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AGNR Students Go for the “Green� at National Competition
From urban office complexes, to suburban homes, to golf courses…some of the fastest growing professions today involve developing and managing the living environment that people seek to enrich their lives. And the growth of these “green� industry professions is driving an expanding job market for college graduates with both theoretical and applied skills.
The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR) is proud of the programs it offers related to this field, but it is equally proud of the students in those majors who are proving themselves to be competitive challengers for the best industry positions. And what better way to demonstrate their talent than by putting it all on the line in a national competition?
While some use spring break to slip away to warm climates for an early taste of summer, nine AGNR students are taking on the brisker atmosphere of Provo, Utah, to represent the campus and college in the 30th Annual Professional Land Care Network’s (PLANET) Student Career Days. This annual three-day competitive event—hosted by the University of Maryland last year—enables students enrolled in horticulture, landscape management, and landscape architecture programs at colleges and universities across the country to test their industry knowledge.
From March 23 to 26, some 900 students from 60 colleges are competing in 24 events directly related to the skills necessary for a career in the green industry. The AGNR team is competing in skill applications, including equipment operation, landscape installation, and landscape design, as well as in knowledge applications, such as pest and plant identification and business and personnel management.
Student Career Days also provides the largest recruiting program in the green industry. A career fair gives students an opportunity to discuss internship and employment opportunities with representatives of more than 100 companies from across the United States.
Representing AGNR is a competitive and experienced team of top-notch students:
Chase Townshend, a senior landscape management student, is the team leader. Chase is competing in five events and says he is most confident in the truck and trailer competition. With more than seven years’ experience in operating large trucks and trailers, he feels right at home in this event.
Landscape management major Jarrett Grosskettler brings his experience with landscape installation to the competition. He likes the compatibility and camaraderie among his teammates in this event. They work efficiently together and have practiced strategies and techniques to prepare for the contest.
Amanda Dell, a senior general agriculture science major, says her experience lies in weed science and agronomic crops. While a novice to the green industry, Amanda has put a great deal of study efforts into her weed and turf identification skills and is now ready to test her ability to perform under pressure.
Environmental ethics and sustainable design and construction practices are the forte of landscape architecture major James Palmer. Although he is competing in several events, including arboriculture, business management, weed and turf identification, and wood construction, James is most excited about the exterior design event.
Rounding out the team are Clark Zurowski, Chad Dilla, Kristy Sikorski, Peter Schultz, Josh Miller, and Liz Parker.
Each of these students is sponsored by a local landscape contracting company. Together, they hope to elevate UM-AGNR’s national standing from 11th to the top ten this year.
Getting into the spirit of the event, several team members and coach Dr. Steve Cohan, coordinator of AGNR’s Landscape Management Program, braved chilly winds on the University of Maryland’s mall early on the morning of Thursday, March 16th to give some commentary and live demonstrations of a couple of the events for the benefit of Washington’s Channel 5 News. Two live feeds were broadcast from the campus with Clark Zirowski and Chase Townshend showing an irrigation test, and Amanda Dell later ‘lofting the line’ to teammate Peter Schultz and his coach from Davey Tree Service, high in the trees in front of Marie Mount Hall.
Go Green –
Go TERPS!
Note: Industry sponsors who have made this year’s team’s
participation possible :
Bob Jackson Landscapes, Inc
Bozzuto Landscaping
Chapel Valley Landscape Company
Control Environmental Services
Hydrologix Solutions, Inc.
Maxalea
McHale Landscape Design, Inc.
Outside Unlimited, Inc
RAR Outdoor Services
Ruppert Nurseries
TruGreen Landcare
For more information, contact John Doerr
Last updated: 03/19/2006
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