What is the Groundwater Guardian Green Site program?
The Groundwater Guardian (GG) Green Site program was developed to recognize good stewards of groundwater by encouraging managers and superintendents of highly-managed green spaces to implement, measure, and document their groundwater-friendly practices. The program will document current practices related to pesticide and fertilizer use, water use, pollution prevention, water quality, and environmental stewardship.
Managers of highly-managed green spaces can apply for Green Site designation. Highly-managed green spaces include, but are not limited to:
- Golf courses
- Ball fields
- Educational campuses
- Residential, recreational, city, and office parks
- Wellhead protection areas
- Nature centers
Each GG Green Site collects data and documents the environmental impact of their groundwater friendly practices, such as pounds of fertilizer saved annually by using lower input plants, gallons of water saved annually by using low water/maintenance plant materials, amounts of toxic substances disposed of properly, and other related items. To see a GG Green Site in action, download this Case Study of Bayside Golf Course in Nebraska.
Education is built in to the GG Green Site program. Locations document their internal education efforts for site staff and external education for site visitors. The application itself serves dual purposes – first, as a way to objectively and uniformly evaluate each site’s practices, and second, as an educational tool for site managers that work through it.
Program Benefits
Being guardians and good stewards of groundwater is something managers and superintendents of many highly-managed green spaces strive to do every day, whether it’s through protecting a well, using water efficiently, managing fertilizer and pesticide use, or controlling runoff. The Green Site program:
- Publicly recognizes highly-managed green spaces for their groundwater stewardship.
- Generates positive PR for your site.
- Provides an opportunity for managers of highly-managed green space to educate themselves, site staff, and site visitors about groundwater.
- Documents the environmental benefit of each site’s groundwater-friendly practices.
- Encourages the sustained use of groundwater-friendly practices on highly-managed green spaces.
- protect groundwater in their community,
- further their team’s impact,
- expand outreach efforts,
collect data about groundwater-friendly practices at sites in their community, and - recognize the environmental stewardship of community partners.
Tools for Current Groundwater Guardians
The GG Green Sites program is independent of the community-based Groundwater Guardian program, but may be used to complement Groundwater Guardian teams’ efforts and provide another option for teams looking for new ways to:
It's Confidential
All information submitted to The Groundwater Foundation in Green Site program applications is confidential, and will not be shared without the permission of the site manager.
Get Involved!
There’s no time like the present! Sites can use the exclusive GG Green Site logo and name as soon as they are designated. The nicer weather of the spring and summer months will bring more visitors to your site – get involved as a GG Green Site now and take advantage of the opportunity to share your groundwater stewardship efforts with visitors and the community.
No team is required for participation in the GG Green Sites program, and no affiliation with a Groundwater Guardian team is necessary. The program is open to any site implementing groundwater-friendly practices. Completed applications must be submitted by December 31 to be designation that program year. Sites designated prior to The Groundwater Foundation’s National Conference, held each November, will be nationally recognized in conjunction with the Groundwater Guardian National Designation Celebration.
If you are interested in participating in the GG Green Sites program, download the program application form. To learn more, read the frequently asked questions page or contact The Groundwater Foundation at 1-800-858-4844 or email guardian@groundwater.org.
The Groundwater Guardian Green Sites program is supported by Cargill, the Nebraska Environmental Trust, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 7 Pollution Prevention Program, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
