CUYAMACA COLLEGE HOSTS ITS FIRST SUSTAINABLE URBAN LANDSCAPE CONFERENCE

2-day event to be followed by plant fair open to the public March 10, 2009 (El Cajon)--Cuyamaca College is hosting a conference featuring leading landscape professionals and bus tours of eco-friendly sites Thursday and Friday, March 12 and 13, a precursor to it becoming among the first community colleges in the nation to offer a degree in sustainable urban landscaping. With the Southern California region gripped by drought and court-ordered restrictions on water deliveries from the north, water conservation has become ever more critical, so much so that it is fundamentally changing the local landscape industry, said Don Schultz, an ornamental horticulture instructor at Cuyamaca College.

Mandatory water rationing is a near-certainty and most landscape professionals agree that San Diego County's landscape design and water-management practices should move toward more conservation-minded landscapes, Schultz added. "We are introducing a new degree and certificate program in sustainable urban landscaping as an evolution of our long work in the area of water conservation," said ornamental horticulture instructor and program coordinator Brad Monroe. "The inaugural Sustainable Urban Landscape Conference will be a kickoff to the new program, which is awaiting approval by the state (community college) chancellor's office." T

he program, which will offer an associate's degree and credentials, is expected to be in place by fall of next year. But the college isn't waiting for the formal approval to begin offering component classes.

"With the exception of a capstone class to round out the program, students can already take classes in water conservation, sustainable landscape design and such," said Monroe, adding that in his research to develop the program, he's found that Cuyamaca is venturing into an area infrequently explored at the community college level. "Our instructors are committed to integrating sustaining concepts through every class--from floral design to irrigation classes --everyone's on board with this."

The conference opens at 8 a.m., Thursday, with Schultz providing an introduction and definition of sustainability, and continues with a daylong series of speakers in the new Cuyamaca College Communication Arts Theater. The conference will focus on the latest trends, technology and techniques for a sustainable urban landscape and is geared toward landscape professionals. With sustainable urban landscaping being A relatively new concept, the definition of sustainable urban landscapes is still being solidified. A broad definition is a landscape design and maintenance style that is environmentally sound, maintainable and conserves resources and labor. Dr. Cristina Chiriboga, interim college president, said the event affirms the OH program's leading reputation in the landscape industry.

"This is a very exciting, major event," she said. "Once again, this shows the excellence of our program and the ongoing industry leadership that program coordinator Brad Monroe and his colleagues are providing. "The intent of this conference is to bring professionals in all phases of landscape design, installation, and management together to begin establishing more sustainable urban landscapes and in the process, keep the industry viable in the face of water shortages, fires, diminishing landfill space, and rising energy costs."

Co-sponsored by the Cuyamaca College Ornamental Horticulture department, the college's botanical society, the student affiliate chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College, and the University of California Cooperative Extension Service, the conference will include: A water agency panel discussion on water availability Fire prevention and brush clearance Plant selection for water and fire Designing for maintenance Sustainable turf management strategies Day two of the conference features more speakers from 8-9 a.m., followed by bus tours of sustainable facilities in North County, including a rainwater harvesting and recycling project at a residential site; Cottonwood Creek Park which features a swath of land called a bioswale that filters runoff water headed toward the ocean; and Temple Soleil, a private school with a campus exemplifying urban sustainable landscaping. The buses return to Cuyamaca at 4 p.m.

The conference, along with Cuyamaca's recent startup of the nation's first community college student chapter of the influential American Society of Landscape Architects, benefits students by raising the OH program's profile, Monroe said. As members of an affiliate chapter, Cuyamaca students have already strengthened links with the San Diego Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects by joining in projects such as the replanting of fire-stricken Poway Lake. Another plus is that students have the right to include the ASLA designation after their names, which tells potential clients that they've met membership requirements of the national association and are committed to professional standards and practices. Students also have access to networking and professional learning opportunities. As co-sponsors of next week's conference, students are helping to organize and set up the event.

Registration fees, accepted by fax, online or at the door, are $95 per person per day, or $160 for both days. Lunch is included. Fax your registration form with credit card information to (619) 660-4408 or go to www.cuyamaca.edu/ohweb/ to register online.

On Saturday, March 14, the Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College will host a water smart plant fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public. In addition to sales of a large selection of plants, the fair will feature lectures by landscape designers and a county water authority representative, a book signing, and "Ask the Experts" sessions on gardening, composting, fire-resistant landscaping and more. Call (619) 660-0614, extension 10, to reserve a spot for a free, 20-minute landscape design consultation with a professional designer. There will also be a children's activity booth and face painting, as well as drawings to win prizes, including a home landscape redesign.

For more information about Cuyamaca or Grossmont colleges, including registering for eight-week courses beginning March 23, go to www.cuyamaca.edu , www.grossmont.edu , or www.gcccd.edu. Online applications and registration are available.