Rookery Bay Reserve, Upcoming Webinar: Landscaping and Biodiversity

Landscaping and Biodiversity Tuesday, June 4, 2014 2:00 pm (EST) Register Landscaping and biodiversity: Conserving Biodiversity in Urban Planning and Development Residential developments are situated near or in habitats that sustain native plant and animal communities. Conserving or restoring the unique natural features inherent on every parcel of land benefits the local environment, property owners, and the region's heritage. When land is subdivided, how does one conserve local biodiversity and minimize impacts on surrounding landscapes? Join Dr. Hostetler for a presentation about his experiences to shift conventional development inertia to something more compatible with urban biodiversity conservation. Policy makers, planners, built environment professionals, and citizens all play a role in creating and maintaining green developments. Through case studies and "real-world" experiences with development projects, he will discuss ways to engage all stakeholders in order to create functioning green communities. Many green development projects fail to stand the test of time, stemming from improper design, impacts during the construction phase, and how people manage their homes, yards, and neighborhoods. The way forward is challenging, and he outlines a range of techniques, research, policy tools, and educational strategies that could be used to engage key stakeholder groups. In particular, he will stress the importance of addressing decisions made during the design, construction, and post-construction phases of new subdivision development. Presenter Dr. Mark Hostetler is a Professor, Department of Wildlife Ecology & Conservation, University of Florida (UF). With over twenty years of experience in urban wildlife and green development issues, Professor Mark Hostetler understands how urban landscapes should be designed and managed to conserve biodiversity. Dr. Hostetler co-founded UF's Program for Resource Efficient Communities (PREC) and collaborates with an interdisciplinary team of scientists and graduate students to foster green development projects nationally and internationally. He serves on the advisory board of URBIO, which is a scientific network for education and research that promotes urban biodiversity across the globe. In particular, he conducts a national continuing education course on conserving biodiversity in subdivision development, engaging a variety of built environment professionals. Dr Hostetler is the author of The Green Leap: Conserving Biodiversity in Subdivision Development, and he contributes to several online blogs regarding urban biodiversity conservation and green development, including The Nature of Cities and Huffington Post. In conjunction with PREC, Dr. Hostetler is working with policy makers and developers to establish natural resource conservation strategies in communities that are billed as "green" developments. In particular, he works with planners and built environment professionals to establish management programs for conservation subdivisions. Visit our website For more Information SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: Manage Preferences  |  Delete Profile  |  Help CHECK OUT DEP'S ONLINE NEWSROOM This email was sent using GovDelivery, on behalf of: Florida Department of Environmental Protection · 3900 Commonwealth Boulevard · Tallahassee, FL 32399-3000 · 850.245.2118