“Greening the City”

The 2003 Green Infrastructure Forum series will kick-off “Greening the City” on January 23 with three presentations on how local governments, non-government organizations, corporations, schools, and citizens are greening parks, communities, neighborhoods, streets, businesses, and residences in Washington, DC and Philadelphia, PA. On January 23, 2003, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., Steve Coleman of Washington Parks & People; Blaine Bonhan Jr., of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society; and Gerri Spilka, of the OMG Center for Collaborative Learning, will share ideas and experiences about their citizen and city-based efforts to protect parkland and trees, green vacant lots, conserve open space, and celebrate the wonderful connection between people and parks.

Washington Parks & People (www.washingtonparks.net) have been growing grass-roots community partnerships in Washington, DC and throughout the Potomac valley for twelve years. Based at the Josephine Butler Parks Center, across the street from Meridian Hill National Park, Parks & People provides a range of partnering services including a meeting place, data bases of information, financial management, fundraising, promotion, special events, an archive of success stories, training, and much, much more. Steve Coleman helped create the organization and serves as the group’s technical and inspirational leader. Mr. Coleman is currently leading a citywide effort to “Celebrate Our Centennial: 100 Years of the District’s Park System”. He has written articles on the work of the organization including, “The Invisible Park” and “Organization and Programming Across Cultural Boundaries”.

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (www.pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.org) oversees the Society’s urban greening program, Philadelphia Green in addition to the organization’s education, publications, and developmental departments. Blaine Bohnam joined the Society in 1974 and most recently has lead their “Vacant Land Management Study”. He also serves on the Pennsylvania Environmental Council’s GrenSpace Alliance, a regional effort to preserve open space and natural resources.

The OMG Center for Collaborative Learning (www.omgcenter.org) is a research and consulting organization with clients across the U.S. Gerri Spilka has worked with the Center for more than 20 years directing evaluations, planning, program development and policy analysis for national foundations, public, private, and non-profit organizations. Much of her recent work has focused on place-based approaches to regional and community development, the arts and education programming.

Mr. Bohnam and Ms. Spilka, along with Darl Rastofer, recently authored “Old Cities/ Green Cities: Communities Transform Unmanaged Land”, a publication of the American Planning Association

The Forum will be held at the Metropolitan Council of Government's (COG) Board Room, 3rd Floor at 777 North Capitol Street, N.E., Washington, D.C.

We are pleased to invite you to join us and add your unique perspective to
this event. Please RSVP, by e-mail to: glenn_eugster@nps.gov, or
blecouteur@mwcog.org, or call COG at (202) 962-3393 or NPS at (202) 619-7492.
Please respond by no later than January 18, 2003.


The Metropolitan Washington Green Infrastructure Forums are designed to act as an information exchange on technical topics and disseminate information on issues pertaining to green infrastructure programs, initiatives and innovations locally, nationally and internationally. They are part of a two-year Green Infrastructure Demonstration Project cosponsored by the National Park Service and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. The project is intended to demonstrate techniques for the conservation of forest cover, and the protection and management of park, recreation and open space land by local governments and private groups through the use of green infrastructure approaches.


Featured at January 23 Forum will be:

Remarks by Steve Coleman, Executive Director of Washington Parks & People

Remarks by Blaine Bonham, Jr. Executive Vice President of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

Remarks by Gerri Spilka, Associate Director of the OMG Center for Collaborative Learning

Discussion with Speakers

Brief Status Report on the "Green Infrastructure Demonstration Project",
including coming events and speakers


We look forward to seeing you on January 23, 2003.

Sincerely,


J. Glenn Eugster
Assistant Regional Director, Partnerships
National Park Service
National Capital Region


Brian M. LeCouteur
Environmental Planner/ Urban Forester
Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments,
Department of Environmental Programs







The Green Infrastructure Forums are designed to act as an information exchange on technical topics and disseminate information on issues pertaining to green infrastructure programs, initiatives and innovations locally, nationally and internationally. They are part of a two- year Green Infrastructure Demonstration Project cosponsored by the National Park Service and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. The project is intended to demonstrate techniques for the conservation of forest cover, and the protection and management of park, recreation and open space land by local governments and private groups through the use of green infrastructure approaches.


Coming Attractions:


On January 23, Steve Coleman of Washington Parks & People, Gerri Spilka of OMG Center for Collaborative Learning; and Blaine Bonham, Jr. of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society on “Greening the City”.
http://www.pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.org/

On January 28, 2003 the “Potomac International Urban Watershed Magement: Lessons Learned Forum” will be held at the German Embassy in Washington, DC. Reservations are required in advance. Please contact Glenn Eugster at (202) 619-7492 or at: glenn_eugster@nps.gov for more information.

To be scheduled: Anne Whitson Spirn of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology;
http://architecture.mit.edu/people/profiles/prspirn.html

On March 13, Nanine Bilski of the America the Beautiful Fund, with six local practitioners, presenting community-based efforts that reveal the “Hidden Green Infrastructure”
http:www.america-the-beautiful.org/