2001:

The Roof Consultants Institute: "Green Roof Technology and Design" was held on August 6, 2001 in San Francisco, CA   According to John D. Sheperd, RRC, RRO, RCI Region 6 Director, the Roof Consultants Institute (www.rci-online.org) had a great one day technical program on Green Roof Technology and Design at the Ramada Inn San Francisco Airport North.  Link here for the complete highlights of speakers and program information: Green Roof Workshop, or call 1.800.828.1902.  

Their regional programs are held four times a year at various cities throughout the U.S., and in 2001 included Honolulu, San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles.  They are usually attended by approximately 50% consultants, 40% architects and 10% contractors, and the Green Roof Workshop Seminar was open to the general public.

2001 Urban Forest Conference:  "Investing in Natural Capital" was held on  September 5 through September 8, 2001, in Washington, D.C.   AMERICAN FORESTS holds a National Urban Forest Conference every other year. The Conference brings together urban foresters, city planners, engineers, and others interested in improving the "green infrastructure" of our cities. 

The following American Forests Workshop was lead by Dr. Jeffrey C. Luvall, of NASA's Global Hydrology and Climate Center at the Marshall Space Center:
        A Picture is Worth 40 Degrees:  Thermal Mapping
        September 5, 1-5 pm
        Cost: $50
"Using case studies from Atlanta, Baton Rouge, Sacramento, and Salt Lake City, participants will learn how the urban community can utilize NASA remote sensing tools to analyze many of their environmental problems.  This is a non-technical workshop geared toward anyone in the urban forest community."  This workshop  also included a short discussion of greenroofs and their potential to help alleviate the urgent air and water quality issues in our urban areas, presented by Linda S. Velazquez.

The following seminar also specifically addressed the environmental effects of greenroofs, and current efforts and projects to green our urban areas:  "International Best Practices," held on Saturday, September 8.

The annual American Forests Conference (www.americanforests.org), is designed to "highlight opportunities to use green infrastructures to make cities better places to live.  The program sessions will focus on public policies designed to increase natural capital, the latest computer technology to measure tree canopy cover and calculate its benefits, and action programs that engage communities in rebuilding the urban forest."  Link here for full 2001 Urban Forest Conference highlights.

Greenprints 2001 Conference & Trade Show:   March 14 - 16, 2001 - One of the country's premiere sustainable design & construction events, Greenprints is now in its fourth year.  Held in Atlanta, Greenprints is co-hosted by the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority and Southface Energy Institute.

I attended this conference, and greatly enjoyed the many different topics and products relating to sustainable design.  Of special interest, Greenprints 2001 also included a seminar on greenroof technology entitled, "Green Infrastructure & Watershed Protection," given by Charlie Miller of Roofscapes, Inc.  For future Conference info, check out www.greenprints.org.