In September 2008, the Initiative received $15,000 from USDA-NRCS to be used for a training that was held on October 23-24, 2008 at Springfield Township Hall in Holland, Ohio. This two-day training designed for engineers, landscape architects, landscapers, homeowners, and master gardeners presented information on using rain gardens and other green infrastructure as a more economical approach to stormwater management. Workshop presenters included Rusty Schmidt, a Landscape Ecologist with the Washington County Soil and Water Conservation District, Minneapolis, Minnesota and a part-time URS employee, David Dods, an Environmental Engineer with URS Corporation in Overland Park, Kansas, and Kari Mackenbach, Green Initiatives Practice Leader for URS Corporation in Columbus, Ohio. As part of the training, attendees were invited to stay to continue learning about rain gardens by participating in an installation at Springfield Township Hall. Rain Garden Initiative members Jan Hunter, Jay Brewster, and Cheryl Rice provided valuable step by step instructions on creating the perfect rain garden.