Sustainable Landscapes

CLEAR is a partnership of the Department of Extension and the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment at the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, and the Connecticut Sea Grant College Program. Support for CLEAR comes from UConn and from state and federal grants.

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The Connecticut Institute of Water Resources is located at the University of Connecticut. The institute's mission is to collaborate with and serve all colleges and universities in the state to resolve state and regional water-related problems and provide a strong connection between water resource managers and the academic community, in addition to sharing the results of water resources research and other information with the general public.

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The Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group (CIPWG) is a consortium of individuals, organizations, and agencies concerned with invasive plant issues.

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Connecticut Sea Grant works toward achieving healthy coastal and marine ecosystems and consequent public benefits by supporting integrated locally and nationally relevant research, outreach, and education programs in partnership with stakeholders.

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The Connecticut Trail Census is an innovative statewide volunteer-based data collection and education program that encourages data-informed decision making and promotes active citizen participation in multi-use trail monitoring and advocacy. The Trail Census includes trail use counts recorded by infrared pedestrian counters, trail user intercept surveys administered by trained volunteers, and public education programs. The project is statewide and serves community leaders and decision makers including local elected officials, planners, economic development professionals, trail advocates, trail maintenance professionals, environmental, health and outdoor activity advocates, as well as the general public. The program was developed as a partnership program between the University of Connecticut, the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments, the Connecticut Greenways Council, and local trail advocacy organizations.

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The GTP is a part of the Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR) within the University of Connecticut College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources. GTP collaborates with other CLEAR programs on various projects in an effort to create the most useful tools and resources for municipal officials.

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Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a sustainable and scientific approach to managing pests. IPM practitioners base decisions on information that is collected systematically as they integrate economic, environmental, and social goals. This approach applies to any situation, agricultural or urban, and is flexible enough to accommodate the changing demands of agriculture, commerce, and society.

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The UConn Extension Master Gardener Program is an educational outreach program that is part of UConn Extension. The program started in 1978 and consists of horticulture training and an outreach component focused on the community at large. Master Gardeners are enthusiastic, willing to learn and share their knowledge and training with others. What sets them apart from other home gardeners is their special horticultural training. In exchange for this training, Master Gardeners commit time as volunteers working through their local UConn Extension Center and the Bartlett Arboretum in Stamford to provide horticultural-related information to the community.

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The Land Use Academy provides practical education for local land use decision makers in Connecticut. The program focuses on the fundamental knowledge and skills needed to serve effectively on a local land use commission. The academy is a partnership of UConn CLEAR, the CT Bar Association, and the CT Office of Policy and Management, and has been around (in various forms under various pseudonyms) for more than thirty years.

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This guide was developed by the NEMO program at the UConn Center for Land Use Education and Research with funding from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). It is part of a broad outreach effort to provide guidance, training, tools, and other support to help Connecticut MS4 communities and institutions comply with the revised MS4 general permit. This website is frequently updated and materials will be added throughout the five-year project period (fall 2016–fall 2021) based on deadlines for various requirements and community needs or requests.

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NRCA is an innovative program in conservation and land use planning that engages Connecticut high school students, adult conservation volunteers, and teachers with conservation efforts at the community level. NRCA’s three interconnected efforts benefit students and adults by providing education on natural resource management and geospatial technology, and facilitating the use of these new skills in the implementation of local conservation projects that benefit the community.

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PATHS (People Active on Trails for Health and Sustainability) is an interdisciplinary team of University of Connecticut extension educators, faculty, and staff committed to understanding and promoting the benefits of trails and natural resources for health, community & economic development and implementing a social ecological approach to health education. The UConn Extension PATHS team works in a wide variety of departments and disciplines including public health, health education, nutrition, community development, and landscape architecture.

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The goals of the Pesticide Safety Education program are to ensure that anyone using pesticides uses them safely. Pesticides are important tools in pest management, but they and must be respected for what they are and handled in a manner that protects the applicator, the public, the environment, and our food supply.

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The UConn Plant Diagnostic Laboratory diagnoses plant problems including diseases, insect pests and abiotic causes. Techniques used for diagnosis include visual inspection, digital images, microscopy, incubation, baiting, culture, nematode services, and serological tests.

