More than 30 people learned about maintaining rain gardens, vegetated strips, and other forms of green infrastructure at a Feb. 25 half-day training designed for public works staff and engineers in New Jersey cities and towns.
The digital format allowed The Watershed Institute to extend its expertise beyond central New Jersey and reach municipalities ranging from Haddonfield to Secaucus. The impetus for the training is a new state rule that requires local cities and towns to craft stormwater ordinances by early March.
Kory Kreiseder, the Watershed’s Stormwater Specialist, emphasized that properly installed and maintained green infrastructure is vital so these landscaping features efficiently absorb excess polluted stormwater runoff, which benefits local water quality and helps reduce flooding.
She shared design considerations that lead to ease of maintenance, the New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection’s (NJDEP) best practices, and how to tackle any problems or issues that might arise.
The Watershed’s Policy Director Michael Pisauro and Stewardship Coordinator Allison Jackson fielded questions and gave examples from their experiences. They shared some stories in helping New Jersey towns and cities create new stormwater ordinances that extend beyond the basics, as well as advice in maintaining some of these landscaping features in the Watershed Center and Reserve.
The Watershed wants to share its expertise and examples of green infrastructure in this growing field. Kory invited city and town leaders to send information and pictures for the Exploring Green Infrastructure page on the website that offers examples, resources, and tools in this area.
