National Green Infrastructure Certification Program

This spring, the National Green Infrastructure Certification Program (NGICP) was hosted in our region for the first time. Lake Champlain Sea Grant facilitated the program, which provides workers with the technical knowledge and skills to install, maintain, and inspect Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI).

GSI practices leverage the natural properties of native vegetation and soils in order to manage stormwater. As an added benefit, they increase the health and vibrancy of urban and other built environments. The practices covered in the certification program included bioretention, stormwater wetlands, dry wells, permeable pavement, green and blue roofs, rain barrels, and cisterns. While the specific functions vary, the methods all work to either absorb or capture stormwater. For examples of some of these practices, visit the Lake Champlain Sea Grant’s story map about residential stormwater.

The course concluded with site visits to see GSI in action in Burlington and South Burlington. To learn more about the outcomes of the certification program, read the recent article by Lake Champlain Sea Grant.