4th Annual Urban Landscape Summit: A Preview

By Michael Gutierrez

IrriGator blog is pleased to kick-off its spring/summer season with one of the high points of the spring calendar - UF/IFAS Urban Landscape Summit 2019! Focused on all things urban landscape, this year’s event spans two days and includes an optional Green Infrastructure Field Day preceding the summit for extension professionals. The UF/IFAS Center for Landscape Conservation and Ecology (CLCE) hosts the Urban Landscape Summit and Center Director Dr. Michael Dukes agreed to an interview with IrriGator to preview the event.

Do you feel there is a more defined theme to this year’s summit than previous years?

MD: Yes, that is the intention. We want the group to intentionally think about landscapes, influence of external forces such as water quality requirements (BMAPs/TMDLs). Specifically, how are external forces going to shape future Florida landscapes?

The structure of the event has changed this year with an emphasis on more presenters and no keynote speaker. Can you give us some insight into this decision-making?

MD: The first day will start with state of the art presentations summarizing research on landscape issues including turfgrass nutrient requirements, water requirements, and breeding as well as soil amendments and water quality associated with urban areas.These presentations will then lead into a panel of external stakeholders that will discuss forces that could change current landscapes into what will become future landscapes. Given the recent red tides and harmful algae blooms, these topics are extremely timely!

There is a lot of great research slated for presentation on both days of the summit. Any highlights you’re excited about?

MD: I’m excited to hear the updates I mentioned above and in particular to hear from the panel. How do we collectively envision future landscapes? What are the implications for the industry and ultimately the public? This summit will go beyond presentations as in previous summits and will serve to synthesize what we know and help us chart a path for future research priorities.

There is still some time left to register. What would you tell a green industry or extension professional on the fence about attending this year’s summit?

MD: Register!! If you want to get a view on the thinking of the people that are closest to the cutting edge research and those closest to policy concerning landscapes in Florida you will not be disappointed!

Is this summit one of CLCE’s final events considering the recent announcement of the Center for Land Use Efficiency’s creation? Can we expect a continuation of the summit or events like it in 2020/the future?

MD: CLCE will still exist! The formation of CLUE will serve to link existing programs such as CLCE, PREC, and Ag BMPs. The summit has been a key event for our urban landscape programs and will continue.

The 2019 UF/IFAS Urban Landscape Summit takes place March 20 - 21, 2019 in Gainesville, FL. Register here.

Third Time's a Charm: An Urban Landscape Summit Report Back

By Michael Gutierrez

March 2018 marked year number three for the UF/IFAS Center for Landscape Conservation and Ecology Urban Landscape Summit. Arguably the best summit to date, this year’s event included informative and sometimes surprising insight from experts actively involved in developing solutions for urban landscape issues in Florida. UF/IFAS Miami-Dade Florida Yards and Neighborhoods (FYN) Coordinator Laura Vasquez traveled from South Florida to Gainesville to attend the event and agreed to share her summit experience with IrriGator.

Outdoor water-use all-stars: Jesus Lomeli, Bernard Cardenas, Michael Dukes & Laura Vasquez @ Urban Landscape Summit! pic.twitter.com/tyOVjMUMnB

— UF/IFAS Miami U.C.U. (@MiamiUCU) March 14, 2018

Can you tell us about the work you do as Miami-Dade's FYN Coordinator?

LV: Our program encompasses three different sections: the Florida-Friendly Landscape portion of FYN, the irrigation portion (which is the Urban Conservation Unit) and also the rain barrels in schools program. I coordinate different events with the staff and work in each of the sections to help achieve program goals and teach landscape sustainability.

What was your primary motivation behind attending Urban Landscape Summit 2018?

LV: My primary motivation is learning about all these issues and solutions affecting urban landscapes and trying to apply them to our program in South Florida.

Was there any presentation(s) that really surprised you this year with new/original information?

LV: The presentation that stood out for me was the soil and tissue testing for Florida turfgrasses talk by Dr. Travis Shaddox from Fort Lauderdale REC. He talked about how much of the tissue testing for turfgrass is void. When someone does a tissue test, they receive a report that offers recommendations on how much fertilizer should be applied. He explained how there hasn’t been much research for establishing ranges for fertilizer application. So now Dr. Shaddox is working on establishing ranges of what should be applied based on tissue test results.

The fact that this is just now being addressed was surprising to me. This new insight suggests that recommending any kind of fertilizer use based on test results is not something we should continue to do.

Thank you @mddukes for leading such a quality event! https://t.co/O2vd8pYND6

— Travis Shaddox (@TravisShaddox) March 15, 2018

Did you learn anything that you feel you can immediately apply to your work in Miami-Dade?

