Horticulture Hosts Collegiate Landscaping Olympics

2015 PLANET SCD Team

CALS and the Department of Horticultural Science recently host the 39th annual PLANET Professional Landcare Network’s Collegiate Landscape Competition and Student Career Days. PLANET is the national trade association representing landscape professionals. Arborists and landscapers are part of a green industry that has an $8.6 billion economic impact in North Carolina, according to the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Student Career Days also included a student career fair with industry representatives from the nation’s major landscape companies and interviews for jobs after graduation. The competition has several hands-on skills that include landscape design, plant diagnosis, weed identification, irrigation methods arboriculture techniques, small engine repair, and operation of tractor loader, backhoe, truck and trailers.

Lee Ivy,a lecturer in the Department of Horticultural Science, serves as CALS team leader, advisor and former PLANET competitor. Horticultural Science colleagues Lee Ivy, Lis Meyer and Dr. Barbara Fair worked with PLANET to plan NC State’s hosting of the event.

For further coverage, read CALS News Center article on “Olympics of Landscaping”:
https://www.landscapeprofessionals.org/collegiate-landscape-competition/collegiate-landscape-competition/final-results.aspx

To see the 2015 National Collegiate Landscape Competition Final results:
https://www.landscapeprofessionals.org/collegiate-landscape-competition/collegiate-landscape-competition/final-results.aspx