The 2012 Accreditation Course in Organic Land Care

Connecticut

February 15, 16, 17 and 21, 22, and a snowdate of Feb. 23rd

CT Agricultural Experiment Station
123 Huntington St.
New Haven, CT  06511

Directions

Rhode Island

February 27, 28, 29, March 1, 2 and snowdate of March 5

Kettle Pond Visitor Center
Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge
Charlestown, Rhode Island 02813

Directions

Ask us about payment plans and the 15% discount for groups of three or more! Call the office 203-888-5146 with questions.

The Accreditation Course is approved for 27.75 CT DEEP credits and 28.5 APLD credits.  Registration for a single day of the program is available for those interested in certain workshops or only needing a limited number of credits.  Attendence for one day is $125, and registration must be by phone.

Credits are pending for: NJ DEP, ISA and NY - Be Green

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The 2012 Course Brochure

The Course
Growing public awareness of pesticide use hazards and new legislation mandating least toxic and non-toxic alternatives are fueling a new market opportunity for professionals with knowledge of organic land care. This 30-hour course for professionals will provide the education needed for an understanding of organic land care design and maintenance. The curriculum is based on NOFA’s Standards for  Land Care: Practices for Design and Maintenance of Ecological Landscapes, written by NOFA’s Organic Land Care Committee. These Standards, published in 2001 and revised annually, extend the vision of organic agriculture to the care of the entire landscape, both private and public. At the end of the course attendees will be able to incorporate methods and materials that respect natural ecology and the long-term health of the environment.

Who should attend the course?
Landscapers - Designers - Landscape Architects - Garden Center employees - Municipal employees - Parks and Recreation employees - Land trust staff - Conservation property managers - Master gardeners Horticulturists - Horticulture and Landscape teachers - Entrepreneurs and new business owners

Graduates will: 
Have the knowledge to design and maintain ecological landscapes - Be among the first in the country to become accredited in Organic Land Care - Build a business based on the health of the earth.

Accreditation
An optional exam will be given at the conclusion of the course. Those who pass the exam can become NOFA Accredited Organic Land Care Professionals. A list of these professionals and their services is widely distributed throughout the region in NOFA’s Guide to Organic Land Care and on its website. Annual reaccreditation is granted based on continued demonstration of competence in organic land care.

Program
Each day runs from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and includes six hours of presentations, a one-hour case study, one hour for catered lunch in the lobby, and two 15-minute breaks. (2010 Schedule subject to change for 2011 course)

Day 1
Principles and Procedures - Site Analysis, Design and Maintenance - Rain Gardens/Stormwater Infiltration - Soil Health, Soil Foodweb

Day 2
Fertilizer and Soil Amendments - Composting - Lawns - Lawn Alternatives

Day 3
Planting and Plant Care - Wetlands - Pest Management - Turf Insects, Perennials, Trees and Shrubs

Day 4
Pest Management - Ticks and Lyme Disease - Wildlife Management - Disease Control - Water Management - Mulches

Day 5
Invasive Plants/Control - Client Relations - Review - Accreditation Examination

Accomodations and Directions:
An extensive list of hotels, including pricing and directions to the course site will be provided in your confirmation packet once your registration materials are received.

Faculty
Instructors include the following experienced Organic Land Care professionals and respected scientists

Monique Allen- The Garden Continuum, Inc.
Joan Allen - UConn Home and Garden Center
Steven Alm - URI
Donald Bishop - Gardens Are . . .
Bryan Connolly - MassWildlife State Botonist
Frank H. Crandall III - Frank Crandall Horticultural Solutions
Heather Crawford - Environmental Educator
Dan Dalton - Growing Solutions
Dr. Sharon Douglas - CT Ag. Exp. Station
Nancy DuBrule-Clemente - NatureWorks Hort. Svcs.
Bill Duesing - CT NOFA
Lori Gibson - RI Department of Environmental Mangement
Todd Harrington - Harrington’s Organic Land Care
Peter Hinrichs - Dig In It, Inc.
Rose Hiskes - Connecticut Agricultural Extension Station
John Howell - UMass Extension, retired
Peter Hinrichs - Dig In It, Inc
Frank Koll - GreenScapes Lawn & Garden Services, Inc.
Marion Larson - Mass. Dept. Fisheries & Wildlife
Christopher Mason - Mason and Associate Wetland Consultants
Ann McGovern - Mass DEP
Paul Merril - MassDEP
Mike Merner - Earthcare Farm
Michael Nadeau - Plantscapes Inc.
Fred Newcombe  - PJC Ecological Land Care
Chip Osborne - Osborne Organics
Dawn Petinelli - Soil Nutrient Analysis Lab, UConn
Dr. Robert Rafka - Master Gardener
Dr. Kirby C. Stafford III - CT Ag. Exp. Station
Dr. Kimberly Stoner - CT Ag. Exp. Station
Sam Telford - Tufts Department of Biomedical Sciences
Paul Wagner - Soil Foodweb New York

Testimonal:
“We have found that the NOFA Standards for Organic Land Care, along with the NOFA course which teaches them, to be an absolutely essential base for our statewide efforts to move the public towards healthier and more ecologically sound suburban practices.” - Sarah Little, Ph.D., Coordinator, MA Pesticide Awareness Collaborative

"With a soup-to-nuts syllabus that covers all the issues imaginable taught by a gathering of the region’s most esteemed scientists, this is value-added education at its best. The course is intensive, for sure (bioregional boot camp might be an accurate description). But you come out the other end with a strong sense of camaraderie and a working knowledge that could make you want to move mountains – except now you know it’s best to leave them in place. And you can’t beat the food." -Tovah Martin, Horticulturalist and Author

Cost of Course and Accreditation:

$550 Course
Early bird discount: -$30 for registrations received by Dec. 17 in MA, by January 24 in CT and by February 6 in RI
NOFA Membership Discounts: -$15
Course fee includes a delicious, catered lunch daily

$150 Exam & Accreditation (optional)
Exam & Accreditation may be paid during the course

To pay for your accreditation exam fee and accreditation fee in advance, visit our Accreditation Store and add them to your cart (they can also be paid at the five-day course).   Reminder: if an accredited organic land care professional referred you to the course, please write "Referred by [name]" in the comments box when you check out!