1999 Audubon International Conference

1999 Audubon International Conference
"Sustainability and Stewardship in the 21st Century"

September 25, 1999, Saturday, 9:00 am - 2:30 pm
Kapalua Bay Hotel, Ballroom

The important role everyone plays in conserving our natural resources, reducing waste and enhancing and protecting wildlife is discussed during this series of information-packed workshops. Participants will work with experts in the field of land management and sustainable technologies to develop strategies which may be implemented at their own businesses, schools, golf courses and homes.

A great conference for business, golf course, and resort managers, as well as homeowners who want to actively participate in stewardship activities where they live, work and recreate.

Conference Speakers:

Moderator: Ron Dodson, President of Audubon International
Joshlyn Sand, Horticulturist for Honolulu Botanical Gardens
Larry Gilhuly, Northwest Director for United States Golf Association Green Section
Dr. Frank Rossi, New York State Extension Turfgrass Specialist and Assistant Professor of Turfgrass Management at Cornell University
Jim Sackett, President of Seventh Generation Strategies, Inc.
Dr. Miles (Bud) Smart, Environmental Planning Director of the Audubon International Institute for Sustainable Resource Management

Conference Sessions:

The Conservation Movement: A Historical Perspective of Environmental Issues
As moderator, Ron Dodson will provide a foundation for our growing interest in a wholistic approach to environmental issues. In addition to presenting a historical perspective of natural resource use and management, Mr. Dodson will provide an introduction to approaches and strategies that will have a positive impact on the quality of life as well as the environment for future generations.

Bringing The Native Forest Into Your Life
Joshlyn Sand will discuss how to bring native plants successfully into your landscape setting. The loss of habitats, pollinators, and the explosive introduction of alien species have combined forces making Hawai'i's native flora one of the most endangered in the world. Ms. Sand will discuss the status of our flora and offer practical horticultural advice and plant suggestions to help grow these rare and beautiful species.

Seashore Paspalum: The Current and Future (?) Grass of Hawai'i
Imagine irrigating your home lawn with sea water! How about a grass that can naturally resist weeds without herbicides!! Finally, a grass that will cut your fertilizer by more than 50%!!! It's in Hawai'i now, and its only going to get better. Learn from Larry Gilhuly about Seashore Paspalum, a highly adaptable grass suitable for homeowners, resorts and golf courses.

Water, Water Everywhere? Water Quality and Water Conservation Management
Dr. Miles (Bud) Smart, discusses the importance of protecting and managing one of our most precious natural resources, water. Dr. Smart will talk about critical issues regarding water quality and conservation in today's world and will provide insights and practical suggestions about how aquatic resources can be managed effectively to ensure future water resources.

Growing Under Your Feet: The Basics of Turfgrass and Integrated Pest Management
Plants play a crucial role in the human landscape. One of the most common plants is grass, and how we manage it impacts soils, water, and the wildlife that interact with it. Dr. Rossi brings a wealth of knowledge and understanding about how to manage turfgrass and other plants with a reasonable balance between the human desire for "green" lawns and fairways and environmental safety. He will provide guidance in establishing that balance and practical applications that will assist any land manager in attaining their goals.

The Energy Wave of the Future: Sustainable Building Technologies
As the human population grows, we place increasing demands on all of our energy resources. There has been a growing interest in how to best manager and conserve those resources and reduce the amount of waste we generate. "Green" building technology, development of alternative energy generation, and waste management have become critical issues for all of us. Jim Sackett will discuss some of innovative technologies and their "mainstream" application, as well as waste management issues, approaches and technologies.

Schedule:
9:00 am	Registration
9:15 am	The Conservation Movement: A Historical Perspective of Environmental Issues
10:00 am	Bringing The Native Forest Into Your Life
10:45 am	Seashore Paspalum: The Current and Future (?) Grass of Hawai'i
11:30 am	Lunch
12:30 pm	Water, Water Everywhere? Water Quality and Water Conservation Management
1:15 pm	Growing Under Your Feet: The Basics of Turfgrass and Integrated Pest Management
2:00 pm	The Energy Wave of the Future: Sustainable Building Technologies
2:30 pm	Conference concludes

What Participants Will Gain:
Participants will develop an appreciation of the history of resource conservation and how it impacts all of us today, as well as glimpse into the not so distance future of innovative strategies that will ensure that future generations will have access to all of the bountiful resources available to the present generation. Participants will learn about turfgrass care and integrated pest management strategies that apply to a variety of property types (it's not just for golf courses!), water conservation and water quality management approaches, and the newest advances in sustainable building technologies, energy efficiency, waste management and "green" buildings.

Cost:
$60/person for full-conference (six sessions); cost includes lunch. $15/person for each individual session. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Kapalua Nature Society's Native Hawaiian Plant Reforestation Project on West Maui. Make checks payable to the Kapalua Nature Society.

