National Extension Native Plant Initiative (NENPI)
Description:
Interest in using native plants as part of sustainable landscapes is on the rise across the country. In recent years, industry surveys have indicated an increase in consumer interest in native plants in part due to a desire to help the environment by promoting pollinator friendly habitat, implementing climate solutions, or consuming less water. A native plant is one that has evolved over thousands of years in a particular region or ecosystem and supports local food webs.
Extension professionals need resources to help educate landscapers, the nursery industry, and the public about integrating native plants into their landscapes.
The National Extension Native Plant Initiative aspires to provide a space for Extension professionals to connect, share existing resources, and identify new areas of development around native plants in the United States. Our audience is the Extension professional working with native plant stakeholders which include industries such as nurseries, landscapers, and farmers; land groups such as parks and recreation organizations, municipalities, and home-owner associations; natural resource professionals; and the public including landowners and homeowners.
As this group grows and continues to define our organization development, we aspire to the following broad goals:
o Create educational materials to define and standardize botanical terms used by extension professionals
o Create a repository of existing native plant factsheets
o Provide professional development opportunities for extension educators
o Increase access to native plants and native plant education