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Our approach is to provide a team (with expertise in agronomy, engineering, pasture management, cover cropping, manure management, livestock and vegetable production, soil health, farming in a changing climate, food safety, weed management, farm energy use, and farm viability) to work with individual farmers in the watershed. By working with individual farmers to address their specific goals and challenges, we are seeking to build soil health and restore and protect water quality.

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In 1998, UConn Extension Tree Warden Outreach collaborated in creating the Tree Warden School in cooperation with the Tree Wardens’ Association of Connecticut, Inc. More than 300 tree wardens, deputy tree wardens, community forestry volunteers, arborists, landscape architects, and chief elected and appointed officials have completed the program.

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The Wildlife Management program emphasizes both applied and basic research in wildlife ecology, management, education, and extension. It concentrates on the problems and opportunities facing wildlife resources at the state, regional, and international levels.
The Wildlife Management program focuses on:
- Predator-prey relationship
- Urban and suburban wildlife
- Migratory wildlife species
- Wildlife-human interaction
- International wildlife

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Deb Abibou

Sustainable and Resilient Communities

deb.abibou@uconn.edu

203-407-3166

Sarah Bailey

Co-Center Coordinator & Master Gardener State Program Coordinator

sarah.bailey@uconn.edu

860-409-9053

Nancy Balcom

Seafood Safety, Marine Fisheries - Sea Grant

nancy.balcom@uconn.edu

860-405-9107

Mark Brand

Nursery Production, Commercial 

mark.brand@uconn.edu

860-486-2930

Cary Chadwick

Geospatial Technologies and Training - CLEAR

cary.chadwick@uconn.edu

860-345-5216

Laura Cisneros

Environment & Sustainability, Youth Educator - CLEAR

laura.cisneros@uconn.edu

860-486-4917

David Dickson

Director, Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR), Co-Director NEMO Program

Land use and Stormwater Management - NEMO, CLEAR

david.dickson@uconn.edu

860-345-5228

Mike Dietz

Co-Director NEMO Program

Director of Connecticut Institute of Water Resources

Water Resources Management - NEMO, CLEAR

michael.dietz@uconn.edu

860-345-5225

Maryann Fusco-Rollins

Center Coordinator & 4-H Youth Development Program Coordinator

maryann.fusco@uconn.edu

860-875-3331

Nicole Freidenfelds

NRCA Program Coordinator - Conservation Training Partnerships

nicole.freidenfelds@uconn.edu

860-486-6933

Nick Goltz

Plant Diagnostic Laboratory

nick.goltz@uconn.edu

860-486-6271

Jason Henderson

Turfgrass Science

jason.henderson@uconn.edu

860-486-0189

John Inguagiato 

Turf Pathology

john.inguagiato@uconn.edu

860-486-0162

Srikanth Kodati

Crop Protection

srikanth.kodati@uconn.edu

860-875-3331

Julia Kuzovkina-Eischen

Ornamental Horticulture

jkuzovkina@uconn.edu

860-486-3438

Mary Looney

Municipal Stormwater - CLEAR

mary.looney@uconn.edu

860-345-5231

Jessica Lubell-Brand

Horticulture, Plant Science

jessica.lubell@uconn.edu

860-486-1487

Thomas Meyer

Natural Resources

thomas.meyer@uconn.edu 

860-486-0145

I. Morty Ortega

Wildlife

morty.ortega@uconn.edu

860-486-0161

Qian (Rachel) Lei-Parent

GIS/Remote Sensing - CLEAR

qian.lei@uconn.edu

860-345-5231

Leanne Pundt

Greenhouse Production, Commercial - CT IPM

leanne.pundt@uconn.edu

860-626-6240

Rosa Raudales

Greenhouse Educator - CT IPM

rosa.raudales@uconn.edu

860-486-6043

Mayra Rodríguez González

Urban and Community Forestry, Environmental Justice

mayra.rodriguez_gonzalez@uconn.edu

860-409-9079

Jason Vokoun

Fisheries

jason.vokoun@uconn.edu

860-486-0141

Victoria Wallace

Landscape/Turf - CT IPM

victoria.wallace@uconn.edu

860-885-2826

Emily Wilson

Geospatial Technologies - CLEAR

emily.wilson@uconn.edu

860-345-5226

Thomas Worthley

Forest Management and Stewardship - CLEAR

thomas.worthley@uconn.edu

860-345-5232