Announcements:

Become a member of The Underground!
The Underground is pleased to welcome NOFA Accredited Organic Land Care Professionals to become members of our grassroots organization of more than 300 landscape professionals in New England. The Underground exists to promote the advancement of knowledge, education, and skill in the art and science of landscape design, installation, and maintenance techniques through the dissemination of information. As part of your free membership in The Underground, you will have the opportunity to have a professional listing on our 'Find A Landscape Professional' website. Your listing on our website is a great marketing opportunity for your business and will allow consumers to find you when they need your services. Listings will remain free until such time that has yet to be determined. For more information about The Underground and to sign up to become a member, please visit our website at http://theunderground.pbwiki.com To see our current listings at the 'Find A Landscape Professional' website go to http://findalandscapepro.pbwiki.com

Accreditation Deadline!
Please note that our accredition deadline will now always fall on the first of the year. For an AOLCP, including those who were newly accredited in 2008, to reaccredit for 2009:
You must have proof of credits and payment postmarked by January 1, 2009.

Submit a Course for Approval:
If you know of a course that you think should recieve AOLCP credit, email as many details of you have, preferably with a web link, to Ashley Kremser at akremser@ctnofa.org for consideration.

Current Credit Opportunities:

Specific Guidelines for Re-accrediation

Be sure to get the instructor's signatures on your re-accrediation form, available here.

January 1: Postmark Deadline for Re-accreditation for 2008 Re-accreditation
January 9, 16,18: Tree and Shrub Insect ID Laboratory - UMass, Amherst, MA
January 10: Organic Lawn Care Workshop for Professionals - Greenwich, CT
January 15: Nursery/Greenhouse Grower's School - New Paltz, NY
January 16-18, 22-23: 7th Annual NOFA Course in Organic Land Care - Leominister, MA
January 17: Simple Steps to Organic Lawn Care with Chip Osborne-Marblehead, MA
January 19: NOFA/Mass Winter Conference,Worcester, MA
January 23-25, 28-29: 7th Annual NOFA Course in Organic Land Care- New Haven, CT
January 23: Winter Lawn Care Conference (Technical Track) - Sturbridge, MA
February 6-8: New England Grows! Boston, MA
February 9: Spring into the Garden with Nancy DeBrule and Paul Tukey - Portland, CT
February 27-29, March 3-4: 7th Annual NOFA Course in Organic Land Care- Narragansett, RI
January 31:Teaming with Microbes : The Gardeners Guide to the Soil Food Web -Wellesley, MA
March 6- 8:14th Annual ELA Conference & Eco-Marketplace-Springfield, Massachusetts
March 20:Non-Chemical Products,Strategies for Disease,Insect & Weed Management-Milford, MA
April 12: Lyme Disease: Prevention, Treatment and Management-Framingham, MA
May 10:"Simple Steps to Organic Lawn Care"©-Marblehead, MA
May 28: Scouting for Pests and Problems of Woody Ornamentals -Bridgewater State College, MA
June 3-5: Climate Change in the Northeast: Preparing for the Future - UMASS Amherst
June 14: Rain Gardens in Part Shade - Wayland, MA
July 1: River Talk, River Action, a forum on Low Impact Development Bridgeport, CT
July 17-18:Integrated Design/Integrated Development Conference Plymouth, NH
July 24: Native Design and the Herbaceous Ground Layer - Philadelphia, PA
July 26: Rain Gardens: Beautiful Water-Saving Designs - Framinham, MA
July 30: UMASS Weed Identification Workshop: Broadleaf Weeds, Arnold Aboretum, Jamaica Plain
August 6: Plant Science Day 2008 - Hamden, CT
August 6: UMASS Weed Identification Workshop: Broadleaf Weeds, UMASS Amherst
August 7: Strengthen Your Business the Natural Way, Audubon Greenwich
August 8-10: NOFA/MASS Summer Conference, UMASS Amherst
August 14: NOFA Organic Lawn & Turf Course, Hillsborough, NJ
August 19: NOFA Organic Lawn & Turf Course, UMASS Dartmouth
August 21: NOFA Organic Lawn & Turf Course, Manchester Community College, CT
August 27: UMASS Weed Identification Workshop: Grassy Weeds, UMASS Amherst
September 17: Meadows! A Vibrant Alternative to Lawn - Wilton, CT
October 1: Scouting for Pests & Problems of Woody Ornamentals-Arnold Aboretum Jamaica Plain
October 1: Invasive Plant Symposium: Managing Invasives to Promote Natives - UCONN, Storrs

January 1, 2008
Postmark Deadline for Re-accreditation for 2008. Specific Guidelines for Re-accrediation. Be sure to get the instructor's signatures on your 2008 re-accrediation form, available here.

