Patuxent Wetlands Park in Lothian MD
Image Credit: Edwin Remsberg
Blue crabs. Wetlands. Mountains. Green space. Timber. From the Chesapeake Bay and its wetlands to the mountains of western Maryland, our state is full of precious natural resources and ecosystems. This fall, the IAA will launch a new track, Environmental Stewardship, which will prepare students for careers in managing and protecting those resources.
The Environmental Stewardship track, which is part of the IAA’s concentration in Ornamental Horticulture and Landscape Management, prepares students for a wide range of careers with environmental focus. Ken Ingram, the IAA’s horticulture and landscape management advisor and lecturer, says, “This certificate prepares [students] for some great jobs. All environmental and engineering firms, as well as government agencies, need trained people to collect field data, inspect field work, and manage projects. Tree and landscape companies need plant health care technicians who inspect landscapes for pests and other problems. Utility providers need trained employees to schedule maintenance and conduct tree inventories. Municipalities need urban foresters and arborists, park and property managers, nutrient management specialists. Most parks and fine gardens need educators to give tours and talks or run camps for kids.” Ingram adds, “These aren’t cubicle jobs—you can get outside. It’s a chance to make the world a better, safer, and more beautiful place.”
This track will also be a useful foundation for students who wish to pursue further education in environmental science or sustainability. Environmental Stewardship students will take courses in plant science, soil science, insects, agricultural mechanics, pesticide use and safety, and arboriculture. This curriculum provides a solid basis for students with an interest in earning degrees in Plant Science, Landscape Architecture, Environmental Science and Policy, or Environmental Science and Technology.
Because students in the Environmental Stewardship track may choose numerous electives to round out their curriculum, they can deepen their understanding of soil science, hydrology, wildlife management, environmental health or policy, or any other part of the Agriculture and Natural Resources discipline that applies to their career goals. These students also have a more customizable business and leadership curriculum: in consultation with their advisor, they choose the courses that will prepare them for their desired career, whether they plan to pursue commercial business, advocacy, or nonprofit work.
Many IAA students join the program knowing that they want to support sustainability, whatever their focus may be. IAA Director Glori Hyman—who says she is “super excited” about the new track—explains, “Over a third of recent high school graduates who are admitted into the IAA express an interest in studying the environment. We’ve created a major that will make them feel welcomed into the IAA and help them reach their goals.”
As Hyman notes, although the new track focuses specifically on environmental studies, sustainable practices are part of every track offered at the IAA. Hyman observes, “I believe the IAA is well-suited to teach students to care for natural environments through sustainable practices. At its basic level, environmental stewardship deals with our relationships to water and land and the plants and animals that grow on it. The IAA’s been teaching those subjects for nearly six decades.” She adds, “I’m looking forward to seeing how the next generation of IAA alumni apply environmental stewardship to their careers and lives.”
Environmental Stewardship will be open for enrollment for Fall 2022. We look forward to admitting our first cohort in this exciting new track!
