Horticulture Grads Put Experience to Use as 'Field Day' Judges

The Horticulture Department recently hosted the fifth annual High School Horticulture Field Day competition at the Schneebeli Earth Science Center. The event is based on the National Collegiate Landscape Competition that Penn College students regularly attend, sponsored by the National Association of Landscape Professionals. This year, two schools – Central Pennsylvania Institute in Bellefonte and Williamsport Area High School – brought a total of 22 students to the Allenwood area campus on April 10 to compete in contests such as hardscape installation, sales presentation, floral and corsage design, plant identification and equipment safety. Seven alumni of the program returned to judge, with help from current students. “This is a great day to showcase what we do for these high school students," horticulture instructor Carl J. Bower Jr. said. "Faculty, staff and administration all come together to help put on a great day for the students. Having our alumni on hand gives them the chance to help mentor these young folks and share their experiences in the industry. The students get to learn firsthand some of the opportunities in this field."
Photos by Bower; Deborah C. Books, secretary to the dean of transportation and natural resources technologies; and Becky J. Shaner, alumni relations specialist