Spring Kickoff for Landscapers - NHLA/UNHCE Spring Conference

Vendor Opportunities

Register online

Program Brochure available here

Schedule

8:00-9:90	Registration, Visit Vendor Booths, Greet members Coffee, Tea, Muffins
9:00-10:00	Inspired by Natural Plant Communities: Design Solutions for Our Landscapes Claudia West, North Creek Nurseries, Landenberg, PA
	Track 1 (Auditorium)		Track 2 (Upstairs Classroom)
10:10-11:10	Safety and Health within the Landscape & Nursery Industry Brenda Clark and Mark Januskiewicz, Workwise New Hampshire	OR	Making Meadows and Wildflower Gardens Cathy Neal and Amy Papineau, UNH Cooperative Extension
11:20-12:20	Ticks, Lyme Disease and Other Arthropod-Borne Diseases on the Rise Alan Eaton, IPM Specialist, UNH Cooperative Extension	OR	Integrating Perennial Edibles into the Landscape Patty Laughlin, Lorax Landscaping
12:20-1:15 1:15-1:30	Lunch / Visit Exhibitors and Vendors Announcements, Scholarship Awards
1:00-3:00	General Session 2 The Nature of New Hampshire Keynote Speaker - Dan Sperduto, Sperduto Ecological Services
Pesticide credits pending; AOLCP credits pending; 2 NHCLP Credits awarded for attending Conference.

Registration Details

Cost:
Early registration is $50 first person, $47 for additional persons from the same business or organization if paid in full by March 6, 2013). Late registration or payment at the door is $55 per person. Student registrations: $25 before March 6 (Students, please register by contacting Cathy.Neal@unh.edu. No refunds after March 6 and lunch is not guaranteed for registrations after March 6.
Note: we cannot give refunds for non-attendance.

RSVP by March 6, 2013
Register online
OR
Students please register by contacting:
Cathy Neal
UNH Cooperative Extension
38 Academic Way
Durham, NH 03824
Cathy.Neal@unh.edu

Questions? Contact Suzanne Hebert at UNHCE at 603-862-3200 or suzanne.hebert@unh.edu or Jon Batson 603-335-5372 or jontree13@aol.com

Review of Educational Sessions

Inspired by Natural Plant Communities: Design Solutions for Our Landscapes

Today’s landscape challenges plant health with a difficult pallet of harsh site conditions. During the course of evolution plant communities have developed fascinating strategies to deal with tough environments, which enable vegetation to thrive in extreme situations. Let’s explore the wealth of native species that are naturally adapted to man-made site conditions and explore creative ways to increase biodiversity and life quality in our landscape.       

Presenter: German native, Claudia West grew up in a family-owned landscape nursery business that specializes in garden design and perennial, woody and cut flower production. Claudia holds a Masters of Landscape Architecture & Landscape Planning from the Technical University of Munich, Germany. Previously, Claudia served as a design consultant for Wolfgang Oehme/Carol Oppenheimer: Landscape Architecture, and was employed at Bluemount Nurseries and Sylva Native Nursery. Her extensive background in horticulture, ecology, and environmental restoration delivers a wealth of experience and knowledge, in sales and as a consultant in her current role to North Creek Nurseries.     
                       

Safety and Health Within the Landscape & Nursery Industry

Formerly the NH Occupational Safety & Health Program, now a program of Keene State College and located in Manchester, WorkWISE NH provides free, on-site occupational safety and health consultation services to eligible employers. Although these services are primarily targeted to small businesses, the program welcomes the opportunity to assist employers of any size. Whether an employer has a question about the safe use of a specific piece of equipment or is looking to establish a workplace safety program, consultants are available to provide employers with such assistance.      

