Progress 09/01/24 to 08/31/25

Outputs
Target Audience: Nothing Reported Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? The project team stays current on topics related to nature-based solutions, stormwater management, and disaster preparedness by actively participating in training and professional development opportunities. Team members have attended industry-leading conferences, workshops, and seminars that provide exposure to innovative practices, networking, and expert knowledge. Key examples include iLandscape,InVigorateU, and the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) Annual Conference. iLandscape is a large trade show and conference for the Illinois landscape industry held in Chicagoland. It brings together professionals, designers, suppliers, and plant growers for three days of education, hands-on workshops, and networking. Topics include emerging best practices for sustainable and resilient landscape design. InVigorateU is a winter conference held in Bloomington, Illinois for landscape and horticulture professionals. This two-day event attracts designers, arborists, and plant growers and features expert presentations on topics such as sustainable landscape design, urban forestry, plant health, and ecosystem-based approaches to stormwater management. The EDEN Annual Conference was held in Salt Lake City, Utah, and brought together Extension professionals from the across the US working in disaster preparedness, education, mitigation, and long-term community recovery. Sessions at the conference included stormwater retrofitting, flood mitigation, emergency preparedness, and community resiliency along with discussions on how Extension participated in preparation for and recovery after specific disasters across the US. Participation in these events supports the team's ability to integrate current science and landscape industry standards into the curriculum. The team also engaged in professional development through participation in regional stormwater networks and working groups. Regular meetings with the Calumet Stormwater Collaborative and the Greater Chicago Watershed Alliance provide opportunities to learn from stormwater professionals, such as the Metropolitan Planning Council, and to discuss emerging needs and challenges in urban and suburban watersheds. Team members also actively participate in the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy's Urban Stormwater Working Group, which in 2025 featured presentations from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and discussions about stormwater management challenges across the state, including southern Illinois. These engagements allow the team to exchange knowledge, observe innovative approaches, and adapt practices to local and regional conditions. In addition to conferences and collaborative networks, team members benefit from mentored learning and peer-to-peer exchange through over a dozen site visits and consultations with municipal staff, landscape architects, and stormwater professionals. Notable examples include site visits across the state to nature-based solution installations in Madison, Peoria, DuPage, and Lake Counties. These experiences build practical skills in maintenance, project evaluation, and educational program design, enhancing the team's overall capacity to provide technical assistance and deliver high-quality professional training to communities. Overall, during this reporting period, project staff collectively attended at least threemajor conferences, over 12 professional network meetings, and more than 15 site visits or consultations. These opportunities provided direct training from experts and fostered knowledge exchange with peers, resulting in measurable gains in technical proficiency and professional competence. Through these combined activities, the project has continuously advanced team expertise, strengthened its ability to design and deliver effective maintenance training, and enhanced capacity to support communities in adopting and sustaining nature-based solutions. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? The upcoming reporting period will focus on the following to accomplish project goals: Completing curriculum content and finalizing online modules. Producing photo and video materials for training. Launching pilot testing with selected communities. Performing outreach thatstrengthens workforce capacity and supports adoption of nature-based solutions in rural and other underserved areas. These actionspositionthe project to deliver a robust science-based curriculum that empowers communities to maintain nature-based solutions effectively, reducing flood risks, enhancing stormwater management, and advancing disaster preparednessgoals across the state and beyond.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Many communities face persistent flooding and aging gray stormwater systems but lack the resources and expertise to implement nature-based solutions such as rain gardens, bioswales, and permeable pavement, with maintenance identified as the top barrier. This project addresses that challenge by creating a practical maintenance curriculum tailored to rural and resource-limited communities. Initial work included a statewide needs assessment, distributed through several networks, which received 177 responses from municipal officials, public works staff, and highway commissioners--64% from towns under 25,000 residents. Findings confirmed maintenance as the leading barrier, surpassing cost and design concerns, with 79% saying training would help and 86% requesting a companion residential program. In response, the team developed a comprehensive 10-module curriculum framework including topics such as siting, monitoring, plant care, and sediment removal, drawing on lessons from Extension's demonstration landscape, more than a dozen multi-county site visits and interviews, and national best practices. An advisory committee of stormwater experts, municipal staff, and landscape professionals provided in-depth review of the framework with more than 80 comments. Feedback was highly positive, noting the logical organization and thorough coverage. Suggested enhancements, such as including strategies for working with contractors, have been integrated, strengthening the curriculum's practical value, usability, and relevance for communities. The team began developing the online format featuring short videos, real-world case studies, and other digital assets which are being created. By equipping municipalities with the knowledge and confidence to enact and sustain nature-based solutions, this project sets them up for success, strengthening disaster preparedness, and at scale, could benefit hundreds of municipalities and thousands of residents, providing a replicable model for safer, healthier communities.

Publications