NEWS, NOTES, & QUOTES
LAWN CARE CERTIFICATION NOW OFFERED ONLINE PRINCIPLES OF TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT
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f there’s one certification that applies to nearly everyone working in the landscape industry, it’s the Lawn Care Manager certification, offered by the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) in conjunction with the University of Georgia. Earning the certification means you’ve mastered essential turfgrass management practices and procedures that are a standard throughout the land- scape industry. “The certification applies to any landscape professional,” said International Certification Council Chair-elect Amelia Collins Foote, Landscape Industry Certified, account manager for Total Lawn Care Services in Tupelo, Mississippi. “Company owners, account managers like myself, and technicians can all benefit from being more knowledgeable about turfgrass. So, too, can individuals who are not directly involved in maintaining lawns. Maybe you’re trimming a bush, planting annual color, or even installing a hardscape element; if customers were to ask you a question about their lawns, it’s good business to be able to respond knowledgeably.” Becoming certified will ensure you have this knowledge, she re-emphasized. Candidates must pass The Principles of Turfgrass Management course, administered through the University of Georgia. “When I took the course in 2013, I received a huge book that had 14 chapters dedicated to every aspect of turfgrass management. Now it’s offered both online or as a tradition- al paper-based distance course,” Foote said.
VALUABLE TOOL Before taking the exam, Foote already had a degree in golf course management. “Having the certification added to my book of knowledge, but without the degree it would be even more invaluable,” she noted. ICC Chair Skip Thompson, Landscape Industry Certified,
can identify with that. The Director of Operations for Sa- vannah, Georgia.-based Tidewater Landscape Management got married and started a family after graduating from high school. “When I entered the landscape industry, I needed to gain some knowledge and taking the turfgrass course and becoming certified was ideal,” Thompson said. “It was self-study and at my own pace and very comprehensive. In fact, that huge textbook still holds a place on the bookshelf behind my desk, and I continue to reference it from time to time.
“It has been vital to my development as a landscape pro- fessional and like other ICC certifications, it holds value for the company just as it does for the individual who earned the certification.”
Other benefits come with earning the certification, he added, not the least of which is the course authored by one of the premier agronomy professors in the country. By taking the course, you will also receive 12 University of Georgia Continuing Education Units (CEUs), which can be used to maintain certifications.
WHY TAKE THIS COURSE? Jessica Murray, program coordinator, Georgia Center for Continuing Education, gives several reasons why industry professionals would want to take the course. They include: • The program expands one’s knowledge and professional growth. It covers the principles of warm- and cool-sea- son turfgrass establishment, growth, maintenance, and troubleshooting. Participants will also learn a lot about turfgrass best management practices – even if they’ve been in the business for years. • Students can start anytime and from anywhere. They have the option to complete the course in English or Spanish. It is a self-paced, self-study course that is up to date and easy to use.
“Company owners, account managers like myself, and technicians can all benefit from being more knowledgeable about turfgrass. So, too, can individuals who are not directly involved in maintaining lawns. Maybe you’re trimming a bush, planting annual color, or even installing a hardscape element; if customers were to ask you a question about their lawns, it’s good business to be able to respond knowledgeably.”
— Amelia Collins Foote, International Certification Council Chair-elect, Landscape Industry Certified, account manager for Total Lawn Care Services in Tupelo, Mississippi.
14 THE LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONAL > JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
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