LV: With respect to the previous question definitely. Don’t be so quick to recommend soil/tissue testing since the usefulness of results are in question. In addition, researcher Bernard Cardenas presented a study on how quickly rain sensors dry out. According to his work, on average rain sensors dry out within 24 hours. For me this indicates that rain sensors are not the best option.

Miami-Dade Extension's Laura Vasquez conducts an FFL certification 

That’s fascinating, given that rain sensors are often the simplest/most practical option for preventing unnecessary irrigation. So what’s the alternative?
LV: For now, we’ll continue to push weather-based irrigation controllers/cloud-based controllers and shy away from rain sensors. Many homeowners depend on rain sensors but having this confirmation that they dry much faster than moisture in the soil was kind of surprising.

Your team has been consistent about attending the summit every year. What would you say to anyone working in your field that has been thinking about attending but hasn't yet?

LV: The best advice I would give is that if you really want to expand your knowledge of landscape sustainability, irrigation technology and on-going research that’s happening at the University - not only by professors but also students, so many students presenting posters with new ideas - this summit is one you should attend. There are opportunities as well to network with the people that are initiating all this work - one-on-one contact with top researchers in landscape sustainability and irrigation.

Previewing Urban Landscape Summit 2018

By Michael Gutierrez

The 2018 Urban Landscape Summit is next week. It’s a rare treat to pack so much relevant Florida green industry insight in just two days of programming. A quick scan of the agenda reveals integrated pest management experts, turfgrass science experts, academic and municipal water-use experts as well as some great student poster topics. The UF/IFAS Center for Landscape Conservation and Ecology (CLCE) is the organizing body behind the summit. CLCE Director Dr. Michael Dukes agreed to an interview with IrriGator to preview the event.

This is the Urban Landscape Summit’s 3rd incarnation. Other than the underlying urban landscape aspect, is there a theme to this year’s programming?

MD: The past two years have been heavily focused on water issues. This year we still have water since it's such an important issue in landscapes but we also have topics just as important such as invasives and pests as well as homeowner insights. In addition, we have a nice diversity of topics being presented by graduate students.

Do you have any specific presenters or topics you are excited about or looking forward to?

MD: I’m looking forward to the entire conference but especially our keynote speaker, Timothee Sallin, who is the President of Cherrylake - once a traditional nursery but now vertically integrated to provide management and maintenance of their installed horticultural material.

Also, I really enjoy the 5 minute lightning round presentations. They give just enough information so I can tell whether it is applicable to me and if I need further discussion with the presenter.

This year the second day of programming is comprised of In Service Trainings (IST), any insight on this new focus?

MD: Due to IFAS budget cuts last year, fewer resources were available for ISTs, thus we sought to capitalize on the fact that much of our audience are extension agents and are already traveling to the summit. As a result, in addition to the summit been a formal IST, we have two other ISTs the second day taught by CLCE faculty.

Michael Dukes at the UF/IFAS Landscape Unit (image UFABE Blog)

For someone who works in an urban landscape-related field and is on the fence about attending, what is your best pitch for participating?

MD: The information presented at the summit is cutting edge research and extension information that can immediately be used by practitioners. In addition, this is an opportunity to meet faculty and county agents working in this area.

The 2018 Urban Landscape Summit takes place March 14-15 on the UF campus in Gainesville, FL. Register here.

Two Days of Landscape Talk

Last month marked the 2^nd annual Urban LandscapeSummit. For two days researchers, state specialists and graduate students gathered on the UF campus to learn about new findings in landscaping and related topics. The following is a short summary from my perspective.

Big Moods

Day one began on a high note with wetlands and water quality expert Dr. Mark Clark’s expansive presentation on urban stormwater quality. I had never heard of “slab on grade” construction and found the complementing sections of Dr. Clark’s talk to be one revelation after another. Likewise for Dr. Hayk Khachatryan’s investigation of homeowners and alternative residential landscapses, as well as Dr. Gurpal Toor’s look at algal blooms and fertilizer bans in Florida.

Learning about "slab on grade" construction & potential impact of fill soils in residential developments #CLCE17 pic.twitter.com/Zq9ljJ01bT

— UF/IFAS IrriGator (@IrriGatorUF) March 16, 2017

Of course no summit would be complete without a look into the future and on day two researchers behind the Water 2070 report provided just that. Attendees got a feel for why Florida continues to attract new residents, how the 2070 report generated its future projections and what practices, including IFAS programs, can offer some sustainable solutions to the challenges ahead.

