Conserving biodiversity in subdivision development online course offered this month

Many residential developments and rural properties 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? Design, construction, and post-construction phases are often not discussed holistically when green developments are built.

To address these issues, American Citizen Planner and the University of Florida are co-hosting an online course in May 2011: “Conserving Biodiversity in Subdivision Development.”

Presented by Mark Hostetler, associate professor of wildlife ecology and conservation at the University of Florida, this continuing education webinar course was developed by the UFL Program for Resource Efficient Communities. The online course is devoted to defining, recognizing, restoring and managing residential communities for biodiversity within the urban and rural matrix. It is relevant to county and city planners, landscape architects, architects, civil engineers, environmental consultants, developers, private landowners, and interested citizens.
 
Webinars in the series will take place from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET on:

• Tuesday, May 17, 2011
• Thursday, May 19, 2011
• Thursday, May 26, 2011
• Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Course participants will have access to all four 60-minute live webinars, and will also gain access to an online course site offering additional resources. The course will cover the following four modules:

• key players and principles
• how to do it: design
• how to do it: construction
• how to do it: post-construction

A 120-page course manual is available for download by participants. The manual has specific details and resources that are presented in each of the presentations.

To register, visit the course website. Cost to attend/participate is $110. Continuing education credits will be provided through the American Planning Association (3.5 AICP credits -- confirmation pending).

To participate in the webinars, you must be on a high-speed Internet connection.

For questions about the webinar series, please contact Julie Orler, ACP Customer Service, orlerj@msu.edu or call 517-353-3123.