February 12, 2009
8am to 4pm
Denver Botanical Gardens
909 York Street
Denver, Colorado 80206
Contact: Celia Curtis 720-865-3608
www.botanicgardens.org
Presented by Front Range Sustainable Landscaping Coalition and Denver Botanic Gardens
How can rainwater be harvested within a landscape in a way that is both practical and beautiful – and legal? Join landscaping professionals and experts from around the region to hear how others are using water creatively and greatly improving efficiency and incorporating natural habitat in landscape designs. Engage in a discussion of Colorado’s quirky, complicated water laws. Hear examples of how you can take advantage of what’s currently allowed in our state to use water sustainably in the landscape, and discuss what it would take to change existing water laws.
This full day program will take place at Denver Botanic Gardens and will include:
Water is the greatest challenge in creating sustainable Colorado landscapes, homes and communities.  Rainwater and greywater are potential sources of water, but can they be used legally in Colorado?  Join us for full day symposium at Denver Botanic Gardens which will include:
•    Brad Lancaster, author of the three volume Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond, will share how rainwater gardens transformed his home and community, and provide detailed information on rainwater systems that can be used in Colorado.
•    Join landscaping professionals, lawyers and engineers for a panel discussion of Colorado’s quirky, complicated water laws, moderated by Paul Lander, Executive Director of Colorado Waterwise Council.  We’ll hear how rainwater and greywater can be used currently, and discuss possible changes in existing laws.
•    Lunch-time roundtables hosted by the panelists and speakers
•    Michelle DeLaria, Stormwater BMP scientist with Denver Urban Drainage, will discuss LID techniques to reduce stormwater runoff, and the expense of current development which does not detain stormwater/rainwater.
•    Keith Bowers, president and founder of BioHabitats, a pioneering ecological restoration company, is a landscape architect with a deep interest in sustainable landscaping.  He’ll explore ways in which landscaping use of rainwater and greywater can create vital habitat on site and downstream.  Keith will show how restoring ecological functioning to all of our landscape is the fundamental path to sustainability, and how healthy soil is crucial to all restoration work.
Registration is limited, so sign up early! Fee is $75 pre-registered, $90 at the door, $25 for students with valid ID. $10 for optional box lunch.
The link to register is www.botanicgardens.org – go to the calendar page, find the event under “February,” and register there.