The University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, a statewide program with local development and delivery, is seeking a Cooperative Extension (CE) area environmental horticulture advisor to conduct an extension, education and applied research program that will provide technical support for sustainable and best management practices to professionals in the turfgrass, ornamental, and environmental horticulture industries, including landscape maintenance, floriculture and nursery production, arboriculture/urban forestry, and golf course/sports turf management. Research and extension topics include water conservation in landscapes including degraded water reuse, and pesticide training to protect water quality.
Research and education in the area of reduced nitrogen use in urban landscapes and large parks/golf courses is critical to contributing to an overall reduction in nitrates moving into ground water. Many of the invasive species recently found in California are linked to commercial nurseries, home gardeners, and materials brought into the area intentionally or unintentionally from other countries. Because of the large immigrant population in these counties, the CE advisor can focus on extending information about the importance of these pests to agriculture and be a part of the first line of detection of new pests.
The CE advisor will also provide programmatic support and academic leadership to the UC Master Gardener (MG) Programs in Fresno, Madera, Tulare, and Kings Counties and supervise the two MG coordinators overseeing these volunteer programs as outlined in the statewide and local MG policies. MG volunteers serve urban, suburban, and rural residents engaged in home horticulture in all four counties and these volunteers require the subject matter expertise of an environmental horticulture advisor in order to develop and better extend appropriate science-based information and recommendations.
Key clientele also include wholesale container and field-grown nursery personnel, retail nursery personnel, maintenance gardeners, and parks personnel, the Metropolitan Flood Control District, Tree Fresno, Urban Tree Foundation, California Landscape Contractors Association, California Association of Nurseries & Garden Centers, International Society of Arboriculture, Golf Course Superintendents Association, and Pesticide Applicators Professional Association.
The UC ANR Strategic Vision guides our priorities in research, education, service, and resource allocation. The Strategic Vision is available at: http://ucanr.edu/About_ANR/Strategic_Vision/. UC ANR is a network of colleagues with a focus on research, education programs, and outreach to resolve local challenges in communities where they live and work. Please read about these vibrant counties and UCCE programs at http://cetulare.ucanr.edu/ , http://cefresno.ucanr.edu/ , http://cemadera.ucanr.edu/, and http://cekings.ucanr.edu/Enviro Horticulture Advisor Fresno