FL 2070, "There's only one Florida". Alternatives like @UF_IFAS @floridafriendly landscapes will help meet future water demand #CLCE17 pic.twitter.com/B0AEGeisMF

— Michael Dukes (@mddukes) March 17, 2017

#CLCE17

One welcome change from the previous landscape summit was this year's digital presence on Twitter. At least half a dozen accounts were live-tweeting from the event and IFAS had their new social media manager working in the audience.

IrriGator took advantage of the summit’s draw to interview a number of experts for future blog content. These included a IFAS Water RSAs Drs. Mary Lusk and Charles Barrett, whom actively maintain a presence on Twitter. I knew these agents from their tweet content before meeting them in person. Stay tuned for their insight on how digital presence can be a benefit to research and outreach. 

Student poster session is full speed ahead @ Urban Landscape Summit 2017! #CLCE17 pic.twitter.com/eLEd1SsmrF

— UF/IFAS IrriGator (@IrriGatorUF) March 16, 2017

Students

Graduate students play an important role in the summit event. They have an opportunity to share their research in 5 minute lightning sessions and they also present posters for judging.  

Best posters this year included:

• PhD candidate Xumin Zhang for Investigating Homeowners' Preferences for Smart Irrigation Technology Features
• Master student Allison Bechtloff with Producers Value Sterile Cultivar Research for Potentially Invasive Plants for the Horticulture Industry in the southeastern United States 

Looking forward to this afternoon's new faculty session @ Urban Landscape Summit w/ Drs. Jorge Barrera, Eban Bean & @UF_IFASWater! #CLCE17 pic.twitter.com/IRcMMqw7ok

— UF/IFAS IrriGator (@IrriGatorUF) March 16, 2017

Looking Ahead
If nothing else, 2017’s Urban Landscape Summit established how salient many of these research areas are to the viability and sustainability of quality of life in Florida. Further, the “New Faculty” session indicates that the Center for Landscape Conservation and Ecology and IFAS are adding even more experts to work on these issues. See you next year! 

Editor's Note: many of the slide presentations from the summit 

are now available in PDF form here.

Urban Landscape Summit 2017

Next week UF/IFAS state specialists, researchers, and graduate students are converging on the UF campus in Gainesville for the 2^nd Urban Landscape Summit. The summit promises two days of presentations on new landscape-related research from both faculty and students. There will also be plenty of opportunities to meet presenters and think about how new findings might be applicable to your local program. IrriGator spoke with Center for Landscape Conservation and Ecology Director Michael Dukes for an insider perspective on the event. We end with a closer look at several of the many presentations slated for March 16th & 17^th.

IG: This is the second year for the Urban Landscape Summit. How is this year different?

MD: This year is different because people now know what it’s about. Thematically, we have quite a bit of water topics this year. Part of the reason for that is because we’ve invited our new water cohort faculty – Drs. Bean and Barrera - to present at the summit, as well as the new regional specialized agents in water, most of them will be there presenting.  In landscapes it’s always a heavy water focus, whether it be water quality or water quantity. So while some things are the same, the new faces that we’ll have there this year, that will be a difference.

IG: Is there some aspect of the summit you’re most looking forward to this year?

MD: I’m excited about our two keynotes. First we have Dr. Mark Clark, who is a water quality specialist and he’ll be talking about urban water quality. He’s a really good speaker and he has a strong background in water quality. On the second day we have a keynote group – the Water 2070 team. They are going to be talking about the report that was released last year on projected water consumption and the impact of land development on water resources in Florida.

The new faculty session is also noteworthy. These are four new faculty. Three are on board and we’re in the final stages of negotiating with the fourth. Dr. Eban Bean is an urban water resources engineer. Dr. Basil Iannone is a geospatial analytics specialist. And Dr. Jorge Barrera is a utility analytics specialist. The fourth is an urban water quality person. We wanted them at the summit because they are going to get a really great chance to network with a lot of our other specialists and county faculty working in these areas. Both groups need to know each other.

IG: For anyone on the fence, why attend the summit?

MD: The primary purpose of the landscape summit right now is to facilitate communication with our own organization. We’re big. There are a lot of people going in different directions doing great things in Florida, but you just don’t really learn what people are doing unless you attend an event like this. It’s not the same to get an email update on something or read a newsletter. You’ll have a chance to interact with experts in different areas personally. Ask questions. I think that is the unique part about the summit. We will have stakeholders there as well. Our advisory board is composed of external stakeholders. Why should you attend? To learn. To learn who is who and who is doing what.

