John Ossa to speak on finding opportunity

The economic recession and a change is societies’ values have combined to destabilize the green industry. Nurseries, contractors, architects and design professionals – anyone tied to the construction industry have been hard hit. Adding to economic instability is a rapid shift in what customers are asking for. Communities are asking for efficient use of water and ecological solutions – mandating accountability with metrics that are evolving as our collective awareness grows.

John Ossa, founder of Irrigation Essentials and Lawn & Landscape columnist, will lead a session at the National Green Centre titled “With Change Comes Opportunity.” He’ll give examples of how green industry professionals are responding to challenges.

Among the topics he’ll speak about:
• Linchpin ideas that the industry has operated from are changing – an industry that has had low barriers to entry and saw itself as a labor based endeavor is now needing to quantify, and respond to environmental concerns. These concerns have a basis in science and are described in scientific terminology.
• Environmentally driven mandates: examples.
• Evolving metrics used to quantify: examples.
• Need for water efficiency: examples of water allotment mandates, metrics used to quantify.

Ossa’s educational session is part of the trade show and more than 90 hours of education offered at the National Green Centre Jan. 9-10, 2011 in St. Louis. More information can be found online at www.nationalgreencentre.org