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January 9, 16,18
Tree and Shrub Insect ID Laboratory - UMass, Amherst, MA

This day-long workshop will explore various insect groups through lecture and Power Point presentation. Many plant and insect samples will be available for viewing through the microscope. Such pests as gall-formers, leaf miners, caterpillars, spider mites, scale insects as well as others will be carefully examined. Information learned in this workshop is essential to many IPM and Plant Health Care programs. Class size is limited to 25 due to classroom size and the number of microscopes. Cost is $95.

For more information or a registration form, go to www.umassgreeninfo.org or
contact the Landscape, Nursery, & Urban Forestry Program at (413)545-0895,
eweeks@umext.umass.edu
Worth 4 AOLCP credits.

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January 10
Organic Lawn Care Workshop for Professionals - Greenwich, CT
Chip Osborn will present Stengthen your Business the Natural Way: An Introduction to Natural Lawn and Turf Managment. 9:00 - 11:30 AM Specifically Designed For Lawn Care & Turf Professionals. There is no fee but an R.S.V.P. is requested. Please contact Christy Pennoyer at (203) 869-5272 x225
Worth 2 AOLCP credits

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January 15
Nursery/Greenhouse Grower's School - New Paltz, NY
Contact: Teresa Rusinek (845) 340-3990 or Rosemarie Baglia (845) 344-1234
Nursery/Greenhouse Grower’s School has been expanded to include a wider variety of ornamental crops including perennials, shrubs and bedding plants.  Get the latest information on pest control, cultural control, plant nutrition, weed suppressive groundcovers, and other hot topics from industry experts.  Spend the day networking with professionals and other growers.
Worth 2 AOLCP Credits

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January 16-18, 22-23
7th Annual NOFA Course in Organic Land Care - Leominister, MA
Take a refesher course for a day at our 7th Annual NOFA Course in Organic Land Care! Attend as many hours as you need credit.
Worth 1 credit/hour attended

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January 17
A Lawn for Living:Simple Steps to Organic Lawn Care with Chip Osborne- Marblehead, MA

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January 19
NOFA/Mass Winter Conference-Worcester, MA
Special address by Agricultural Commissioner Doug Petersen who will then host a question and answer forum to voice your ideas and concerns about the future of Massachusetts organic agriculture. Keynote address by Elizabeth Henderson, author of "Sharing the Harvest:AGuide to Community Supported Agriculture". First president of NOFA/Mass. To register log on to www.nofamass.org.

Attend any of the following approved workshops for 1.5 credits each:
Greenscapes 101: Balancing Beautiful Gardens and Water Protection - Curtis Dragon, AOLCP
Beautiful Native Plants for the Birds - Dori Smith, AOLCP
Growing Organic Raspberries - Tom Johnson
Feng Shui for the Garden: Creating Beauty, Harmony and Tranquility - Mary Stewart
Making Compost Tea - Javier Gil, AOLCP
Each workshop is 90 minutes long and qualifies for 1.5 credits

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January 23-25, 28-29
7th Annual NOFA Course in Organic Land Care- New Haven, CT
Take a refesher course for a day at our 7th Annual NOFA Course in Organic Land Care! Attend as many hours as you need credit.
Worth 1 credit/hour attended

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January 23
Winter Lawn Care Conference (Technical Track )- Sturbridge, MA
Attendees will have the option to choose one of two education tracks: Business or Technical. Technical Track topics will include: recognizing and managing the crane fly, a pest causing problems to turf just outside New England; minimizing effects of pesticide applications to non-target organisms; best management practices for red thread and other troublesome lawn diseases; and the value of humates and biostimulants for the care of lawns and high use turf.

