Every two years, UMass Extension offers it's popular Green School, a comprehensive 12-day certificate short course for Green Industry professionals taught by UMass Extension specialists and University of Massachusetts faculty.
This year, Green School runs Oct. 24–Dec. 12, twice weekly from 9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. at the Doubletree Hotel, 11 Beaver St, Milford, Massachusetts. This course will not be offered again until 2018.
Pre-registration is required, as space is limited
Designed for landscapers, lawn care specialists, nursery operators, sports field managers, public and private grounds managers, arborists and others in the green industry, this comprehensive course is for horticultural professionals who want to gain an understanding of economically feasible and environmentally responsible plant and land care practices and the relation of those practices to protecting the environment. Both experienced professionals as well as those entering the green industries will benefit from this course.
Three specialty tracks are offered
* Landscape management
* Turf management
* Arboriculture - specifically geared toward professional arborists
Students learn about sensible and sustainable methods of plant and land care as well as responsible nutrient and pest management. They learn scientifically sound information that enables them to make better purchasing and management decisions, and to be better stewards of the environment. The curriculum, which emphasizes a systems-based approach to plant care, is based on current research and focuses on environmental stewardship, Best Management Practices (BMPs) and integrated pest management (IPM). Students develop an understanding of how proper management practices can enhance conservation of precious natural resources such as soil and water.
Instruction is done via classroom style lecture and interactive activities, and is supplemented through online resources via an online learning management system.
In addition, Green School is helpful for people preparing to take the following professional certification exams:
* Massachusetts Certified Arborist (MCA) offered by the Massachusetts Arborist Association
* Massachusetts Certified Horticulturist (MCH) offered by the Massachusetts Nursery and Landscape Association
* Massachusetts Certified Landscape Professional (MCLP) offered by the Massachusetts Association of Landscape Professionals
To register online or to print out a registration form, click here
Early bird rate ($825) ends 9/23/16 ($925 after 9/23/16). The deadline for applications is October 11, 2016.
For more information or to have a registration form mailed, call UMass Extension at 413-545-0895.
