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High school students get head start in certifi cation
High school students get head start in certification
St. Vrain Valley CDC students with instructor Angie McCreavy (L) and Kristie Hayden (R) On a chilly day in late May, high school students gathered at Pickens Technical College nationally recognized Landscape Industry Certified Technician program. Students from two Front Range high in Aurora to test the landscape industry skills schools, Westminster High School and St. they’ve been practicing during the school Vrain Valley Career Development Center, paryear. ALCC hosted a Passport to Certification ticipated in the following tests: student certification test on May 29. The op• General Knowledge/Common Core portunity allows students in landscape-related • Landscape Estimating, Plant/Pest/ studies in high schools and technical colleges Equipment Identification around the state to take the first steps toward • Plant Layout landscape industry certification. The student • Basic Program Controller certification test combined elements from • Lateral Repair and Head Adjustment the Nursery/Landscape Career Development • Tree Planting and Staking. Event competition for Colorado FFA and the
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Industry volunteers served as judges for the hands-on test problems.
“The students should be commended for taking this step in their professional development. Participating in industry certification at their level of education is really impressive. Every student who tested passed at least one of the test problems,” said Melissa Emdin, ALCC Programs and Education Director.
ALCC plans to make the Passport to Certification test an annual event and expand the event to include students from more high schools. | CG
Lucas Naeger, Westminister Hign School with student
Kyler Neumann, Aurora Public Schools and Patrick O’Meara, High Country Landscape
2019 Career Pathways Sponsors
Strategic sponsor
Student takes tree planting and staking test.
Thank you to the following companies who donated time, materials or equipment for the student test: • Alameda Wholesale Nursery • Aurora Public Schools • City of Greenwood Village • Designscapes Colorado • GVR Landscape • High Country Landscape • Pickens Technical College
Photos courtesy ALCC Signature sponsors
Northern Water launches collaborative
Grant recipients get professional and
water-efficient landscape grants
financial assistance
By Frank Kinder
North Boulder Rec Center IN PROGRESS
Berthoud-based Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District (Northern Water) has a long history of facilitating water efficiency through studies, its Conservation Gardens and industry certification classes.
Yet, increased demand for landscape water efficiency assistance has driven Northern Water to expand its support of the green industry and efforts to enhance landscape water use and value.
After collaboration and stakeholder feedback, Northern Water identified opportunities to help water users manage their water better. Created in 2017, the Water Efficiency Program now offers multiple, complementary solutions to build more capacity for efficient water use in the region.
North Boulder Rec Center transitioned to upgraded irrigation and water-wise plants.
AFTER
Photo courtesy City of Boulder
Northern Water: the big picture
Northern Water manages the Colorado-Big Thompson Project, which provides supplemental water supplies to about 1 million people and 640,000 acres of irrigated farmland in northeast Colorado. The 66 cities, towns and water districts served include Fort Collins, Boulder, Greeley, Longmont and Broomfield. Many homes and businesses in those cities have lush, attractive landscapes that add to the high quality of life that attracts many new residents. With that growth, however, many communities are asking for help to improve water efficiency to address increasing water prices, climate change, drought awareness, management challenges and evolving landscape ethics and needs.
Earlier this year, Northern Water launched the Collaborative Water-Efficient Landscape Grant Program. Open to public entities, busi
Fairway Ridge converting turf island to a plant bed
BEFORE
Fairway Ridge
IN PROGRESS
AFTER
nesses, homeowner’s associations and others served by Northern Water, the program offers grants up to $15,000 for projects that create and promote Colorado climate-friendly landscapes that thrive on natural precipitation or use minimal, effi cient irrigation. A 50% match of funding or in-kind contributions is required for recipients.
As part of the grant program, Northern Water experts will review the project’s design and assist with signage and other materials so the projects can serve as satellite water-efficiency demonstration and education sites in the region.
Why Grants?
