Landscape for Life was developed in 2011 to provide education on sustainable landscaping practices.
Colorado State University has been named the new institutional partner for Landscape For Life, a program that provides education on sustainable landscaping practices.
Developed in 2011 by the United States Botanic Garden and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at the University of Texas at Austin, Landscape For Life is based on the principles of the Sustainable Sites Initiatives.
The program will continue to be in partnership with the USBG and will be offered by CSU Extension, a division of CSU’s Office of Engagement and Extension.
“USBG is thrilled to collaborate with CSU to continue Landscape for Life and the important work of teaching people about sustainable gardening at home,” said Susan Pell, USBG acting executive director. “CSU’s commitment to sustainability through action and education make for a great fit for this program. We look forward to working together to expand knowledge, access and resources for sustainable gardening practices across the country.”
“We are proud to be part of the program’s history and are pleased that CSU will foster its future,” said Lee Clippard, executive director of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. “What began as an initiative to deliver education on sustainable gardening practices has grown into an opportunity to inspire lasting impact and change.”
For over 10 years, Landscape For Life has provided resources and training opportunities for people interested in climate-resilient landscaping techniques for any size garden, farm or common area. While conventional gardens can work against nature, sustainable gardens are supportive of natural ecosystems and conserve resources. They enhance the environment’s ability to clean air and water, reduce flooding, combat climate change and provide other natural benefits that support life on earth.
Landscape For Life uses these benefits as core themes and areas of focus for the course curriculum. The program also teaches foundational principles of Sustainable Sites Initiatives, the nation’s first comprehensive rating system designed to distinguish sustainable landscapes and measure their performance.
CSU Extension assumed responsibility for management, stewardship, growth and ownership of the program in May 2022. The first charge of the new CSU-USBG partnership will be updating content to ensure the latest, science-based research remains core to the curriculum, followed by improving in-depth learning opportunities through accessible online programming and in-person training in Colorado.
Through leveraging the institution’s experience and expertise in creating scalable learning platforms, mixed with strong, national Cooperative Extension network connections, CSU plans to address audiences nationwide. Longer-term, high-priority goals for the program place an emphasis on language justice with an initiative to translate course content into Spanish, in both written and live translation.
“We are excited to build on the work started by the USBG and the Wildflower Center, and bring CSU’s resources into this next stage of the program,” said Blake Naughton, vice president for CSU’s Office of Engagement and Extension. “Partnerships like this are fundamental to engagement where together, we increase the value we bring to individuals, industries and communities.”
To be responsive to different learning styles, personalized education tracks are in development. Course modality will include options like free online content, modular online courses and customized, fee-based training delivered either online or in-person.
Based on the learner’s desired outcomes and intended goals for registration, course content will be directed at two audience segments of the landscaping industry: those who install and maintain green spaces (landscaping companies, municipal staff, homeowners/gardeners), and those who experience landscapes (clients of landscaping companies, HOA boards, municipalities, homeowners/gardeners).
“We recognize that sustainable landscape training, to be most effective, should include different experiences based on how the individual interacts with landscapes,” Naughton said. “With CSU‘s access to some of the nation’s top researchers and academics in science and sustainability, we’ll build upon existing curriculum and develop new modules that tailor the learning experience for either consumers or providers.”
To learn more about Landscape For Life, explore the course curriculum, or see how to get involved, visit landscapeforlife.colostate.edu.
The company’s headquarters will move to Irving, Texas.
DEERFIELD, Ill. — Caterpillar Inc. announced it will move its global headquarters to the company's existing office in Irving, Texas, from its current location in Deerfield, Illinois.
"We believe it's in the best strategic interest of the company to make this move, which supports Caterpillar's strategy for profitable growth as we help our customers build a better, more sustainable world," said Chairman and CEO Jim Umpleby.
Caterpillar has had a presence in Texas since the 1960s across several areas of the company. Illinois remains the largest concentration of Caterpillar employees anywhere in the world.
The company will begin transitioning its headquarters to Irving in 2022.
The workers’ comp and payroll platform is looking to expand beyond California and scale its business nationwide.
