Fifteen high school teachers from throughout Colorado came together in July at Colorado’s Finest High School of Choice, Englewood to hone greenhouse skills to engage students in horticulture and to learn about careers in landscape maintenance.

Event sponsors included: ACW Supply, with Jake Skokan offering training on greenhouse management; and The L.L. Johnson Distributing Co., with Mike Walters and Dylan Rewoldt of BOB-CAT® Mowers showcasing maintenance equipment teachers could demo.

Other presentations included: Ross Shrigley, Director of Plant Select, who showed plants that are good for Colorado; and Bill Cary, who discussed pest management in the greenhouse and in the landscape. Emily Sepulveda of Groundwork Denver presented hydroponics as an activity to engage students in horticulture.

Industry volunteers shared career opportunities in maintenance and stressed how the field is wide open for women. They included: Nate Adams, TerraCare Associates; Kimberly Jewell, GroundMasters Landscape Services, Inc.; Greg Ritscher, Metco Landscape Inc.; Sara Rutman, BrightView Landscape Management; and Chris Willis, Colorado Total Maintenance.

In addition to teachers at schools along the Front Range, others came from as far west as Creed and Norwood, near the Uncompahgre National Forest, and from West End Public Schools, south of Montrose. Teachers from eastern plains came from Otis, Seibert and Limon.

The event was presented by ALCC and Colorado Community College System as part of the Landscape Career Pathways Program.

Read more in this issue of Colorado Green NOW:
McCord adding no-penalty cancellation clauses to contracts
OSHA releases training videos and FAQs for silica dust standard
Make sure your landscape company is protecting employee and consumer data
Green Mountain Pathways grad enters teacher pipeline at CSU