Great Lakes Green Infrastructure Champions Program

Green Infrastructure Champions Workshops

Chili, NY Workshop Recap

On Thursday, May 30 2019, the Great Lakes Green Infrastructure Champions program hosted a knowledge transfer workshop in Chili, New York that brought together municipal officials, planners, and consultants together to learn about green infrastructure opportunities in the Great Lakes, and lessons learned from each other. The workshop featured talks from representatives from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, Monroe County (NY) Department of Environmental Services, Credit Valley Conservation, Genesee County, New York Sea Grant, Great Lakes Commission, and the Genesee/Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council.

View Agenda

Workshop Objectives

• Learn more about green infrastructure (GI) strategies for both rural and urban communities that support healthy, resilient watersheds
• Learn more about the GI Champions mentoring network and mini-grant program
• Provide an avenue for new and emerging green infrastructure champions to learn from local experts as they share their lessons learned about planning, design, construction, monitoring, and maintenance.

Presentations 

• Basics of Stormwater & Green Infrastructure — Andy Sansone (Monroe County Department of Environmental Services)
• Green Infrastructure for Healthy, Resilient Watersheds in Black & Oatka Creek Communities — Shannon Dougherty (New York Department of Environmental Conservation)
• An Assessment Method for Determining Water Quality and Restoration Potential in an Urban Stream — Andy Sansone (Monroe County Department of Environmental Services)
• Green Genesee/Smart Genesee Natural Asset Mapping — Felipe Oltramari, (Genesee County Dept. of Planning)
• Natural Assets Valuation Study– Sakshi Saini (Credit Valley Conservation, Mississauga, Ontario)
• Great Lakes Green Infrastructure Champions Program – Margo Davis (Great Lakes Commission)

Funding

• NY Great Lakes Small Basin Grant Program 
• Great Lakes Green Infrastructure Champions Program Mini-Grant 

Resources

• Great Lakes Green Infrastructure Champions Mentoring Network Information
• Green Infrastructure Planning Design Guidelines
• Green Infrastructure Rapid Assessment Plans
• City of Rochester & Monroe County Green Infrastructure Retrofit Manual
• City of Rochester & Monroe County Green Infrastructure Retrofit Manual Appendices
• New York Great Lakes: Water Quality and Quantity Portal (includes GI links)
• Green Genesee/Smart Genesee
• Municipal Natural Assets Initiative: Region of Peel Pilot

Photos

Margo Davis from the Great Lakes Commission discussing the GI Champions program. Photo: Ned Willig, GLC

Shannon Dougherty from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation sharing information on the Black and Oatka Creek Watershed Planning and New York’s green infrastructure resources. Photo: Ned Willig, GLC

Andy Sansone from Monroe County (NY) Department of Environmental Services discussing Monroe County’s riparian restoration and retrofit efforts. Photo: Ned Willig, GLC

Andy Sansone leading workshop attendees through a tour of green infrastructure installations at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Photo: Ned Willig, GLC

Workshop attendee inspecting a green infrastructure installation at RIT. Photo: Ned Willig, GLC

Green infrastructure installations along a walkway at RIT. Photo: Ned Willig, GLC

Andy Sansone sharing about the process of implementing a Riparian buffer project in Chili, NY neighborhood funded by New York Department of Environmental Conservation. Photo: Ned Willig, GLC

Riparian buffer project in Chili, NY neighborhood funded by New York Department of Environmental Conservation. Photo: Ned Willig, GLC