Spring Kickoff for Landscapers - NHLA/UNHCE Spring Conference

Register online

Download registration form to print

Schedule

8:00-9:90	Registration, Visit Exhibitors, Greet members Coffee, Tea, Muffins
9:00-10:00	Motor Carrier Rules and Regulations General Overview Part I * NH Dept of Transportation	OR	Introduction to Permaculture: A Framework for Ecological Design Steve Whitman
10:10-11:10	Motor Carrier Rules and Regulations General Overview Part II * NH Dept of Transportation Attendance to both sessions are required to receive certificate from DOT	OR	New England Climate Trends Mary Stampone
11:20-12:20	Protection for your Business: Helping the Bottom Line Deb Rourke, Avery Insurance	OR	Pollinator-Friendly Landscaping Ellen Sousa
12:20-1:10 1:10-1:30	Lunch / Visit Exhibitors and Vendors Announcements, Scholarship Awards
1:30-3:00	Invasive Insects of Concern for New Hampshire Keynote Speaker - Piera Siegert, NH Dept of Agriculture
Pesticide credits pending; AOLCP credits pending; 2 NHCLP Credits awarded for attending Conference.

Registration Details

Cost:
$50.00 per person ($47 for additional employees from the same company) if paid in full by March 7, 2012. Price includes lunch. After the 9th and at the door the cost will be $50 per person. Student registrations: $25 before March 7. No refunds
after March 7 and lunch is not guaranteed for registrations after March 7.
Note: a reservation made is a reservation guaranteed. No shows will be billed. Thank you for your understanding.

RSVP by March 7, 2012
Registration Form: print this form and send with payment to:
Cathy Neal
UNH Cooperative Extension
38 Academic Way
Durham, NH 03824

OR

Register online

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

Introduction to Permaculture: A Framework for Ecological Design

This session will highlight what Permaculture is all about. What could it mean to your work and your community? How does Permaculture differ from other approaches to sustainable design? This session has been developed for landscapers and designers that are working toward a sustainable future and want practical tools and applicable methodologies.
Topics covered will include:

• An introduction to Permaculture ethics and principles
• The Permaculture Design Process
• Site Analysis and assessment
• Food and Energy Security
• Natural Systems and biodiversity
• Examples from a range of projects; and additional resources

Presenter: Steven Whitman is a professional planner and educator based in New Hampshire and his work is focused largely on community planning and sustainability issues.  Mr. Whitman is a planner with Jeffrey H. Taylor & Associates, is a certified permaculture teacher, and is also an adjunct faculty member at Plymouth State University where he teaches courses in NH and internationally in environmental planning, community planning, permaculture and sustainability.  Mr. Whitman lives in Plymouth, NH and participates in a wide range of grassroots efforts that promote sustainability.

New England Climate Trends

Dr. Stampone, our New Hampshire state climatologist, will provide an overview of New England climate patterns, variability and change. Her discussion will include an objective look at trends and variability in growing season onset, cessation and length,
temperature and precipitation cycles that influence our New England growing conditions. She will demonstrate some available climate data resources to help in your seasonal planting and maintenance planning.

Presenter: Mary Stampone is an Assistant Professor of Geography at the University of New Hampshire and the New Hampshire State Climatologist. She received a B.A. degree with honors in Geological Sciences from Albion College in Michigan, an M.S. in Geography and a Ph.D. in Climatology from the University of Delaware. As a UNH faculty member in the College of Liberal Arts, she teaches courses on weather, climate, natural hazards and land surface processes. Her research in climate system science uses observations and climate system models to study the sea-ice response to atmospheric boundary layer processes and the surface-atmosphere energy balance over ice covered oceans. As the New Hampshire State Climatologist, her research focuses on the development of climate service products in support of state environmental monitoring, planning and adaptation activities.

Pollinator-Friendly Landscaping

Scientists now consider our residential backyards the “final frontier” in providing essential habitat for at-risk pollinator species that are vital to environmental health and healthy natural landscapes. Habitat naturalist and garden coach Ellen Sousa will talk about the best plants to help feed and shelter butterflies, bees, moths, and hummingbirds, and explain how to support pollinator populations in your back yard with just a few changes in your landscaping practices.

Presenter: Ellen Sousa is a habitat naturalist and garden coach living in Massachusetts’ Worcester Hills on a small farm maintained as a National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat. Her book, The Green Garden: A New England Guide to Planning, Planting, and Maintaining the Eco-friendly Habitat Garden, was released in November 2011. Ellen teaches classes on habitat gardening and earth-friendly landscaping to organizations across New England.

Motor Carrier Rules and Regulations General Overview

DOT will give a 2 hour course on the rules for commercial motor vehicle operators. Anyone operating a vehicle rated over 10,001 lbs to 26,000 lbs GVWR is considered a Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator and has to abide by additional rules when operating your vehicle. If your driving a 3/4 ton pick up and towing a trailer or a 1 ton truck you are operating a commercial motor vehicle. Learn what you need to know to operate your vehicle legally. Be prepared if you or your employees are stopped by DOT officers.

This will be 2 one hour sessions back to back. If you Attend both classes you will receive a Certificate from the DOT.

Presenter: State Police DOT Officer

Protection for your Business: Helping the Bottom Line

• Understanding how your insurance policies respond to different situations.
• Helping your clients know what their insurance may cover for certain Losses.
• Assuring proper classification for General Liability and Workers Compensation.
• Reviewing Contractors and sub Contractors agreements for Compliance and is it Cost effective?

Presenter: Deb Rourke is a Commercial Risk Specialist at the Avery Agency specializing in Commercial Insurance. She has extensive knowledge and experience in Construction including all Facets, real estate and the Livery industries, with over 20 years of customer service experience. Deb holds a Real Estate license as well as her Insurance license and is presently working on obtaining her Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designation.

Keynote

Invasive Insects of Concern for New Hampshire

Learn about invasive insects with the potential to cause economic damage to New Hampshire’s landscape. Some of these insects of concern, like emerald ash borer and the Asian longhorned beetle, have not yet been detected in the state. Others, like hemlock woolly adelgid, spotted wing drosophila and brown marmorated stink bug have been found in New Hampshire. Programs relating to the detection and management of these invasive pests will be discussed.

Presenter: Piera Siegert is the State Entomolgist with the NH Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food since 2010. She holds a M.Sci. in Entomology with a specialization in Ecology and Evolutionary biology from Michigan State University and was senior research associate in the Insect Behavior and Physiology lab at Michigan State University for 12 years