GardenComm, formerly the Garden Writers Association and GWA: The Association for Garden Communicators, is an organization of professional communicators in the green industry including book authors, bloggers, staff editors, syndicated columnists, freelance writers, photographers, speakers, landscape designers, television and radio personalities, consultants, publishers, extension service agents and more.
Archives: Recommended Websites
Sustainable Urban Landscape Information Series
“The goal of the SULIS is to provide sustainable landscape information to the public and to the horticulture/landscape industry. By utilizing SULIS concepts, homeowners, business owners and related industry personnel will be able to create outdoor spaces that are functional, maintainable, environmentally sound, cost effective and aesthetically pleasing.”
Seattle Public Utility’s Thornton Creek Watershed Characterization Report
“This Thornton Creek Watershed Characterization Report presents background information about the Thornton Creek watershed. It is the first step in developing a Watershed Action Plan that will guide actions by government agencies, citizens and businesses to: reduce non-point source pollution; protect biological resources; preserve, enhance and restore fish and wildlife habitat.”
NatureServe Explorer
An impressive database of information for over 70,000 species of plants and animals and ecosystems of the United States and Canada. NatureServe is a non-profit conservation organization that provides the scientific information and tools needed to help guide effective conservation action. Data includes conservation status, distribution and economic attributes.
Center for Invasive Species Plant Management
The Center for Invasive Species Management (CISM) developed an online Restoration Resource Database to allow land managers to search for literature, books, handbooks, and web sites on restoration, particularly related to invasive species. CISM is by June 2015 no longer in operation, and the website now serves as an archive of the agency’s projects and resources.
Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides
The NCAP published the Journal of Pesticide Reform and works to educate the public about the dangers of pesticides. Go to their Publications section to download information on alternative solutions to pest problems, pesticide fact sheets, and special reports about issues of pesticide reform.
International Organization for Plant Information Global Plant Checklist
“Managed by the International Organization for Plant Information (IOPI), the Global Plant Checklist (GPC) is a cooperative international project designed to help humanity manage the earth’s biodiversity efficiently and sustainably. This prototype for IOPI’s Global Plant Checklist Project demonstrates how the Checklist works, and serves as an aid for developing data entry and botanical editing procedures.”
International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (Tokyo Code) Electronic Version
“The Tokyo Code is different from the Berlin Code. There are two reasons for this difference: one relates to the arrangement of the book and other technical matters, the other to its content.”
International Association of Plant Taxonomy: Generic Names in Current Use
“Fill in the empty field in order to query the database for a specific genus name.”
Index Nominum Supragenericorum Plantarum Vascularium
“A joint effort between the International Association for Plant Taxonomy, the University of Maryland and Cornell University. The purpose of the project is to capture all valid and legitimate extant vascular plants names, as defined by the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature, proposed above the rank of genus. These data are dynamic and constantly being updated. At any one time, the listing of a name means only that it is the earliest, valid place of publication found.”