Accessible Training for the Landscape & Turf Industries

Online training

The Safety Makes Sense: Landscape Worker Safety Certificate Course is available at no charge on Vimeo (vimeo.com/46623806).  With this tool, you can train on your time schedule, rainy day or any day.  The training video (a compilation of the Safety Makes Sense series) can be viewed online.  It can also be downloaded and saved for use when Internet is not available.  The course study guide and supervisor’s key provide talking points and a quick review.  Upon successful completion of the evaluation (70% or better), workers are emailed Certificates of Completion.

The publication Safety Checklists for New Landscape Employees is designed to assure and document safety training for new employees, these well-illustrated checklists are suitable for use with both English and Spanish speakers.  They cover general safety precautions, equipment safety, mower safety and basic pesticide safety.

The bilingual safety manual, Safety for Hispanic Landscape Workers, is available Online or For purchase

All center safety training resources and Hispanic worker resources are available on the UGA Center for Urban Agriculture web site at Safety Makes Sense.

UGA offers a monthly webinar for the landscape industry. Past classes are also archived for viewing online.

The Urban Ag Council has an excellent collection of Safety Zone training materials. Part of this collection of training materials is the Safety School.

Just In Time Disaster Training videos cover disaster related preparedness, safety, response and recovery training for a wide variety of areas.

eXtension is a web-based collaboration of land-grant universities across the US to make university educational resources more accessible. You can learn more about the initiative here – http://about.extension.org/

eXtension Learn offers online classes covering numerous topics including pest control, landscaping, info technology and other topics. You can register to be reminded of upcoming trainings, access trainings online and view archived trainings at https://learn.extension.org/

eLearn Urban Forestry Online Training – The Office of the Southern Regional Extension Forester, the USDA FS Region 8–Urban and Community Forestry Program along with the Southern Group of State Foresters have partnered to design, develop and implement a state-of-the-art online, distance-learning program geared specifically toward beginning urban foresters and those allied professionals working in and around urban and urbanizing landscapes

To access the modules for free, please visit www.elearn.sref.info

To access the modules for International Society of Arboriculture and Society of American Foresters credit, please visit www.cfegroup.org

To access the modules for volunteer credit or a certificate of completion, visit www.campus.extension.org  and look for the eLearn Urban Forestry–Citizen Forester course.

For more specific information, please contact Sarah Ashton, Educational Program Coordinator, Southern Regional Extension Forestry at sashton@sref.info .

Pesticide Applicator Training

A Commercial Pesticide Applicator’s License is required for a person who applies pesticides to the land of another person for hire, or who manages these type pesticide applications. A firm applying pesticides for hire must also have a Pesticide Contractor’s License. Both of these licenses can be obtained through the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

For more information on training for these licenses

See this site to order study materials or to sign up for exams

The Georgia Competent Applicator of Pesticides Program (GCAAP) is a comprehensive training tool for pesticide technician and handlers. GCAPP offers training for pesticide applicators that do not have a commercial license.

Commercial applicators of mosquito control products need to have pesticide applicator certification in Category 41, Mosquito Control. UGA Entomologist Elmer Gray has recorded an online video to better prepare applicators to take and to pass the Category 41 pesticide exam.

Video Training

The Super Crew Employee Training for Landscape Professionals has several videos that can be purchased for training landscape workers. See the list of titles.

The Super Crew training series is also available in an online option.

Certification

The Georgia Certified Landscape Professional (GCLP) program is a voluntary testing program that certifies those in the landscape profession who have mastered a thorough knowledge and understanding of job skills required to be successful in the industry. The Georgia Certified Plant Professional program (GCPP) certifies plant professionals for the retail and wholesale ornamental plant industries.

The UGA Center for Continuing Education offers several online certifications:

Email Newsletters

Landscape Alerts for the landscape and turf industry are released as needed. See past issues here or subscribe by emailing ebauske@uga.edu.

Pest Control Alerts update the structural pest management industry. See past issues here or subscribe by emailing ebauske@uga.edu.

Pesticide Related Resources

Information about specific pesticides or other info – National Pesticide Information Center – (800) 858-7378

Information about risks of specific pesticides:

Extension Toxicology Network

Especially note the PIPS or Pesticide Information Profiles

Other pesticide information

Contact your Local UGA Extension Office

Locate your local UGA Extension Office

Call your local UGA Extension Office – 800-ASK-UGA1 (800-275-8421) from any non-mobile phone.

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