24:
Teaching Sustainable Landscaping Practices in the College Classroom: Topics and Methods
The goals of this workshop are to enhance dialogue among college instructors on the emerging field of sustainable landscaping practices; to provide a networking opportunity to those already teaching a course on the subject, and to provide guidance and ideas to others; to examine current issues and trends for the future.
The Green Industry is intricately involved in providing a number of solutions to address these environmental concerns. Some examples include: stormwater management using rain gardens, bioswales, vertical gardens, and vegetated roofs; use of recycled products in the landscape including rubber mulch and hardscape products using recycled glass; and composite wood products used in park benches, decking materials, and children’s play equipment. Many of these landscaping practices have seen increased use in recent years. On a broader scale, urban design and planning that incorporates ecological design principles and wildlife habitat creation and restoration are important aspects of sustainable landscaping. College-level horticulture and landscaping courses are responding to the need to prepare students for issues and practices in their respective professional areas. In this workshop, speakers will present curricula, class exercises, websites, and course materials they have developed and are using in each of their college-level courses. Faculty will discuss the use of online platforms for course material distribution. Topics will cover the spectrum from ecological concepts to landscape design, construction and implementation, to maintenance and management. The Sustainable Sites Initiative and other emerging issues in sustainability will be discussed.