AWWA SOURCES55585

This paper describes the Green Gardener Certification Program, started in March 2000 by the City and County of Santa Barbara, California. It is a regional program designed to offer education, training, certification and promotion of participating gardeners and landscape maintenance professionals to improve resource efficiency and reduce pollution on landscape sites, improve the health, appearance and value of landscapes for customers and site managers, and provide economic incentives to program participants, both gardeners and their clients. This innovative certification program offers a new educational tool to help local water agencies partner with other agencies to further their shared goal of promoting resource efficiency and reducing pollution in landscapes on the South Coast of Santa Barbara County, California. By combining landscape education programs together, local agencies increase their audience and impact of their message through a united voice. This paper discusses the three main elements of the Green Gardener Certification Program that include: program management; training and certification/recertification; and, promotion and incentives.