SeaScape Becomes Rhode Island’s First Green Certified Landscaping Company

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Coventry, RI (April 22, 2015) – SeaScape Lawn Care has become Rhode Island’s first and only Green Certified Landscaping Company, as recognized by the Rhode Island DEM.  This certification is part of a new partnership with the state’s landscaping businesses that acknowledges companies working to improve our State’s environment.

“This new certification shows that the DEM recognizes what we do in terms of turf management,” said President of SeaScape, Inc., Jim Wilkinson, PhD.  “We’ve always tried to be on the leading edge of environmentally safe practices while continuously striving to reduce our carbon footprint.”

In order to become a Rhode Island DEM certified sustainable turf management landscaping facility, SeaScape completed an extensive checklist of Best Management Practices covering a range of activities that focus on efficient turf management and water conservation.

Ann Battersby, Senior Environmental Scientist from RI DEM, credits SeaScape with launching this green certification program. “Jim and SeaScape have been instrumental in getting this program off the ground,” said Battersby.  “He has given us institutional knowledge that we’ve used to create this program and hope that other businesses will see what SeaScape has done and become certified as well.”

SeaScape also places an importance on educating their customers so they may utilize green safe practices as well.  “The care and education that SeaScape provides is important to the customer and to the environment of Rhode Island,” added Battersby.  “It is rewarding to know that not only are you getting a great product but you are also receiving a green service as well.”

Wilkinson explains that customer education is a main component of SeaScape.  “We are constantly educating the home owner about watering and mowing their lawn,” said Wilkinson. “This enables us to provide a quality lawn with fewer inputs, which means less fertilizer, less weed control and less pesticides.”

SeaScape has taken advantage of advancements in the lawn care industry, such as by introducing the use of enhanced efficiency fertilizers.  “These new products have taken slow release fertilizer to the next level,” said Wilkinson.  “We have dramatically reduced the amount of fertilizer that could runoff, leach and volatilize.  Because of this, the fertilizer stays in place, and the turfgrass is then better able to use the fertilizer.  In all, this means that there is far less waste that could move offsite and negatively affect the environment.”
For more information on the RI DEM, visit www.dem.ri.gov.

About Jim Wilkinson, PhD- President of SeaScape, Inc.

Wilkinson has over 35 years of experience in the lawn fertilization industry.  He has run several lawn care companies in the past and is the former president of PLANET, the lawn care industry’s national organization.  Wilkinson taught horticulture at Ohio State, and he has developed and written training material for lawn care applicators.  He earned his undergraduate and masters degree in Turf Management from the University of Rhode Island and his doctorate degree in Horticulture from Michigan State.  Wilkinson holds his pesticide applicator’s license in RI and MA, and supervisory license in CT.

About SeaScape

Located in Coventry, Rhode Island, SeaScape has provided lawn, tree & landscape services since 1989. Beginning first as a lawn care company, their services have expanded to include plant health care, full service tree work, pest control, full service commercial property landscape management, and Christmas lighting. SeaScape provides services all over Rhode Island, southeast Massachusetts, and eastern Connecticut.

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