For more information or a registration form, go to www.umassgreeninfo.org or
contact the Landscape, Nursery, & Urban Forestry Program at (413)545-0895,
eweeks@umext.umass.edu
Worth 4 AOLCP Credits

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February 6-8
New England Grows!
Leading-edge and highly regarded in the industry, the New England Grows educational conference provides you and your team with outstanding opportunities to acquire new knowledge, build technical skills, improve productivity and advance the quality of your work. For more information go to www.negrows.org. Take any of the approved classes for credit:

In Our Own Backyard
Smart Solutions for Stormwater
Creating Landscapes in Tune with Nature
Soil Tests and Amendments
How to Prune and Renovate
Mastering Organic Lawn Care
Organic Growth for Fun and Profit
Beyond Red Maples
Successful Lawn w/o Herbicides
Pruning Fruit
Overcoming Plant Stress
ID and Test for Wood Decay
Essentials of Plant ID
Gardens in the Spirit
Landscape Nursery

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February 9
Spring into the Garden with Nancy DeBrule and Paul Tukey - Portland, CT
For more information click here!
Worth 6 AOLCP credits

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February 27-29, March 3-4
7th Annual NOFA Course in Organic Land Care- Narragansett, RI
Take a refesher course for a day at our 7th Annual NOFA Course in Organic Land Care! Attend as many hours as you need credit.
Worth 1 credit/hour attended

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January 31
TEAMING WITH MICROBES: THE GARDENER’S GUIDE TO THE SOIL FOOD WEB
Jeff Lowenfels - Wellesley, Massachusetts

No one ever fertilized the redwood forests. So how did those trees grow to 350 feet and live for over 500 years without applications of Magic-Miracle-Fertilizer? You can begin to understand how by attending this entertaining lecture by Jeff Lowenfels, the “Al Gore of Gardening.” Jeff will present the basics of chemical-free gardening, which rely on making use of microbial activity in the soil. He will explain how soil microbes work, what you can do to encourage them, and how they might afford you more leisure time in your garden. Learn the science that explains why chemicals and gardening don’t mix. www.newfs.org
Worth 1.5 AOLCP credits

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March 6- 8, 2008
14th Annual ELA Conference
RE-VISIONING THE LANDSCAPE:An Ecological Approach- Mass Mutual Center, Springfield, MA

This conference emphasizes the importance of the relationships between managed landscapes, watersheds, bioregions, natural habitats and ecological systems. Take home practical ideas and techniques for nurturing the landscape while learning how to recognize and support ecological integrity. http://www.ecolandscaping.org/conference.html#

Thursday March 6th
9:00-4:30 The Permaculture Intensive pre-conference workshop 3 NOFA credits

Friday March 7th
9:00-10:30 Bio-Energetic Plant Health 1.5 NOFA credits
11:00-12:00 Impact of Invasives on Native Plants 1.0 NOFA credits
11:00-12:00 Building Constructed Wetlands and Bio-retention Areas 1.0 NOFA credits
11:00-12:00 Forest Biodiversity 1.0 NOFA credits
11:00-12:00 Bio-dynamics & the Landscape 1.0 NOFA credits
2:30-3:30 Biodiversity Planning and Design 1.0 NOFA credits
2:30-3:30 Insect Predators, Pests and Global Warming 1.0 NOFA credits
2:30-3:30 Bio-char & Its Use in the Managed Landscape 1.0 NOFA credits
4:00-5:00 Bug Bio-rationals 1.0 NOFA credits
4:00-5:00 Eco-landscaping in the Commercial Design Process 1.0 NOFA credits
4:00-5:00 Full Spectrum Mineralization 1.0 NOFA credits

Saturday March 8th
9:00-10:00 Constructing Sustainable Landscape Systems 1.0 NOFA credits
9:00-10:00 Visions for a Sustainable Human Landscape 1.0 NOFA credits
9:00-10:00 Spread the Word: Marketing Eco-lawn Care 1.0 NOFA credits
10:30-11:30 Building Raingardens 1.0 NOFA credits
10:30-11:30 Minerals and Microbes 1.0 NOFA credits
12:00-1:00 From Swimming Ponds to Floating Islands 1.0 NOFA credits
12:00-1:00 Techniques for Bio-Efficient Gardening 1.0 NOFA credits
12:00-1:00 Attract Pollinators Using Medicinal Herbs and Flowers 1.0 NOFA credits

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March 20
Non-Chemical Products and Strategies for Disease, Insect and Weed Management - Milford, MA
In recent years may customers have called upon their landscape professional to use non-chemical or organic strategies and products for managing landscape pests. This program will outline the various options available when a landscape professional attempts to fulfill this request. Abiotic factors that contribute to the occurrence of diseases, insects and weeds will be discussed. Cost is $75.

