Greenscapes: Beautiful landscapes that protect our water

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GreenscapesBeautiful landscapes that protect
our water
www.Greenscapes.org
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What are Greenscapes?

Greenscapes are beautiful landscapes that will
save you time and money, and protect our
environment by reducing the need for water and
chemicals.
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The South Shore Program

• Multi-faceted regional education campaign
• Primary audience homeowners
• Secondary audience landscaping professionals
• Addresses both water conservation and water
  quality
• Provide information, goods and services
• Centrally managed by NSRWA
• Support from MBP and MBEA

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South Shore Sponsors

• North and South Rivers Watershed Association
• Massachusetts Bays Program
• Mass. Bays Estuary Association
• 13 South Shore communities and water companies
  Cohasset, Duxbury, Hanover, Kingston, Marshfield,
  Norwell, Pembroke, Plymouth, Scituate and
  Weymouth Aquarion Water Company (Hingham and
  Hull), Pinehills Water Company (Plymouth).

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S.S. Grant Funders

MA Office of Coastal Zone Management (2005) MA
Dept. Environmental Protection (2005, 2006) U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
(2006) Massachusetts Environmental Trust (2006)
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Other S.S. Partners

• Ecological Landscaping Association
• Northeast Organic Farming Association
• Plymouth County Cooperative Extension
• Smart Watering Company
• EPA GreenScapes Program (HQ, Region 1)
• MA Riverways Program
• South Shore nurseries
• Landscaping professionals and retailers

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Program Goals

• To educate citizens and professionals about how
  to change their landscaping practices
  (particularly irrigation and chemical use) to
  reduce their impact on the environment
• 2. To create an informed and proactive citizenry
  armed with the knowledge to act as responsible
  environmental stewards in their own backyards
  and
• 3. To generate broad public support for improved
  public management of both water quality and water
  quantity.

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Water Quantity
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Water Quality
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S.S. Program Management

• NSRWA is primary program manager
• 2006 Budget of 67,000 (estimated 39 is labor)
• Average 12 hour/week staff time to implement
• Cost shared by communities on sliding scale
• Benefit Economies of scale
• Benefit Consistent messaging
• Benefit Program consistent with mission
• Pro/Con Lots of ideas and partners
• Con Diverse geology/geography/audience

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Guiding Principles

1. All program components shall appeal to the
mainstream general public so that they might be
adopted by a diverse population of citizens. 2.
All content shall be based on widely-accepted
science and be non-controversial. 3. A
palatable tone shall be maintained in all
representations of the Greenscapes brand, image,
and information.
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What is Greenscapes NOT?

NOT Extremist NOT Radical NOT an Endorsement
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Who Pays for the Program?


25 Orgs
50 Towns
25 Grants
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How Do Towns Pay?

• Enterprise funds
• Add-on to stormwater grants (319, CZM)
• Water conservation fees (Weymouth)
• Town Meeting appropriation (Cohasset)
• BOH/Con Com Funds?

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WiiFM -- Citizens

• Good for you and your wallet
• reduced water bills
• less money spent on chemicals
• less work for you or your contractor
• more free time
• less exposure to chemicals
• more habitat for wildlife
• more beautiful landscapes
• increased property values

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WiiFM -- Municipalities

• Cost-effective, simple way to help
  achieve
• Regulatory requirements EPA
  Phase II and Water Mgmt
  Act
• Customer service
• Community goodwill
• Cleaner and more plentiful water resources
  (potential savings of future expenses to
  seek/permit/develop new water supplies, manage
  stormwater, restore environmental damage)

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Advertising

• www.Greenscapes.org
• Email listserves
• Watershed Associations
• Nurseries, garden clubs
• Local cable TV
• Newspaper ads

• Direct mail Ref. Guide
• Utility bill inserts
• Media kits, press releases
• Posters
• Tabletop displays
• Radio spots
• E-newsletter

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How Did You Hear?

• 45 Reference Guide
• 31 Newspaper Article
• 30 NSRWA Newsletter
• 19 Utility bill inserts
• 16 Friend
• 6 Web search/links
• Source Survey of 2005 workshop attendees (N135)

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1. Reference Guide

• 20-page, full color
• 80,000 distributed
• 0.50 to print/mail
• Details of special offers
• Helpful hints for mowing, fertilizer
  alternatives, pesticide alternatives, watering,
  composting, LID
• New for 2006 Rain Gardens, Lawn Care Calendar
• Also available at town halls, libraries,
  nurseries, garden clubs, WAs, www.Greenscapes.org
  (1675)

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2. Website

• 3,213 hits peak season (April-June)
• 2,676 unique visitors
• 1675 copies of Reference Guide downloaded
• Hire a Pro (416 hits)
• Special offers
• Email newsletter

