Throughout this site there are links to documents of various file types. Please contact our Statewide Program Leader if you require this information in a different format.
Program Priority discussion points
Not sure which priority your topic falls under?
Below are discussion points for each priority. Sometimes, it might be challenging to assign a topic to just one of the nine Program Priorities, as it could relate to multiple priorities. For example, the spotted lanternfly is an invasive insect that can affect food crops (Local Food), destroy trees (Nearby Nature), and necessitate Integrated Pest Management (Clean Water). Similarly, an insect or invasive weed could impact Plant Biodiversity. The northern giant hornet poses a threat to honey bee colonies (Pollinators), which in turn jeopardizes food crops (Local Food).
You may notice some overlap among the examples provided, as certain topics can fall under more than one priority.
We teach promote integrated pest
management to minimize polluted runoff.
- Weed management
- Cover crops
- Growing a healthy lawn
- Soil care
- Pesticide use and safety
- Using an IPM approach
- Fertilizer applications
- Rain gardens
We teach ways to create resilient landscapes that are adapted to our changing climate.
- Benefits of trees and plants on the environment, people, and communities
- Climate zones
- Hardiness zones
- Composting
- Invasives impact on the environment
We teach water-wise gardening and landscaping practices to conserve water.
- Drought tolerant landscaping
- Drip irrigation
- Gardening with natives
- Timing of irrigation
- Understanding plants’ water needs
- Mulching
We encourage building healthy soils to prevent depletion and ensure the long-term viability of local food security and
natural resources.
- Importance of healthy soil
- What is a healthy soil
- Building healthy soil
- Soil testing
- Soil structure
- Composting
- Soil web
- Preventing soil erosion
We teach sustainable techniques for growing local food to improve individual and community health and wellness.
- Food growing
- Problems with food growing
- Caring for food bearing trees and shrubs
- Invasives impacts on crops
We teach ways to help native bees and other pollinators thrive in home and community landscapes.
- Pollinator health
- Pollinator habitat
- Pollinator purpose
- Pollinator needs
- Plants to attract pollinators
- Threats to pollinators
We seek to increase access to plants, green spaces, and public landscapes to benefit the health & well-being of all members of
our communities.
- House plants
- Adaptive gardening
- Benefits of being in nature and/or surrounded by plants
- Invasives impacts on nature
We teach stewardship of diverse ecosystems through invasive species management and native species conservation and restoration in landscapes.
- First detector network
- Noxious weed management
- Native plants
- Weed management
- Seed saving;
- Plant propagation
- Attracting wildlife to the garden
- Weed management
We teach landscaping principles to reduce the risk of loss due to wildfire.
- Fire resistant plants
- Fire resistant landscape zones
- Fire behavior
- Wildland urban interface (WUI)
- Fire resistant communities
- Lean, clean, and green