Led by Colorado Springs Utilities, with support from a Colorado Water Conservation Board Water Plan Grant, and WaterNow’s Accelerator Program, Brendle Group supported the facilitation process to gather feedback from Colorado’s landscape community on the key skills and knowledge required to advanced water efficiency and conservation across Colorado’s landscape contractor community.

Over the course of the project, more than 130 stakeholders from the landscape industry, water utilities, and education sectors participated in workshops, subject matter expert meetings, and collaborative activities to provide over 1,700 individual engagement touchpoints on what skills are needed to promote sustainable urban landscapes across the state. These efforts resulted in the identification of 72 essential skills and knowledge that advance water conservation in the landscape sector. In addition to the identification of these key skills and knowledge, Brendle Group supported a gap analysis to understand what skills and knowledge are present in existing certifications.

Outcomes of this effort will inform a second phase of the project, that aims to find ways to integrate the identified skills and knowledge across the industry, communities, and landscapes.