A unique program that partners nursery and greenhouse leaders with extension specialists and researchers at Oklahoma State University has helped to keep the waters in Oklahoma as pristine as possible, well ahead of expected laws that will require smarter environmental practices. OSU’s Nursery Water Quality Project has earned the cooperation of nursery operators simply because they think it is the right thing to do despite the fact few will make money with it in the short term.

Dr. Sarah Kimball accepted for the OSU Water Quality Project winning entry

After developing a collection of best management practices and presenting them at workshops and in the classroom, the OSU team then published the “Water Quality Handbook for Nurseries” and made it available on the World Wide Web. They followed that up with training sessions and a videotape for a “capture-and-treat technology” to prevent pollution.

The judges called the program “far-reaching” and “comprehensive,” adding that it offers “an outstanding resource and instruction for prudent water protection.” OSU’S NATIONALLY ACCLAIMED NURSERY WATER QUALITY PROJECT IS GOOD NEWS FOR OKLAHOMA’S WATER RESOURCES!