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3. Public Presentations

• 15 workshops in participating communities (garden
  clubs, festivals, DPW days, church groups, NSRWA
  events)
• 3 South Shore conferences
• 6 conferences outside region

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4. Email Newsletter

• 8 monthly issues (spring through fall)
• 650 subscribers
• 5 growth each issue
• Timely and seasonal recommendations
• Watering restrictions

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5. Utility Bill Insert

• Marginal utility
• Seen by 1 in 5 workshop attendees
• 0.10 each to produce
• Towns pay distribution cost
• 6 of 13 towns participated

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8. Media Relations

• Media kits in early spring
• Series of press releases throughout season
• 3 Boston Globe stories
• Numerous in local papers
• 2005 purchased ads

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9. Radio Commercials

• Purchased sixty 30-sec spots in 2006 in early
  April
• Watch Your Mailbox
• Purchased 120 spots in 2005
• 1-1 donated airtime
• Free on-air interviews

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11. Lawn Signs

• Free to anyone who commits to 5 Greenscapes
  recommendations.
• Adopt-an-island committees
• Garden clubs
• 230 distributed

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12. Sprinkler Timers

• Water your lawn at dawn
• Sold at cost (20)
• Wholesale from Orbit Inc.
• 95 sold to date

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13. Irrigation Audits

• 30 water savings
• Ted Moriarty of Smart Watering Company (certified
  auditor)
• Free audits offered to top summertime users (6)
• 20 discount all others (3)
• Commitment pledge
• Free workshop May 25

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14. Consultations

• Private on-site consultation with Greenscapes
  Advisor
• 75 for 90 minutes
• 50-point checklist
• Site inspection, soil analysis, review of current
  maintenance, recommendations
• Commitment pledge
• 20 consults in 7 towns

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16. Plant Discounts

• 15 discount on 25 Greenscapes plants
• Honored by 5 local nurseries
• Incentive to replace lawn

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17. Rainbarrels

• Partner with New England Rainbarrel Co.
• 55 sold in 2005-2006
• Demo at NSRWA
• Workshop door prize
• Promote towns that sell through DEP program

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Composting

• Promote towns that sell through DEP program
• Step-by-step directions in Reference Guide
• Free workshop May 11

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18. Workshop Series

• May 4 Creating Raingardens
• May 11 Easy Composting
• May 18 Sustainable Plants
• May 25 Irrigation Systems
• Registration/surveys source for marketing info
• Doorprizes in exchange for completed surveys
• Recorded and aired on cable TV (spring fall)
• Available on DVD at cost or at public libraries.

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Workshop Participation

• 2005 (6-part series) 432 registrants from 20
  towns
• 2006 (4-part series) 268 registrants from 25
  towns
• Average 70 registrants (45 attendees) per
  workshop
• 84 of attendees from Greenscapes communities
• 99 would implement one/more GS principles
• 99 would recommend to friends
• 99 want community to continue funding program

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20. Landscape Contest

• Early Sept. 2006
• Promoted as a tour
• 3 winners/entries
• Testimonials, photos useful for promotional
  materials

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21. Raingardens

• Step-by-step directions and suggested plants in
  2006 Reference Guide
• Free workshop on May 4
• Promote existing demo sites in region
• 13 demos in GS communities through EPA 104b3
  grant

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Professional Training

• Feb. 2005 six-part workshop series with UMass
  Cooperative Extension. Only 18 attended.
• Feb. 2006 ½ day workshop with ELA 40 attended.
  Focus on LID.
• August 2006 NOFA organic lawn and turf course
  (full-day training). 65 attendees
• Contractor selection guidelines on website, links
  to databases of accredited professionals

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Future Ideas?

• CBSM Research (Survey/Evaluation)
• Measures of success water conservation
• Stronger promotion of irrigation audits
• Interactive Greenscapes display for
  indoor/outdoor venues
• Street signs promoting town participation in
  program The Town of ___________ is a
  Greenscapes Community.
• Expansion to North Shore and Cape Cod region?
• Further collaboration with EPA GreenScapes?
• User-specific marketing (POP)?
• Other ideas?

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How Can You Help?

• Concerned citizen
• Municipal official
• Municipal employee
• Consultant
• Local environmental group

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References
Mr. George Crombie, Plymouth DPW Director Mr.
John Patch, Marshfield Water Superintendent Mr.
Mike Valenti, Pembroke DPW Director Mr. Victor
Diniak, Hanover DPW Director Ms. Jane Peirce, DEP
319 Grant Coordinator Mr. Duane Levangie, DEP
Water Management
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For More Information
Wendy Garpow, Assistant DirectorMassachusetts
Bays Estuary Associationwendy_at_massachusettsbays.o
rg781-378-1610 Samantha Woods, Executive
Director North
South Rivers Watershed Associationsamantha_at_nsrwa.
org 781-659-8168