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

Wed Jan 6 19:11:38 EST 2010

This is a really good idea because we need a core of folks out being able to share with their neighbors how to reduce the effect of our yards on the environment.  But why is it being held in the middle of the day on a Monday when most of us will be needing to be at work?

Date: Wed, 6 Jan 2010 08:07:37 -0500
From: Amy.Blalock at durhamnc.gov
To: Amy.Blalock at durhamnc.gov
Subject: [Durham INC] Durham Hosts Sustainable Landscapes Workshop Feb. 15

  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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