National Great Rivers Research and Education Center
MG Continuing Education Class for August
On August 15, 2012, Master Gardener Ned Siegel provided an interesting and informative presentation to approximately 25 Master Gardeners with respect to the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC) located in Alton, Illinois. The Center is near the confluence of the Mississippi, Missouri and Illinois rivers. Ned shared with the attendees an abundance of information concerning the Mission and Goals of the NGRREC and the site on which it resides. The Mission includes the study of big rivers, the characteristics of their watersheds, and the relationships between rivers and the communities that surround them. The NGRREC building is a model of green building design and will strive to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification at the platinum level once all phases are completed. LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification that the building was designed and built using strategies aimed at achieving high performance in key areas of human and environmental health, including sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. All of these points were discussed by Ned, who then took the attendees on a tour of the site, including the living green roof, which, among other things, reduces energy costs and reduces water runoff. Many thanks to Ned for an outstanding program! If you missed the lecture and the continuing education credit, public tours (free-of-charge) are conducted every Friday at 11:30 a.m.
Additional photos of this event are available on our Facebook page. Click on the Facebook logo on the left side of this page.
