The Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council (CCLC) is holding its biennial “Turning a New Leaf” conference on Thursday, December 5th- Friday, December 6th at the Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey in Harrisburg, PA. A highlight of the conference will be several accomplished speakers and authors including Thomas Rainer, Principal of Phyto Studio and co-author of the award winning book, Planting in a Post Wild World; and Nancy Striniste, Founder of EarlySpace, LLC and author of Nature Play at Home: Creating Outdoor Spaces that Connect Children to the Natural World. The conference tracks include presentations on: Streams and Surrounding Landscapes, Landscapes in a Changing Climate, and Designing with Plant Communities.
A key feature of the conference is an “Eco-Marketplace,” where businesses can promote their landscape products and services. In addition, Continuing Education Units will be available to attendees for selected professional organizations.
Join CCLC on Thursday, December 5, for field trips and a Welcome Dinner. This is the first year that field trips are being offered in conjunction with the conference. Participants have the option to tour stream restoration projects with LandStudies, Inc. in the Lititz area, or to learn about native meadows from Tim Hoover in Hershey. Following an afternoon of exploring conservation landscapes, a Welcome Dinner will be held, where CCLC will award its Marcy Damon Award to a deserving individual who has worked to advance CCLC’s goals of promoting environmental stewardship and conservation landscaping practices in the Chesapeake Bay region. In addition, a presentation by Penn State Hershey Medical Center will share how the campus has transitioned to sustainable landscaping practices and the process of educating its staff and visitors.
The CCLC is a mid-Atlantic coalition of individuals and organizations dedicated to researching, promoting and educating the public about conservation-based gardening and landscaping practices that protect the Chesapeake Bay. The “Turning a New Leaf” conference, brings together landscape professionals, policy-makers, educators and other conservation- minded citizens to learn about the latest trends, issues and technologies available for sustainable practices that conserve soil, improves water quality and enhances wildlife habitat in the Bay watershed.
Registration for the conference and pre-conference activities opened on September 15, 2019. See more details and register online: https://www.chesapeakelandscape.org/our-programs/turning-a-new-leaf-conference/
Contact: Kristen Kyler, CCLC Conference Chair klk343@psu.edu
