FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 11, 2024
Elana Berk
Communications & Outreach Manager
Sustainable Princeton
(609) 454-4757
elana@sustainableprinceton.org
Donna Gregory
Senior Communications & Marketing Manager
The Watershed Institute
609-737-3735
Sustainable Princeton and The Watershed Institute Congratulate Local Landscapers For Completing Rain Garden Training
3 businesses sent representatives to a workshop co-hosted by Sustainable Princeton and The Watershed Institute
[Princeton, NJ]: On April 6, 2024, landscapers from 3 different locally-owned businesses attended a 4-hour rain garden implementation workshop at the rain garden demonstration site located at Johnson Park Elementary School in Princeton. The training, held exclusively in Spanish, focused on guidance on how to build and maintain rain gardens, as well as a hands-on opportunity to practice new skills at the demonstration garden.
“We got great feedback from last year’s landscaper workshop and were excited to continue the series. We learned that local businesses were specifically interested in the practical installation of rain gardens. In response, we worked with The Watershed Institute to create a hands-on training experience so landscapers would walk away with the knowledge they asked for to start offering green infrastructure services,” Christine Symington, Executive Director of Sustainable Princeton, said. “Property owners in our community are becoming increasingly interested in adding rain gardens to their yards, and local landscaping companies are looking to help meet this need.”
“The Watershed Institute was thrilled to partner with Sustainable Princeton to develop and test this program specifically designed for Spanish-speaking landscapers,” Sophie Glovier, Chief Operating Officer at The Watershed Institute, said. “The feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive, and they were interested in learning more. Bringing accessible information about green infrastructure to the landscaping community is vital as we work to combat the climate-related flooding issues and challenges to our water quality like harmful algal blooms. We will share this program design and lessons learned so that other communities across the state can learn from this successful program in Princeton”.
Workshop presenters included Fredy Estrada, a former landscape company owner and community liaison consultant; Lucia Middleton, a Community Water Advocate from the Watershed Institute; Kory Dudash, the Watershed Institute’s conservation and sustainability director; and Molly Jones, a nonprofit consultant.
Businesses represented at the workshop included:
- Antonio Barillas
- Dogwood Lawn Service LLC
- Lopez Aparicio Landscaping
Sustainable Princeton and The Watershed Institute congratulate and thank these businesses and their employees for their commitment to improving our community’s resilience to climate change through sustainable infrastructure.
About Sustainable Princeton
Founded in 2012, Sustainable Princeton is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to inspire the community to develop and implement solutions that positively impact the environment. We envision Princeton as a model town that examines every action through the lens of sustainability, ensuring a healthy environment, a strong economy, and the well-being of all community members now and in the future. Our office is located at 1 Monument Drive, Princeton, New Jersey. For more information, visit www.SustainablePrinceton.org.
About The Watershed Institute
The Watershed Institute is dedicated to keeping Central New Jersey’s water clean, safe, and healthy. Founded in 1949, The Watershed Institute protects and restores water and the environment through conservation, advocacy, science, and education.
Learn more about the Watershed, www.thewatershed.org.