Registration:
Advance registration required. Call Kapalua Nature Society on Maui at (808) 669-0244 to book your reservations. Special room rates available at Kapalua resort.

Program subject to change.

The 1999 Audubon International Conference is coordinated and sponsored by Audubon International, a not-for-profit environmental organization that specializes in sustainable natural resource management.
This Conference is held in conjunction with the 4th Annual Earth Maui Nature Summit, scheduled Sept. 18-26. For more information on this event, contact the Kapalua Nature Society.

Speakers

Ron Dodson: Ron Dodson is President of Audubon International, a not-for-profit conservation organization which manages the largest network of privately owned and cooperatively managed sanctuaries in the world, called the "Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System." With nearly 3,000 Cooperative Sanctuaries in the United States and 12 other countries around the world, Audubon International is considered a leader in pursuing environmental improvement and the promotion of sustainable resource management.
Larry Gilhuly: Larry Gilhuly joined the USGA Green Section in the fall of 1983 as the Western Director. Today, Gilhuly serves as Northwest Director which currently provides turf advisory service visits to golf courses in Alaska, Hawai'i, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming and British Columbia. He also helps conduct seven regional conferences and is involved with fund raising and education programs directed at golfers in the Pacific Northwest and Hawai'i.
Dr. Frank S. Rossi: Dr. Frank S. Rossi is the New York State Extension Turfgrass Specialist and Assistant Professor of Turfgrass Management at Cornell University. Dr. Rossi is a native New Yorker who holds an Associates degree in Agronomy from SUNY Cobleskill, Bachelor and Master degrees from the University of Rhode Island and Ph.D from Cornell University. He has served on the faculties at Michigan State University and University of Wisconsin-Madison.

As a Consulting Agronomist, Rossi has worked with several major architects, developers and community leaders on projects in several states addressing sustainable development and natural resource management on golf courses. Most notably Rossi was the principle author of the Natural Resource Management Plan required by Audubon International's Signature Program for the Oak Grove Golf Club. Subsequently, he has joined the Audubon International Environmental Planning Division involved with developing Best Management Practices for Golf Courses around the world.

Dr. Rossi, known to many as the "Lawn Ranger" has received Special Recognition from the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation for Environmental Programs, the 1996 Certificate of Excellence from the American Society of Agronomy for the video titled-Low Input Lawn Care, and the 1998 Certificate of Excellence for the Quarterly Newsletter Cornell University Turfgrass Times (CUTT), has appeared on CBS-Television, ESPN, C-Span as well as Wisconsin and National Public Radio and Television. He has appeared in US News and World Report and published information in the New York Times, Organic Gardening, This Old House and all major turfgrass industry publications.
Jim Sackett: Jim Sackett is the founder and president of Seventh Generation Strategies, Inc., a consulting firm delivering integrated strategies for enhanced economic and environmental performance to developers, architects, corporate, utility and governmental clients. He has 25 years consulting and real estate development experience and is a member of the Urban Land Institute and an allied member of the American Institute of Architects.

Sackett has been a consultant to the American Institute of Architects, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Rocky Mountain Institute. He acts as the sustainable development consultant to Audubon International's resort, gold course and sustainable cities programs nationally and internationally and is an adjunct faculty member of Siena College in Loudonville, NY in Sustainable Development.
Joshlyn Sand: Joshlyn Sand is the Horticulturist for the Honolulu Botanical Gardens (HBG). As Horticulturist, she provides direction and leadership in the expansion and curation of the botanical collections within all five gardens of the HBG: Foster, Ho'omaluhia, Koko Crater, Liliuokalani, and Wahiawa. Together, these gardens encompass 60 acres and display plant collections from around the world. A primary focus of Sand's work has been developing extensive native Hawaiian plant sections within all five of the very climatically diverse gardens.

Sand holds a B.S. in Horticulture from the University of Illinois and an M.S. in Public Administration from the University of Hawai'i. She has lived in Hawai'i for ten years and has also worked with the Royal Botanical Gardens in Sydney, Australia; the National Tropical Botanical Garden in Kauai; and Kahanu Gardens in Hana, Maui. She is an active member of the America Association of Botanical Gardens and works cooperatively with peer institutions nationally and internationally.
Miles M. (Bud) Smart, Ph.D: Dr. Miles M. (Bud) Smart is the Director, Department of Environmental Planning, for the Audubon International Institute for Sustainable Resource Management. He provides technical leadership to programs of Audubon International. Dr. Smart also administers the Audubon International technical assistance program which is a program for Audubon International members that covers many different scientific and technical disciplines (such as habitat restoration, selection of pesticides, ecological design of property, GIS and remote sensing as tools for management, and many others), through faculty and adjunct faculty of the Institute.

Dr. Smart earned a Ph.D in Limnology (freshwater ecology) from the University of Missouri. His expertise is in aquatic ecosystem dynamics and associated resources (water quality, algae, aquatic plants); ecotoxicology; and watershed/water dynamics resulting from various land uses.