|
|
Leading environmental and water conservation experts convened today to further examine conservation initiatives and strategies relating to landscape irrigation at the second annual Intelligent Use of Water forum, hosted by Rain Bird Corp., the leading manufacturer and provider of irrigation products and services. Held in Pasadena, Calif., the symposium panel focused on the relationship between water conservation and landscape water use, water conservation policies and legislation, and potential programs and initiatives to bring greater awareness to the need for water conservation.
The expert panel consisted of panelists with water conservation expertise as it relates to academia, public and private water agencies and municipalities, media, government, landscape architecture and agriculture, and came on the heels of the U.N. report predicting an eminent and devastating global water shortage by the year 2025.
| RAIN BIRD OFFERS REGIONAL IRRIGATION TRAINING |
As part of its ever-expanding irrigation training, Rain Bird Academy has announced the dates of three Professional Improvement Training Camps in January. No longer considered irrigation “technicians” only, Rain Bird says irrigation professionals today are front-line protectors of our precious water resources. Those in the irrigation system industry must have a wide variety of product and business knowledge in order to work for and run successful irrigation businesses, and these training sessions are designed to offer just that. Upcoming training sessions include: Jan. 10 – 13 Jan. 17 – 20 Jan. 23 – 27 Sessions for all three training camps include business skills, central control and turf irrigation. Additionally, the Atlantic City training camp will include a session on golf irrigation. Descriptions of each session are outlined below. Individuals who would benefit from this training include irrigation contractors, system designers, distributors, technicians, landscape architects and irrigation managers from public agencies. Courses are taught by Irrigation Industry Certified Trainers and offer detailed instruction on financial management, product knowledge, various field installation techniques and troubleshooting irrigation systems. Rain Bird has designed its classes to be informative for everyone in the irrigation profession – from those just starting out in the irrigation field to seasoned professionals. Select courses will also be available for Spanish-speaking professionals. Irrigation professionals can choose from one to four days of training with instructors who conduct one of the most respected and comprehensive training experiences in the irrigation industry. Specific “education tracks” on drip products and design, irrigation design, contractor business skills, and irrigation contractor courses are also available. The education participants receive will help them to better understand their irrigation products, work more efficiently and run more profitable businesses, which will reap financial rewards in cost savings and better financial management. For more information, or for those interested in attending this professional irrigation training, please contact Robert Pfeil or Mea Newman at 800/498-1942 or visit www.rainbird.com/training to register. Course Descriptions: |
"With global water experts predicting that the conflicts of the future will be fought over water, it is essential that world leaders, environmental experts and the general public be aware of the need to conserve water," said Rain Bird Corporate Marketing Brand Manager Jennifer Riley-Chetwynd. "This water conservation forum is a prime example of how Rain Bird's focus on water conservation extends beyond products and services into actions that motivate our industry partners and the public-at-large to use water in the most efficient manner possible."
Riley-Chetwynd tells Lawn & Landscape that the wide cross-section of panelists at this year’s summit allowed the conversation to cover water issues in all areas, including agriculturel, landscaping, golf and outside the green industry as well. Invited attendees included Rain Bird customers from around the country and around the world, with some international input coming from water managers in Austrailia.
“Our hope is that our panelists and attendees will take with them the knowledge that people are taking a variety of approaches to solving the same problem – the shortage of water,” Riley-Chetwynd says. “It’s really an inspirational activity as well as an educational one that might give our customers and water managers everywhere new ideas of how to reduce overwatering and other excess water consumption. It may even bring about new ideas for how local water authorities can better educate their customers on being good stewards of this precious resource.”
The panelists called for civic and business leaders to communicate the need for water conservation by not only abiding by current water conservation policies but also by imposing stricter water regulation policies on their own organizations to increase awareness of the need to conserve.
Among the panelists were a law professor who Riley-Chetwynd says brought a unique viewpoint to the discussion. His specialty in groundwater rights suggested that not ever crop needs to be irrigated and that irrigators need to rethink which crops are planted, how they’re planted and where they’re planted in order to get the maximum crop output without intensifying water inputs. Additionally, a member of the Austrailian Golf Course Superintendents Association also was on hand discussing his country’s research on reclaimed water use as a solution to reducing the amount of freshwater put toward irrigation.
The panel was held at the Pasadena Hilton Hotel and hosted panelists from academia, public and private water agencies and municipalities, media, government, landscape architecture and agriculture. The two-hour event was moderated by veteran business consultant, Kevin Kehoe, and concluded with an open session in which over 100 audience members were able to direct questions to the panel members.
The panelists were:
- Tim Blair, program manager, Water Use Efficiency, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
- Robert Glennon, professor, University of Arizona, Rogers College of Law
- Eric Klotz, water conservation and education section chief, Utah Division of Water Resources
- David Minner, professor, Iowa State University
- John Neylan, manager, AGCSA Tech, Australian Golf Course Superintendent Association
- Stuart Styles, director, Irrigation Training and Research Center
- Mark Welterlen, publisher, Grounds Maintenance magazine
Each panelist's written submission is available for download in PDF format at www.rainbird.com.
