Today I had the pleasure of speaking with Eugene Touchette, a red seal landscape horticulturist and instructor in horticulture at Vancouver Island University (VIU). We discussed some current trends in his field of work, as well as in his experience with adult education.
Current landscape horticulture is working toward adapting to climate change by focusing on drought tolerant landscaping and sustainability. Eugene described moving away from using wood chips to more sustainable options, such as byproducts from other industries. This can include fish emulsions and lumbar processing byproducts. He also described the importance of reducing water waste. He described methods that address this goal which include planting drought resistant plants, using underground drip irritation, and ensuring that soil has the necessary composition to become and remain hydrated. For your interest, I have included a link below to a list of drought resistant plants that thrive in our local conditions here in Vancouver BC.
Eugene described the typical teaching and assessment models in the VIU horticulture department. In the department they emphasize the use of team projects, reflections, and portfolio creation as the main learning activities and assessments. He spoke positively about the team project learning process, stating that this was a good opportunity for students to teach each other, reflecting their understanding of the topics being studied.
Link to ideas for local drought resistant plants:
https://www.westcoastgardens.ca/blogs/tips-inspiration/drought-tolerant-plants.
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