For Northern Water’s communities, many factors are driving residents to rethink, redesign or upgrade their landscapes. Grants provide a way to encourage such changes. For example, older landscape designs, through their plant choices, irrigation systems or landscape functions, often use lots of water, are difficult to manage and are expensive to maintain. While beautiful, they might provide lesser benefits to owners than newer alternatives.
While managing water use and costs is often a primary motivator for residents to pursue landscape updates, HOA boards, property
managers and business owners have other reasons to update their landscaping, too. These motivations include preparing for drought, developing landscapes that add environmental benefits such as habitat, plant diversity and pollination, offering educational opportunities about drought resilience or adding social connectivity opportunities through amenities. Environmentally and socially responsible use of land and water can save money and be sustainable, too.
What changes are applicants considering?
For example, HOA boards can seek to reduce water used in commonly managed areas. These are often large, connected landscapes within and adjacent to neighborhoods that provide benefits, but can be costly to maintain. Municipalities can pursue enhanced overall water management through water audits, park and public landscape renovations, or the installation of demonstration gardens that provide habitat and showcase native and xeric plant species. Developers of new neighborhoods could pursue native landscape approaches, and business owners might renovate landscapes to meet new corporate goals or landscape uses, such as outdoor meeting spaces.
Some innovative designs now seek to incorporate stormwater and watershed protection, such as the Watershed Approach (https:// bit.ly/2uvaLzS). Additional outcomes can include conversion to landscapes that add social benefits such as gardening, walking paths or other community uses.
For some applicants, pursuing third-party certifications can be aspirational recognitions of their new designs and benefits. These offer branded designations for design features and communicate what the upgrades can provide. Examples include Audubon of the Rockies’ Habitat Hero (https://bit.ly/2UWxxfE) which provides support for birds, and Audubon International’s certifications (https://bit. ly/2SZOWnP). Some might simply plan to upgrade their irrigation systems and management while teaching their users how water is applied differently to the landscape, as well as the benefits of the investment.
Grant projects and qualification
To qualify for a grant, an applicant’s landscape must have been at least 500 square feet, and for 2020 that will increase to 1,000 square feet. Projects must be designed to use substantially less water than traditional landscapes and include at least 50% plant coverage at maturity. A five-year maintenance plan and city approval are required.
Northern Water is working with grant recipients to find success with these projects, because retrofits can present unforeseen challenges. When successful, however, the projects will offer many benefits. Municipalities and large water users will benefit by supporting informed, real-world projects that demonstrate before-and-after landscape transitions that achieve multiple goals. Grant projects can serve as case studies about the diverse water management challenges faced by residents and property owners within Northern Water municipalities, while portraying solutions to address them. Participants get assistance on strategies and changes to implement landscape upgrades that improve their property while serving as an educational venue, and the water efficiency industry gains valuable examples of implementation.| CG
This year’s grant recipients include:
• Berthoud, which created a
Xeriscape Pollinator Garden. • Windsor, which funded water audits on six city parks.
• Eaton, which built a Children’s
Native Garden Park.
• Boulder County, which updated its North Recreation Center’s landscape.
• Fairway Ridge HOA in Loveland, which created planting beds from unproductive turf beds.
• Mariana Cove HOA in Loveland, which renovated common areas with drip and xeric landscaping.
• 7Lakes HOA in Loveland, which renovated common areas.
• Kendall Brook HOA in Loveland, which reestablished native grasses.
• Champion Greens HOA in Longmont, which upgraded its irrigation system.
• Prospect HOA in Longmont, which installed drip-irrigation systems and Xeric plant material.
Grant recipients are asked to have landscape projects completed by Oct. 30. Information about the 2020 grant cycle will be published at www.northernwater.org.
Photos courtesy Fairway Ridge HOA
Being a member of ALCC has helped me get my foot in the door with other landscape professionals and has provided me a sense of community. It is such a relief to know people who understand my challenges and inspire me to be a better business owner. In return, I’m ready to support them any way I’m able.
Mike Moore, CEO/Owner
Diggable Designs Landscape Construction, LLC ALCC member since 2010
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