Stuart, FL: What are the nutrient drivers of algae blooms? (via AP) 

Summit Highlights

• When addressing water quality issues in Florida urban water bodies, is there a mismatch between policy and science? Dr. Gurpal Toor presents on data looking at the sources, origin, and speciation of nitrogen (N) to better understand the science of N transport from urban land to water bodies. 3/16 @ 1PM EST 

• Expectations are high about the potential benefits of using data sciences (especially on big data sets) to solve or at least help in the solution of complex environmental issues. Dr. Jorge Barrera presents on the definition of Big Data and ongoing projects that address environmental problems from a data sciences perspective. 3/16 @ 3PM EST 

The Summit features talks on efficient water-use, smart irrigation, and pressure-regulated sprinklers!

• How do you save 6 million gallons of water in Miami-Dade County? Easy! Develop a water conservation program that attracts high profile, high water-users looking to benefit from water efficient recommendations based on UF/IFAS research and free EPA WaterSense-certified smart irrigation controllers. Laura Vasquez presents the success story on 3/17 @ 11AM EST 

• Is knowledge gained an adequate indicator of behavior change? PhD candidate Taylor Clem presents a study applying Paul Stern’s Values-Beliefs-Norms (VBN) theory as an evaluation model to better anticipate behavior change and other long-term changes from extension programs. 3/16 @ 10:45AM EST 

• Last year the release of the Florida 2070 and Water 2070 Project reports served as a clarion call across the state. Are we doing enough to insure a sustainable future? What can be improved? Margaret H. Carr and Dr. Paul D. Zwick of UF’s College of Design, Construction and Planning present on project methodology, results and recommendations. 3/17 @ 8:15AM EST

You can register for the Urban Landscape Summit here. 

UF/IFAS: Leading the State in Water Science

By Jack Payne

It can take two to three years from the time I decide new scientists are needed to focus on a Florida challenge to the time I can actually make them employees of the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

That’s why UF/IFAS got started years ago expanding our expertise in water. It has always been essential to our day-to-day lives, of course. In 2016, there was increased public focus on how critical it is to our future.

·       A survey of Floridians by the UF/IFAS Center for Public Issues Education found that more than 4 in 5 Floridians identified water as a highly or extremely important issue. Water ranked even higher than the economy.

·       The Water 2070 report concludes that without major efforts in conservation and compact development, we cannot support the agricultural productivity and population increases projected in the next 50 years.

·       The state legislature made water legislation the first item on its 2016 agenda. Regardless of the merits or faults of the approved law, it marked water as one of the state’s most prominent political issues.

Have you read the Water 2070 report?

And in 2016, UF/IFAS hired numerous water experts to make sure our response to the water challenge is guided by science.

·       We hired five regional specialized water Extension agents, who will work with state agencies to devise and communicate ways to protect the quality and quantity of our supply.

·       Our new state-funded faculty hires include experts such as Jorge Barrera, who will analyze large data sets from water utilities, urban water engineer Eban Bean, and geospatial analysis expert Basil Iannone.

You can meet Drs. Barrera and Bean, and some of the new Extension specialists at the 2017 Urban Landscape Summit on campus in Gainesville on March 16-17.

Let's Talk Summit

It’s the second annual summit, organized by Michael Dukes of the Center for Landscape Conservation and Ecology.

It brings many of our water experts together from across the state for discussions of irrigation, fertilizer bans, water-saving smartphone apps, consumer perceptions, reducing algal blooms, and more, all underpinned by an ethos of conservation.

You can register for the summit here

The summit is yet another example of how UF/IFAS continues to establish itself as the state’s leader in water science.

The Urban Landscape Summit also includes student lightning presentation sessions

Research-focused

Water is an issue so fraught with politics that good policy has to rely on neutral brokers of information. Public land-grant universities such as UF are positioned to serve in this role because we seek discovery, not profit. Our comprehensive expertise also enables us to assemble scientists from a wide variety of fields to focus on a single problem.

The summit won’t be a water-only affair, but water will flow through much of the agenda. It will also be a debut of sorts for our expanding water brain trust.

Of course, Dr. Dukes and our other established leaders in conservation will participate in the summit as well.

Dr. Saqib Mukhtar judges a student poster at Urban Landscape Summit 2016

I’m proud that Dr. Dukes has invited me to open the summit. It gives me the opportunity to reemphasize the UF/IFAS commitment to conservation. It will also be an opportunity to talk about what Water 2070 recommends – more support for Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ to get us off the unsustainable course of our state’s growing thirst.

Jack Payne is the University of Florida’s senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources and leader of the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.