The Kansas City region boasts over 7,000 miles of creeks, streams and rivers. These waterways and their streamside (riparian) habitat are enormous assets to the community. They are home to well-traveled trails and wildlife. The quality of streams and adjacent riparian zones reflect the community’s interest in protecting water quality, reducing the risk of flooding, and stewarding environmental health.

Streams and rivers are ever changing. Understanding recent and potential future dynamics, and how both the ecology and the infrastructure spanning these waterways are impacted, will help workshop participants develop critical, “systems-thinking” skills necessary to contribute to solutions.

This workshop is designed for non-technical participants, but will provide examples with rich, technical detail that will whet the appetite of experienced individuals. Workshop participants will learn about a recent MARC study to evaluate riparian health in streams across the region, tools and strategies to conserve and restore riparian areas, and selected local case studies to restore streams and riparian habitat.
 

Instructor:

Steven Apfelbaum
Senior Ecologist, Founder and Chairman of Applied Ecological Services

Steven Apfelbaum, has conducted ecological research, designed award-winning projects, successfully navigated regulatory programs, and contributed his unique, creative scientific expertise and enthusiasm to over 7,000 projects throughout North America and beyond. He has authored hundreds of technical studies, peer-reviewed technical papers, books, reports, ecological restoration plans, and regulatory monitoring and compliance reports. Apfelbaum promotes using ecological and conservation design principles in developments, industrial projects and parks — helping clients save money while increasing ecological functionality, improving public perception and generating award-winning outcomes. Apfelbaum is also a much sought after speaker for educational events focusing on ecological restoration, ecosystem assessment, alternative stormwater management and conservation development.