Press Release: WMG CERTIFIES PROFESSIONALS IN WATER HARVESTING SYSTEMS
September 21, 2009
Tucson, AZ
WATERSHED MANAGEMENT GROUP (WMG)
Media contact for WMG: Lisa Shipek
lisa@watershedmg.org
(520) 396-3266
A diverse group of landscape architects, urban planners, hydrologists, educational instructors, and water harvesting installers recently completed the first Water Harvesting Certification course offered by Watershed Management Group (WMG), a Tucson-based, non-profit organization. The Water Harvesting Certification provides comprehensive skills in a variety of water harvesting systems and tests participants to ensure the skills and concepts taught are sufficiently mastered.
WMG’s certification is the only one of its kind in the United States and aims to set the bar high for training professionals from across the country. WMG believes Tucson is an ideal place to host the Water Harvesting Certification due to the leadership, innovation, and demonstrable models in water harvesting that have developed here. Those who complete the Certification are qualified to assess, plan, and implement a variety of water harvesting systems and are resources for the community at large for water harvesting projects.
Water harvesting practices have been gaining public interest as a means of shrinking our water and energy footprint by efficiently utilizing rainfall and household greywater, thereby decreasing demand on the municipal water supply. Water harvesting can also be used as a tool to promote vegetation for shading structures and streets, increase urban wildlife habitat, provide food sources from edible plants, filter stormwater pollutants, and beautify the community.
Courses taught in the Certification include: passive water harvesting earthworks, cistern construction, gravity-fed greywater systems, small-scale erosion control, stormwater harvesting, and integrated design. Basic and advanced courses are offered. Each course is eight days in length and packed with lectures, presentations, and hands-on implementation projects. Instructors include WMG staff along with well known expert instructors such as Brad Lancaster (author of Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond), Greg Corman (Landscape Architect and founder of Gardening Insights), and Craig Sponholtz (expert in Agro-ecological Restoration and founder of Dryland Solutions).
A listing of recently certified professionals can be found at www.watershedmg.net/programs/wh-certification. The website also provides additional detail regarding the curriculum, dates, and application process for upcoming Certifications. Demand for the course has prompted WMG to offer the Level 1 certification course twice a year. Upcoming courses will be offered in the winter and summer of 2010.
ABOUT WATERSHED MANAGEMENT GROUP
Watershed Management Group is a 502(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Tucson whose mission is to improve rural and urban livelihoods by integrating community development and conservation. Through hands-on workshops and demonstration sites, WMG provides local residents and community groups with the knowledge and skills necessary to sustainably manage their natural resources.
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For information about WMG programs and opportunities please contact:
Lisa Shipek, Executive Director
lisa@watershedmg.org
PO Box 65953
Tucson, AZ U.S.A. 85728
520-396-3266