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Organic Horticulture Specialist

"This course was the most enjoyable I have taken in years. It was both practical and full of in depth explanations to support our understanding of organic horticulture practices."

- N.B. 

Beneficial to learners at all levels from home gardeners to professional landscapers, this course provides the knowledge to make you grow better. You will receive a comprehensive introduction to the science and practice of organic horticulture, based on a paradigm shift rooted in ecological awareness.

Going beyond simply substituting pesticide and fertilizer products, you will explore the concepts of landscape health management as opposed to pest management and how to use a holistic decision-making framework to create and maintain healthy landscapes, including turf.

To keep class sizes manageable, students may be teamed with others in the Organic Master Gardener course (the curriculum for the two courses is the same). Landscape professionals who are more likely to take the Organic Horticulture Specialist course may find the discussions eye-opening with the addition of diverse voices from the Organic Master Gardener course.

This Course Prepares You to:

  • Gain the skills to start or upgrade your business in the rapidly growing organic land care industry
  • Earn continuing education credits for landscape professionals to maintain industry certifications (ISA, CNLA, BCSLA)
  • Write the Society for Organic Urban Land Care (SOUL) Organic Accreditation exam for land care professionals
  • Share your knowledge with the community through workshops, talks and other creative ways, including connecting with SOUL
This course integrates reading, quizzes and discussions with practical, hands-on assignments. To receive a Certificate of Completion students must contribute to online discussions and satisfactorily complete all graded assignments and quizzes.


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Organic Horticulture Specialist - September 2024

Organic Horticulture Specialist - January 2025

Course Details

Outline

Please download the course outline here: Organic Horticulture Specialist Course Outline.

Time Expectations

Students can expect to dedicate 6-10 hours per week to successfully complete this course.

As well, our courses are offered in the continuing education realm and are designed so students can complete them according to their own schedule. The work is divided up into 14 weekly topics and students are expected to complete their assigned work and quizzes by the given deadlines.

Our courses do not use online meetings, so we are not using Google Meet, Zoom or other online meeting applications.

If you have any questions about studying online with Gaia College please see our FAQs page

Fees

Fees: $795.00

Fees include:

  • Textbook (e-book)
  • Comprehensive on-line educational materials
  • Unlimited access to our on-line course resources, community center, including libraries, discussion forums and much more.
Payment Options

Online:Visa, Mastercard

By Mail:Cheque drawn on a Canadian bank; Money order in Canadian funds

Policies

Please be sure you are familiar with our policies.

Prerequisites

There are no academic prerequisites for this course, however students must

  • be proficient in English (written)
  • be comfortable with current computer and internet technology
  • have an email account capable of receiving a large number of messages for the duration of the course
  • have access to high-speed internet
  • have access to a computer capable of running a current version of FireFox or Chrome. Tablets and phones are not supported at this time.
Evaluations

There are no formal exams in this course, as the emphasis is on developing practical skills and the ability to synthesize information.

To receive a Certificate of Completion students must contribute to all on-line discussions and satisfactorily complete all assignments and quizzes.

Texts

Required Text

Hermary, Heide, Working with Nature - Shifting Paradigms, Gaia College. Particularly designed to lead the student through the paradigm shift that is necessary before he or she is capable of truly holistic thinking.

The textbook (e-book) is included in the course fees and available at the course website, together with comprehensive on-line lessons and other resources – including on-line libraries.

Course Requirement

To complete one of the practical assignments students will be required to collect a soil sample (about 3/4 of a cup) from a garden, area or land of your choosing. If you are taking the course during the winter semester and expect the ground to be frozen you can collect the soil in advance and store it in a plastic bag until it's needed. Alternatively, it may be possible to collect the sample from the base of a southern facing wall where it would freeze later.

Credits

Attendance at this program earns you the following Continuing Education Credits (CECs):

Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA)
Also applies to B.C. Landscape & Nursery Association
Pre-approved:
24 credits

National Association of Landcare Professionals (NALP) – American
Pre-approved:
24 credits

International Society of Arboriculture: Certified Arborist
Pre-approved:
19 Credits

International Society of Arboriculture: Board Certified Master Arborist
Pre-approved:
10.5 Credits (Science), 8.5 Credits (Practice)

International Society of Arboriculture: Municipal Specialist
Pre-approved:
10 Credits

International Society of Arboriculture: Tree Worker/Aerial Lift
Pre-approved:
5 Credits

B.C. Society of Landscape Architects
As per Society guidelines - eligibility of this program has been confirmed

Master Gardeners of Ontario Inc. (MGOI)
Pre-approved:
24 credits

Canadian Society for Organic Urban Land Care (SOUL)
Required for Accredited Practitioner and Certified Professaional Memberships

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Canada
Pre-approved: 5.38 Credits

Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA)
Pre-approved: 4 Credits

Architectural Institute of British Columbia (AIBC)
Pre-approved: 42 Non-core LUs

This course partially satisfies the requirements of:

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