ASLA 2019 Student Award of Excellence in general design. ‘Y’ Shaped Jetty System. The University of Texas at Austin.Photo: Yi Song, Student ASLA.
Due to disruptions caused by COVID-19 (coronavirus), the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) is extending the submission deadline for the 2020 ASLA Student Awards to Sunday, May 31 at 11:59 pm PST.
“ASLA Student Awards are the most prestigious honors for landscape architecture students in the United States and around the world,” says Wendy Miller, president, FASLA. “We want to make sure that the program remains a robust reflection of the best and brightest the profession has to offer, so we’re giving students a little more time to get their submissions together.”
The new deadlines are:
- Fee deadline: Friday, May 15
- Submission deadline: Sunday, May 31, 11:59 pm PST
ASLA is also celebrating the fact that April is World Landscape Architecture Month.
Despite the pandemic keeping millions of people indoors, landscape architects in the United States and around the globe are coming together virtually to tell their stories through the Life Grows Here campaign.
“As landscape architects, we design places and experiences for life to grow and flourish,” says Miller. “We design places that foster healing and renewal. We create settings for community gathering. We bring beauty to public spaces. When this current crisis abates and our necessary isolation ends, the places landscape architects create will be even more important. We can envision parks filled with people enjoying nature, playgrounds overrun by children and streetscapes alive with social commerce. An incredibly rare thing called life grows in our works, and we believe Life Grows Here will serve as a reminder of what awaits us when we are able to be together again.”
So far, WLAM2020 and the Life Grows Here campaign has generated enormous participation. Some highlights include:
- Nearly 2,000 posts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn using hashtags #WLAM2020 and #LifeGrowsHere.
- Daily takeovers of the @NationalASLA Instagram stories by ASLA’s professional and student chapters showcase every level of the profession.
- The launch of two podcasts including ASkLA, featuring an interview with the two ASLA members who helped develop the Life Grows Here campaign.
- The April Edition of Landscape Architecture Magazine is available free to everyone.
NJLCA offering online basic pesticide training and category training courses
In lieu of 40 hours on-the-job-training, the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association (NJLCA) is offering online required training for taking the New Jersey DEP pesticide exams.
All classes are completed via webinar, and each attendee must have an individual email address and their own device on which to take the class.
Basic core training will be $99 per person, and category training will be $145 per person.
NJLCA: Category 3B training for DEP exams – webinar course – $145
April 22 and 23 from 6-9 pm
Click here to register.
Course description: Schools, residential and commercial – turf insect IPM control, turfgrass disease ID and IPM management techniques, toxicology overview for pesticide applicators and organic alternatives.
NJLCA: Category 3A training for DEP exams – webinar course – $145
April 28 and 29 from 6-9 pm
Click here to register.
Course description: Disease control for woody ornamentals, keys to ornamental insect management, safe transportation, storage and disposal of pesticides and organic alternatives.
Registration now open for 2020 GIE+EXPO
Registration is now open for this year’s GIE+EXPO, which is set for Oct. 21-23 at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville. Early registration is $20 through Sept. 10.
This year’s show will have expanded education on real-world topics such as drones, robotics and connectivity, as well as features that put attendees behind the controls. Additionally, more than 40 new exhibitors have already signed on to showcase their products.
New features will include:
- Hands-on drone zone – a 4,000-sq-ft netted area on the show floor where attendees can fly drones with expert trainers
- Technology summit presented by the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP)
- UTV test track for driving and comparing the latest vehicles on real terrain
- Remote pilot certification course presented by the Indiana State University aviation and unmanned systems program
- Expanded in-tree arborist demos and classroom courses, including CEU opportunities
- Free dealer workshops by Bob Clements International, including a roundtable discussion on bulletproofing your business in a post-COVID-19 world
“We fully expect our nation will soon turn a critical corner in dealing with this pandemic and be back in business,” says Kris Kiser, managing partner of GIE+EXPO and OPEI president. “In the meantime, we are actively and responsibly moving forward with plans that include a robust education program and some exciting new hands-on opportunities for both landscape professionals and dealers, while keeping attendee and exhibitor safety at the forefront. GIE+EXPO is a family reunion for the industry, and this year, we’ll need that reconnection and reinvigoration of our businesses more than ever. We look forward to seeing everyone in Louisville this fall.”
Opening keynote – Admiral James Stavridis
This year’s opening keynote, “The Secret to Being an Effective Leader,” will feature Retired United States Navy 4-star Admiral James Stavridis. A distinguished leader and the longest-serving global combatant commander in recent American military history, Stavridis will provide answers and strategies to address the most pressing global affairs challenges. The keynote, included with trade show registration, is set for Wednesday, October 21, 2-3 pm. Sponsored by John Deere and the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute.
One-of-a-kind, hands-on event
According to Warren Sellers, show manager, the opportunity for attendees to get behind the controls and test equipment makes GIE+EXPO a one-of-a-kind event. With the 20-acre demonstration area right outside the exhibit hall and an indoor arena with 70-foot ceilings, the Kentucky Exposition Center is the ideal location to offer unique opportunities for industry members. Free parking at the facility will again be provided during the show.
GIE+EXPO is sponsored by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, Inc. (OPEI), Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS) and NALP.
