Landscape Restoration Program

Program Background

The URI Landscape Restoration Program (LRP) strives to create a climate of cooperation among property owners, green industry professionals and State regulatory agencies to protect environmental quality and encourage environmental stewardship through the incorporation of best landscape management practices on upland and coastal properties. Program staff and undergraduate interns conduct research to identify the latest environmentally-sensitive landscape management practices, develop landscape design tools and then disseminate this information to professionals through training and homeowners through education and outreach.

The URI Landscape Restoration Program grew out of a partnership initiated in 2005 with the Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) that created the Coastal Landscapes Program (CLP). While the Coastal Landscapes Program focus was to develop regulatory and guidance standards related to stormwater management and habitat restoration on coastal landscapes, the LRP focus covers the promotion of best practices as applied within and outside the coastal zone, statewide.

In addition to raising general awareness about the value of ecological landscape management to promote habitat restoration, stormwater management, and resource conservation through public workshops for homeowners and landscape and gardening enthusiasts, the URI Landscape Restoration Program offers training and certification programs for professionals on topics ranging from invasive plant management to residential rain garden design.

Trainings

The training programs listed below are geared towards green industry and environmental consulting professionals working to expand their business niches, and are offered twice annually. Priority is given to professionals, but all are welcome to register. For more information on upcoming training dates, click here.

Residential Rain Garden Training
The Residential Rain Garden Training Program provides green industry and nonprofit professionals, municipal officials, volunteers and government agency staff introductory information on residential-scale rain garden implementation to reduce stormwater runoff. The one-day training includes a classroom session and hands-on field experience building a rain garden.

Invasive Plant Management Certification Program
The two-day Invasive Plant Management Certification Program (IPMCP) trains green industry professionals working in the coastal zone to provide sustainable invasive plant management services to clients, and to facilitate restoration of degraded coastal habitats as Certified Invasive Managers (IMs). IMs are required to renew their certification every 2 years by attending an IPMCP recertification training.

Coastal Landscapes Certification Program
The Coastal Landscapes Certification Program held in January 2007 was the first and only training held in a series intended to certify professionals working in coastal areas governed by the Greenwich Bay SAMP. Due to the ongoing development of the SAMP regulations, the other training modules in the series have not yet been scheduled. Those professionals present at the 2007 training will be informed of future trainings, and have been granted partial certification status until full certification can be earned. Questions? Please contact Kate Venturini at kate@uri.edu.

Workshops

Public workshops and lectures are available to land trusts, conservation commissions, garden clubs and civic groups on the following topics:

Topics	Program Length
Stormwater and Your Backyard Ecological Landscaping for Habitat & Water Quality Protection Coastal Landscape Restoration Backyard Habitat Enhancement for Urban and Suburban Areas Invasive Plants and Their Impact on Biodiversity Landscape Site Assessment Rain Gardens 101 Invasive Plant Management 101	(30 mins, 1 hour) (30 mins, 1 hour) (1 hour) (1 hour) (1 hour) (1.5 hours) (2 hours) (2.5 hours)