Richmond Region Green Infrastructure Workshop
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
Education and Library Complex Auditorium, 1800 Lakeside Avenue, Richmond, Virginia
Agenda
Friday March 13, 2009, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
8:30 a.m. Registration
9:00 a.m. Welcome by Tom Brinda, Assistant Executive Director of Horticulture and Education, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden and
Mike Christin, Capital Region Land Conservancy
9:10 a.m. Workshop Overview by Karen Firehock, Executive Director, Green Infrastructure
Center
9:15 a.m. Overview of Green Infrastructure Planning, Ecological Principles and Ecosystem Services by Karen Firehock and Alisa Hefner, GIC Projects Manager
10:00 a.m. New Virginia Models for Green Infrastructure Planning by Joe Weber, GIS Projects Manager/Conservation Biologist and Jennifer Ciminelli, VCLNA GIS Planner
11:00 a.m. Break
11:15 a.m. Local Applications – Adapting state models and GIS tools to create a regional and local network for the Richmond Region and applications for local planning (Conservation easements, PDRs, TDRs, Comp Plans, Park and Open Space Plans, Heritage Tourism) by Alisa Hefner and Karen Firehock
12:00 p.m. Lunch Buffet (provided)
12:45 p.m. Restoring Green Infrastructure – tree planting at the wetland education area with staff from Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden and workshop funders (Outside is weather permitting. If raining, then enjoy the indoor gardens.)
1:15 p.m. Hands-on Exercise – Create a Green Infrastructure Plan. Break into 5 groups according to name tags for both exercise and map discussion.
2:00 p.m. Richmond Region Map Discussion – Review region maps and discuss existing and desired conditions, opportunities for connections and areas for multi-county coordination.
3:00 p.m. Group Discussion – Report back on key ideas arising from the planning exercise and regional map. How do you or could you use a green infrastructure approach in your community? What are opportunities and challenges? What is needed to make it easier for localities and regional conservation groups to do this work?
3:50 p.m. Next Steps for the Richmond Region Project
4:00 p.m. Adjourn
This workshop is hosted by the Green Infrastructure Center Inc, in cooperation with the Capital Region Land Conservancy, the Richmond Regional Planning District Commission and the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage.
This project is funded by the Altria Group, Inc., the Virginia Environmental Endowment and the Robins Foundation.