Evaluating Natural Assets: Green Infrastructure

The past few weeks have been busy for me. On November 4, I went to Charlottesville for a Green Infrastructure Training Workshop sponsored by the Green Infrastructure Center, the VA Department of Forestry, and the University of Virginia. The title of the workshop was Evaluating and Conserving Natural Assets: planning for green infrastructure in the developing and urban landscapes.The workshop was very interesting.

The topics covered included:
1. Natural Assets: what are they, where are they, and how can their conservation create vibrant environments and economies?
2. Planning green infrastructure at different scales, including city, town, county, and small watersheds
3. New models and tools for sites
4. Making the case for green infrastructure to decision makers

In addition to learning about these topics from the instructor, we also participated in group activities that required a hands-on approach. My friend and I were the only students, so we probably learned more than the other attendees, most of which have been working in the field for many years. It was a great experience to be able to work alongside professionals and put to use what we've been learning in the classroom. It was really interesting to get to learn about the different opportunities available and to hear about the projects that the Green Infrastructure Center is working on. They work with localities throughout the state of Virginia, so if you're working for a locality somewhere and need something done related to green infrastructure, I would consider giving them a call. They do a great job at getting communities involved and invested in the projects, and they seem to be masters of finding funding for all of their projects. If you ever get a chance to attend one of their training workshops, do it! They also provide APA/AICP continuing education credits for professional planners.

Information about the Green Infrastructure Center can be found on their website: www.gicinc.org There is also a brochure available here that gives a short overview about the Center, and another brochure here that provides a list of services that the Center provides.

**While writing this post, I was experiencing some issues with the GIC website. Some of the pages worked, while others did not. It may be more effective to use a search engine to find the site, so you can choose different links besides the home page. Hopefully these issues will be resolved soon.