Industry Champion
KEN PARKER is a passionate Indigenous horticulturist, a New York State Certified Nursery Landscape Professional (CNLP) and a National Certified Green Infrastructure Program (NGICP) Trainer, training the City of Buffalo Sewer Authority workers in Green Infrastructure and assisting in the Buffalo Rain Check 2.0 equitable infrastructure program.
Ken has dedicated his life to growing, installing, teaching and promoting the use of indigenous plants. He was the founder and co-owner for 17 years of Sweet Grass Gardens in Ontario, North America’s first Native owned and operated indigenous plant nursery. He currently is the Grower at The English Gardener, implementing the use of indigenous plants for residential rain gardens.
National Green Infrastructure Certification Program (NGICP)
As a trainer, Ken provides the green workforce with the knowledge to participate in a nationally recognized standard to build, inspect and maintain green infrastructure (GI) systems. His knowledge is extended by active participation in diverse environmental projects, including conservation, restoration, residential and corporate landscaping, green infrastructure education and consulting throughout North America.
Lectures
Ken’s knowledge of native plants has made him a sought-after speaker/lecturer for local and national environmental groups and Native Nations throughout North America.
In the past, Ken was a guest lecturer at the National Seed Conference in New Mexico, the Shinnecock tribe of Long Island, the Mohegan tribe of Connecticut, the Intertribal Native Nursery Council and the U.S. Forestry Department.