STANDARD COMPETENCIES

 

 1. Demonstrate familiarity with the principles of sustainability and with various published sustainability evaluation systems and Best Management Practices.

 2. Demonstrate familiarity with the principles and practices of xeriscape and their implementation.

 3. Demonstrate a basic understanding of Colorado water law, its history, and current controversies around water use.

 4. Differentiate between sustainability concepts, best management practices and legal requirements for the construction and maintenance of landscapes.

 5. Calculate the approximate water usage of a site given various planting schemes.

 6. Discuss Best Management Practices associated with of the principles of xeriscape including: hydrozoning / plant selection and placement, irrigation auditing, irrigation system selection, pulse irrigation, and soil preparation.

 7. Demonstrate an understanding of the bases for comparing sustainability of landscape materials and processes (i.e. lifecycle costing/embodied energy /BTU equivalence; byproducts and pollutants from manufacture, etc.).

 8. Evaluate the sustainability of a landscape and the materials and methods used in its construction.

 9. Rank important sustainable landscaping elements for incorporation into a landscape design.

 10. Incorporate specific sustainable landscaping elements into a landscape design.

 11. Identify site microclimates and other site attributes that affect plant growth and the use of sustainable and best management practices on a site.

 12. State why the use of xeriscape, best and sustainable management practices are important horticulturally and economically to Colorado’s Green Industry.

 

 

 TOPICAL OUTLINE

 

 I. Sustainability (definitions, attributes, etc.) in Landscaping

 II. Best management practices (definition, attributes, etc.)

 III. Xeriscape principles and water law

 IV. Evaluation of sustainability and water conservation practices/methods

 V. Selection and implementation of sustainability and water conservation practices/methods for specific circumstances