one of four programs within the URI CE Water Quality Program, is providing the overall coordination of the program, including installation of the demonstration sites, as well as working to develop educational materials and conduct workshops promoting healthy landscape techniques.

URI GreenShare Program is providing the link with the professional landscape community and conducting professional training, and publicizing healthy landscape tips via Channel 10 TV’s Plant Pro.

URI Master Gardener Program is providing volunteers to help with demonstration site installations. Master Gardeners are being trained in healthy landscapes techniques as well as educating community residents at events and programs.

Town of North Kingstown, RI -- Town Council, Conservation Commission, Groundwater Committee, departments of Water Supply & Planning and Development, and Town Manager, Richard Kerbel are a partner in this project. Town members were the original inspiration behind this project’s efforts and continue to promote healthy landscape techniques to community members. Protecting and conserving water resources is of utmost importance to the Town.

Technical Resources
The Healthy Landscapes Program has a Technical Team that provides reviews, authorship and recommendations for Project Resources including demonstration sites, printed materials, and media outreach. This Team consists of URI Faculty, staff, master gardeners, and landscape professionals. In addition, the University of Connecticut faculty and staff lead an effort to coordinate and share information, resources and programs on the topic of sustainable landscaping among Cooperative Extension Water Quality Programs throughout the New England Region.

URI Faculty, staff and master gardeners

URI College of the Environment and Life Sciences
Department of Plant Sciences
Dr. Steve Alm, Professor of Entomology
Dr. Richard Casagrande, Chairman, Plant Sciences Dept. & Professor of Entomology
Dr. Brian Maynard, Professor of Horticulture
Dr. Nathaniel Mitkowski, Assistant Professor of Plant Pathology
Dr. Wm. Michael Sullivan, Professor of Agronomy

Department of Natural Resources Science
Dr. Arthur Gold, Professor of Watershed Hydrology & Director, URI CE Water Quality Program
Alyson McCann, Coordinator, URI CE Home*A*Syst Program
Holly Burdett, Research Associate, URI CE Home*A*Syst Program
Lisa Gould, Research Associate, RI Natural History Survey

Cooperative Extension Education Center
Dr. Marion Gold, Director and URI CE GreenShare Program Coordinator & Plant Pro
David Hughes, Assistant to the director, and URI Master Gardener

Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Program
Rosanne Sherry, Program Coordinator
Rudi Hempe, URI Master Gardener Association

Cooperative Extension State 4-H Program

Marcia Morreira, Program Leader
Kristina Horan, State Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator

URI College of Human Science and Services
Dr. John Boulmetis, Director, URI Institute of Human Science and Services


Landscape Professionals
Richard Clark, Clark Farms and past President, RI Nursery and Landscape Association
Frank Crandall, Wood River Evergreens
Mike Merner, Earth Care Farm
David Renzi, Out In Front Horticulture
Paul Thompson, Thompson Organic Landscaping

Retail Garden Supply Stores in the North Kingstown Area:

Gillette's Home and Garden Center (Kingston Agway)
Allen's Seed Store
Wickford Lumber

The CSREES New England Regional Water Quality Program
The CSREES New England Regional Water Quality Program works to improve water quality management through educational knowledge and extension programming that emerges from a research base. The program builds on the strengths of the Extension Water Quality Programs at the Land Grant Universities throughout New England.

New England Region Sustainable Landscapes Focus Area Success Stories

New England Region Sustainable Landscapes Resource Links -- New England's Land Grant Universities

University of Connecticut Faculty and Staff
The Sustainable Landscaping Focus Area, within the residential pollution prevention program area, is being led by the University of Connecticut (UCONN) Cooperative Extension Service with support from UCONN, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources faculty and staff.

Dr. Karl Guillard, Associate Professor of Agronomy, Department of Plant Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Roy Jeffrey, Assistant to Associate Director/Cooperative Extension Residential Water Quality Program, CES Storrs, CT
Karen Filchak, Extension Educator, Cooperative Extension Residential Water Quality Program, Windham County Extension Center

UConn Water Quality and the Home Landscape

USDA Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service
CSREES advances knowledge for agriculture, the environment, human health and well-being, and communities through national program leadership and federal assistance. USDA CSREES is funding both the Healthy Landscapes Education Program and the New England Regional Water Quality Program.

This material is based upon work supported by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Integrated Water Quality Program, under Agreement No. 2002-51130-01939.