2012 LAND GRANT AND SEA GRANT NATIONAL WATER CONFERENCE Portland, OR Poster Abstract Rain Garden Training Program in Kentucky: An Example of Successful Interstate Extension Program Transfer

The University of Kentucky Environmental and Natural Resource Issues Task Force (ENRI) partnered with North Carolina State University (NCSU) to adapt the NCSU rain garden education materials for Kentucky county Extension agents and Extension Master Gardeners (EMG). In Spring 2011, North Carolina and Georgia Extension specialists traveled to Kentucky and delivered their rain garden workshop for EMG and installed a rain garden with an 8th grade science club. ENRI adapted this program for Kentucky Extension agents and delivered the six- hour hands-on program at four in-service training programs to county Extension offices in northern, southeast, and western Kentucky. Each of the counties received a sub-grant from ENRI and/or local contributions from the community to construct and install a rain garden during the in-service. Each in-service was inclusive, consisting of presentations from three state specialists focusing on rain garden site investigation, design, plant selection, construction and maintenance, and an outdoor, hands-on session where participants assisted in the rain garden construction. An internal website was developed for county agents to download presentations used during the in- service trainings to further train individuals in their communities and to upload and share photos documenting rain garden construction. Evaluations indicated that as a result of the in-services, 51 of 61 participants plan to install a rain garden. Seven more rain garden in-services are planned for spring/early summer in 2012: four will involve an expanded training to include youth programming to be held at 4-H camp facilities.