For more information or a registration form, go to www.umassgreeninfo.org or contact the Landscape, Nursery, & Urban Forestry Program at (413)545-0895, eweeks@umext.umass.edu
Worth 6 AOLCP credits

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April 12:
Lyme Disease: Prevention, Treatment and Management for Landscape Professionals and Gardeners- Framingham, MA
The New England Wild Flower Society
Garden in the Woods
Registration is $25 includes refreshments and handouts
Register at theundergroundapr2008program.eventbrite.com
Lyme disease is an increasing threat to those who work in the landscape, with New England ranking among the highest rates per capita and Massachusetts now fourth in the nation in total cases reported. The disease and its possible co-infections have many forms, and if left untreated can cause a major impact on a victim's life and work. This forum provides the latest information on the disease itself - how it is transmitted, its range of symptoms, accurate and timely diagnosis, acute vs. chronic phases, and medical treatment options. We will review methods of preventing infection through landscape practices and personal protection. Speakers will also address public health issues, educational efforts, research studies, and community resources available to help individuals as well as companies whose employees are likely to be infected. We hope that attendees will come away understanding the importance of preventive measures and early detection. This special forum is co-sponsored with The New England Wild Flower Society.

Panelists:
Pat Smith, President of the Lyme Disease Association
Jeanne Hubbuch, M.D., is a family practice physician from Newton
Rolf Briggs, Certified Arborist, is President of Tree Specialists
Dori Smith, M.Ed., owner of Gardens for Life, Inc., a landscape design/install company
Worth 3.5 AOLCP credits

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May 10:
The Living Lawn, A Lawn for Living "Simple Steps to Organic Lawn Care"©- The Living Lawn Project - Marblehead, MA
Registration is $20 in advance or $25 at the door.
Register at theundergroundmay2008program.eventbrite.com

In this presentation Gina Field and Chip Osborne will discuss some compelling reasons why we should consider a natural approach to lawn care. Public health, children's health, storm-water runoff, and water quality issues are all reasons why we should begin to reduce our dependence on synthetic and chemical products to grow our lawns. Their approach will be "Awareness Through Education". Armed with sound information about these products, we can then make decisions about how we choose to take care of our lawns. Chip and Gina will then present "Simple Steps to Organic Lawn Care"©, a detailed approach to a natural lawn care program. Basic steps will be outlined and explained in a common sense approach. The basic premise of this lawn care program is a threefold approach. It involves 1) a basic understanding of soil biology, (an acknowledgement that the soil is very much alive), 2) the proper use of natural, organic products, and 3) some very specific cultural practices. This will be explained so that the do-it-yourselfer will be able to care for the lawn or so that the homeowner can convey their wishes to their landscape contractor. The information in this presentation is also a very good introduction to natural lawn care for the landscape contractor. The workshop will be held at the Living Lawn, an organic lawn and garden demonstration site, located at the end of Everett Paine Blvd (off Route 114) in Marblehead, MA.
Worth 3 AOLCP credits

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May 28 & October 1
UMASS EXTENSION’S WALKABOUTS:
SCOUTING FOR PESTS AND PROBLEMS OF WOODY ORNAMENTALS

May 28, 2008 : Bridgewater State College, E. Bridgewater
Insects and Weeds only, 5-7

October 1, 2008 : Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain
Weeds and Tree & Shrub Diseases only, 4-6 p.m.

Learn how to put IPM practices to work efficiently. Join Extension specialists for a walk through the landscape for demonstrations of IPM tools and techniques, as well as a close look at some of the most common pest and cultural problems of woody ornamentals. Workshops held rain or shine. Two pesticide contact hours for categories 29, 36, and Applicators License available. Two ISA, 1 SAF, 1/2 MCA, 1 MCH, and 1MCLP credits available. Preregistration required as space is limited; the cost is $50. For more information or a registration form, go to www.umassgreeninfo.org or contact the UMass Extension Landscape, Nursery and Urban Forestry Program at 413-545-0895 or eweeks@umext.umass.edu.

Worth 1 AOLCP Credit

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June 3-5
Climate Change in the Northeast :
Preparing for the Future – A Workshop
University of Massachusetts, Amherst Focusing on oceans and forests, land and resource managers in New England and New York will develop a common understanding of natural and cultural resource issues and explore climate change management approaches in the Northeast. Upon completion, participants will be able to identify effective management approaches to climate change in the Northeast. The workshop will include; 1) Climate change impacts, i.e., sea-level rise, hydrologic cycle changes, temperature variability; 2) Forecast for the ecosystems, i.e., how the landscape will look; 3) Implications of these changes to management agencies. For more information, contact: Sarah Hines shines@fs.fed.us) or Sheela Doshi (sdoshi@fs.fed.us) with any questions.