PALO ALTO, Calif. — Hourly.io, a workers’ comp and payroll startup, announced it has raised $27 million in Series A financing led by Glilot Capital Partners through its early growth fund, Glilot+. Additional backers include previous investors S Capital, MS&AD Ventures, J-Ventures and new to this round, Vintage Investment Partners and Upshot Ventures.
The Series A funding will help Hourly expand beyond the state of California, where it was founded. The company aims to scale its insurance platform nationwide.
Hourly’s user-friendly platform fuses three complicated products — time and attendance, payroll and workers’ comp insurance — into one.
Traditionally, businesses use annual payroll estimates to calculate workers’ comp premiums. But changes in staffing, workload, hours or pay often cause those estimates to vary significantly from reality. As a result, businesses overpay or underpay their workers’ comp premiums, often by tens of thousands of dollars.
Co-founder and CEO Tom Sagi experienced those problems firsthand when he ran a small business himself. He partnered with Shay Litvak, a technologist with over 20 years of experience, to solve these problems and revolutionize the $50 billion workers’ comp industry.
“Hourly completely eliminates uncertainty because payroll and workers’ comp are connected. Now companies know exactly how much their coverage costs,” said Sagi. “We’re thrilled to expand Hourly out of California and give business owners across America a better way to pay their team, get a handle on their true labor costs, and better manage their workers’ comp insurance.”
John Deere will develop and manufacture 5-9-metric-ton excavators, incorporating designs from Wacker Neuson.
MOLINE, Ill. — John Deere announced an expanded relationship with Wacker Neuson, a manufacturer of compact and construction machines, for 0-9-metric-ton excavators, to include North America.
John Deere and Wacker Neuson will collaborate on the development of excavators less than 5-metric-tons, including battery electric excavators, that will be manufactured by Wacker Neuson. Additionally, John Deere will have control of the design, manufacturing and technology innovation, for the 5-9-metric-ton models, leveraging a solid foundation from Wacker Neuson.
“Excavators are an integral part of our customers’ jobsites, and we anticipate growing demand to continue,” said Domenic Ruccolo, senior vice president, sales, marketing and product support, global construction equipment, John Deere. “As we look to the future of our excavator line-up, this agreement will allow us greater flexibility as we continue to deliver a robust product portfolio that prioritizes the operator experience.”
Distribution, parts, service and support will continue through the John Deere dealer network.
“We’re excited about the expanded agreement as it supports our goal of bringing productivity-driven features and industry leading technology to customers with greater agility,” said Jerred Pauwels, vice president, excavators, strategy and business development, John Deere. “Through this relationship, we’ll innovate faster, and offer additional features and performance differentiation for our customers.”
The Wacker Neuson Group is an international group of companies headquartered in Munich, Germany, employing around 6,000 people worldwide. As a manufacturer of light and compact equipment, the group offers its customers a broad portfolio of products and a wide range of services.
For more information, visit http://www.johndeere.com/.
The entry deadline is Sept. 2, 2022.
Entries for the 2022 HNA Awards are now being accepted.
The annual awards program honors outstanding residential and commercial hardscape projects. Entries feature hardscaping designs for walkways, patios, pool decks, outdoor living kitchens and living spaces and driveways as well as commercial plazas and streets.
Award winners will be recognized during the 2022 HNA Awards Ceremony on Oct. 20 during the Hardscape North America trade show at the Kentucky Exposition Center. Winners and honorable mention recipients will be featured on the HNA website and in several industry publications.
Eligible projects include residential and commercial projects in the following categories:
All entries, except the Vintage Installation category, must have been completed between Nov. 1, 2018, and June 30, 2022. Vintage installation entries must have been installed before 2012. Projects are juried by industry experts for their excellence in design, craftsmanship, construction, and compatibility. The entry deadline is Sept. 2, 2022.
The HNA Awards are produced by the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute and National Concrete Masonry Association (ICPI-NCMA) and endorsed by the Brick Industry Association (BIA) and the Natural Stone Institute (NSI). Sponsors for the HNA Awards include Belgard, iQ Power Tools, Keystone Hardscapes, and Memphis Wood Fire Grills.
Click here to learn more or to enter a project.