Presenter: Brenda J. Clark is an Industrial Hygienist and  Mark Januskiewicz is a Safety Consultant with WorkWISE NH. They may be contacted at 603-222-1565. Website: www.Keene.edu/workwisenh.     
                                                

Ticks, Lyme Disease, and Other Arthropod-Borne Diseases on the Rise

NH has the 3rd highest rate of Lyme disease in the nation. We are also in the _top_ states for Babesiosis, Anaplasmosis and Eastern Equine Encephalitis.?? YOU have the power to greatly increase (or decrease) your risk of becoming a victim. Dr. Eaton will describe how these diseases are transmitted, and how to protect yourself. The riskiest time for tick-borne diseases is June, whereas you're most apt to contract EEE in September. "    

Presenter: Alan Eaton is an Extension Professor and Entomologist with UNH Cooperative Extension, working on agricultural pests and insects which impact public health. He has been working on ticks since 1989, and on mosquitoes and associated diseases since 2005.
 

Making Meadows and Wildflower Gardens

The National Garden Bureau has declared 2013 as the Year of the Wildflower, but starting a wildlflower garden or meadow is not as easy as it sounds. We’ll discuss site preparation techniques, share results of our trials comparing plugging vs. seeding, and provide a few tips on meadow maintenance during the first few years. We’ll share our favorite species for a mixture of heights, textures, colors and bloom times, so that you can guide your customers or start your own meadow garden off on the road to success.       

Presenters: Cathy Neal and Amy Papineau started meadow trials with in 2009 in response to the increasing interest in ecological alternatives to high-maintenance lawns. The meadow plots have presented unexpected challenges as well as pleasant surprises. From a broad mix of native grasses and wildflower species planted, some of thrived and others have failed.  Perspectives on site preparation, mowing, weed management, and observations on wildlife and pollinators will be shared. An online guide to wildflower seedlings is being developed to help you distinguish the seedling wildflowers from the weeds.  They gratefully acknowledge the NH Plant Growers Association and NH Horticulture Endowment for initial funding, and current support from UNH-COLSA through the Anna and Raymond Tuttle Endowment.    
               

Integrating Perennial Edibles into the Landscape

There is a growing interest among homeowners for landscapes that provide some edible plants for them as well as forage for wildlife and a healthy ecosystem. At the same time they don’t want significant maintenance burdens and the landscape must still met their aesthetic sense. This session will cover perennial edibles including berries, fruits, vegetables and herbs, that integrate well in ornamental landscapes, work well in NH gardens and that the average homeowner knows how to harvest and eat.

Presenter: Patty Laughlin is the owner and head gardener of Lorax Landscaping. She has been practicing ecological landscaping since 1994. She is a New Hampshire Certified Landscape Professional (NHCLP), Accredited Organic Land Care Professional (AOLCP) and has a Permaculture Design Certificate. She holds a degree in Horticulture, with a concentration in Landscape Operations, from the University of New Hampshire Thompson School of Applied Science where she is now occasionally an Adjunct Professor.? This second career follows stints in corporate America, teaching and a BA in physics from Dartmouth College.? Patty has hands on experience and training in landscape design, installation, renovations and maintenance in residential, commercial and non-profit environments. She has also completed internships with two local organic farmers.                                                                                   

Keynote

The Nature of New Hampshire

Dan Sperduto, co-author and photographer of The Nature of New Hampshire, will present an overview of the extraordinary geology and biodiversity of NH through the eyes of a plant ecologist. Dan will take us on a journey through the state's natural communities, exploring swamps and bogs, forests and ancient trees, and rocky summits and alpine tundra, including some of the common and rare species of these habitats, and discuss factors that affect why plants grow where they do in the natural world.

Keynote Speaker: Dan Sperduto is an independent plant ecologist and photographer with Sperduto Ecological Services in Canterbury, NH, and Normandeau Associates in Bedford, NH. He holds a MS in Plant Biology from UNH and a BS in Forestry from UVM. Dan draws on more than 20 years experience with botanical and ecological studies and conservation planning in the state and region, including through private clients, the Nature Conservancy, NH Natural Heritage Bureau, Complex Systems Research Center at UNH, the Ecosystems Center in Woods Hole, MA. As a recent forestry graduate, he worked with the USDA Forest Service in OR and NM. His passions are photography, hiking, and exploring ecosystems wherever he goes. He is co-author of the recent book The Nature of New Hampshire: Natural Communities of the Granite State.