[Durham INC] Durham Hosts Sustainable Landscapes Workshop Feb. 15

[Blalock, Amy]

City of Durham

County of Durham

 

Joint News Release

 

For Immediate Release: 

January 6, 2010 

 

For Details, Contact:

Amy Blalock

Sr. Public Affairs Specialist, City of Durham

(919) 560-4123 x 11253

Amy.Blalock at durhamnc.go

 

Deborah Craig-Ray

Assistant County Manager, County of Durham

(919) 560-0002

dcraig-ray at durhamcountync.gov

 

 

Sustainable Landscapes Workshop Offers Guidance for "Greener" Gardens
Feb. 15

City and County Combine Forces to Offer Environmentally Friendly
Guidance; Registration Deadline is Feb. 8

 

DURHAM, N.C. - Next month, gardeners interested in learning how to
create productive garden beds while protecting Durham's water quality at
the same time will get their chance at a workshop focusing on
sustainable garden management techniques.

 

On Monday, February 15, 2010, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., workshops
participants will learn about a wide variety of techniques to help
protect Durham's water sources, such as how to manage soil for best
results; smart watering techniques; how to install rain gardens; and how
to create raised vegetable beds. 

 

The workshop will be held at the Durham County Cooperative Extension,
located at 721 Foster Street, Durham.  The cost to attend is $25 per
person, which includes lunch.  The registration deadline is Monday,
February 8.

 

According to Michelle Wallace, an agent with the Durham County
Cooperative Extension, this workshop will teach tips to support local,
healthy systems of food and water resources.  "Interest in gardening has
grown in the past year as people try to stretch their household
budgets," Wallace said. "Consumers are also paying more attention to
where their food comes from, with local and organic being key factors.
By learning how to implement simple and effective techniques at home,
our participants will enjoy greener gardens straight from their
backyards."

 

According to John Cox, water quality manager with the City of Durham's
Stormwater Services Division in the Public Works Department, sustainable
gardening also protects local water resources. "Teaching our residents
to apply the proper amounts of slow-release fertilizers in their gardens
is key.  Too many lawn and garden nutrients end up washing down into our
creeks and then into Falls and Jordan Lakes, which we all end up paying
for with increased water pollution," Cox said. Cox and other water
quality watchers hope that Durham residents curb their fertilizer use
and add rain barrels and rain gardens to their landscapes, which will
ultimately benefit the water quality of Durham's local streams and
lakes. 

 

To register for this workshop, contact Pana Jones, program assistant for
the Durham County Cooperative Extension, at (919) 560-0525 or via e-mail
at prjones at co.durham.nc.us. 

 

About the North Carolina Cooperative Extension

The North Carolina Cooperative Extension gives residents easy access to
the resources and expertise of N.C. State University and N.C. A&T State
University. Through educational programs, publications, and events,
Cooperative Extension field faculty deliver unbiased, research-based
information to North Carolina citizens. To learn more about Durham
County's Cooperative Extension, visit 
http://durham.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=site. 

 

About the Stormwater Services Division, Department of Public Works

The Stormwater Services Division with the City's Department of Public
Works provides services related to the management and improvement of
surface water and drainage infrastructure.  Activities include design
and review of stormwater systems; investigating drainage concerns;
investigating and eliminating illicit stormwater connections and illegal
stormwater discharges; education and outreach; floodplain management
activities; enforcing ordinances and regulations; and stream monitoring,
restoration and watershed master planning.  To learn more about this
division, visit www.durhamnc.gov/stormwater.  

 

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