Our annual G-3 conference is the high point of the Midwest Ecological Landscaping Association's year. As in the past, we invited some remarkable speakers to share their insight and experience with our members. This year, the focus was on how we can enhance the health of people, profits, and the planet earth.
MELA members are in the forefront of the movement towards a greener landscaping industry. They are also determined to achieve sustainability in a way that benefits rather than diminishes the prosperity of their businesses. It is MELA's purpose to help our members reach those goals, and this conference contributed in new and better ways to our mission.
One innovative feature of the conference was an entire afternoon devoted to networking opportunities, centered on specific issues of importance to attendees. A "Breakout Session" was guided by facilitators with experience in a variety of fields and allow individual landscaping professionals to share ideas and make contacts.
Program
click names for bios
8:00 am - Registration . . . with morning coffee!
9:00 am - Welcome and Introduction
Julie Siegel, J. Siegel Designs and MELA president
9:10 am - Keynote Address
The Power of One
Carol Moseley BraunAmbassador Braun, now president of Ambassador Organics, communicated her philosophy of the triple bottom line--financial profitability, environmental sustainability and social ethics-and her belief that individuals can make a difference in the movement toward a greener world.
10:00 am
Landscape Pesticide Use: Hidden Risks
Claire GervaisPresident of Madison, Wisconsin's Healthy Lawn Team, Dr. Claire Gervais brought the concerns of a family physician to the questions of lawn management and the dangers of toxic substances in our environment.
10:50 am Break
11:10 am
Building a Sustainable Business Model
Scott JamiesonThe Care of Trees, with more than 500 employees, is the second largest tree care company in the world that deals solely with commercial and residential tree preservation. Its CEO, Scott Jamieson, shared the skills and methods that helped make this environmentally responsible company such a huge business success.
12:00 pm Polaris Award to Scott Jamieson
12:15 pm Lunch
1:15 pm Announcements1:30 – 2:50 pm
Resource Tables
An announcement was made every 20 minutes so participants could move to another station if they wished. Each table was staffed with an expert, but the goal of the session was for participants to network and share resources on the topics of each table.
Green Landscape Design Garth Conrad, Garth Conrad Associates
Promoting Your Green Business Christine Esposito, Terracom Public Relations
Soil Food Web Lynn Bement, Organic Garden Coach
Integrated Pest Management Rachel Rosenberg, Safer Pest Control
Running a Green Maintenance Business Steve Pincuspy, Safer Pest Control Project
Sourcing Materials Mark Moxley, Lake Street Landscape Supply
Communicating with the Public Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune
Native Plants Roy Diblik, Northwind Perennials
Recycling Ken Dunn
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Chicago Botanic Garden
1000 Lake Cook Road
Glencoe, Illinois
The Chicago Botanic Garden hosts and sponsors the MELA conference.
