Water Harvesting Certification - Tucson AZ - March 17-23, 2014

I'm posting this here in "Greening the Desert" in hopes of reaching a wider audience. People come from all over the world to attend this class - not just from the SW USA.

Watershed Management Group's Water Harvesting Certification, is taught by the experts who are actively engaged in rehydrating drylands both in the southwest and around the world. They are changing dryland landscapes - one yard, one neighborhood, one watershed at a time. It's working.

What is it?
The WMG Water Harvesting Certification program is a hands-on training course that provides certification in water harvesting system design and implementation. Our program provides the highest quality and greatest depth of training in integrative water harvesting offered in the nation.

When is it?

March 17-23, 2014 Register before January 24th for a discount

How much does it cost?

The cost of the program is $1,100 for early registration, and $1,250 for applications received afterwards. WMG provides a limited number of scholarships up to $300 for assistance to defray costs for those in need.

Students are encouraged to apply for grants, such as workforce development or green job training funds offered through employers or city, county, or state governments. This cost includes lunch and snacks provided each day of the training.


Program Description

The WMG Water Harvesting Certification program is designed for professionals, educators, and community organizers seeking comprehensive instruction in water harvesting systems design and construction. The program offers a unique combination of hands-on and classroom instruction that provides participants with a thorough, on-the-ground understanding of the core practices in this increasingly popular field. The curriculum focuses on water harvesting planning, design, and installation for retrofitting urban areas.

The Water Harvesting Certification program includes the following:

Lectures on each major topic including:
--Integrate water harvesting systems with other design considerations (energy conservation, aesthetic design, food production, wildlife habitat, etc.)
--Calculate runoff potential of catchment areas and run soil percolation tests
--Create a water budget and match water harvesting systems with appropriate landscaping
--Choose, size, and build appropriate earthworks features for different applications (infiltration basins, berms, and swales)
--Design greywater systems from laundry, bathroom sink, and bathroom shower water
--Construct gravity-based greywater system from laundry machine wastewater to irrigate landscape
--Design, size and install plastic cistern
--Design water harvesting systems to support small-scale food production (including earthworks design, cistern design and application, and soil improvements)
--Design all of the above systems while incorporating safety and health considerations
Hands-on assessments at the sites where projects will be implemented
Training workshops where participants learn by constructing water harvesting systems at permies, residential, or commercial sites
Reading and homework assignments to solidify knowledge gained in the hands-on workshops
Final exam to earn certification

What does certification mean?
Certification signifies that the participant has received a thorough training and has demonstrated a mastery of essential core concepts in the topics outlined in the curriculum.

The Water Harvesting Certification course is designed and administered by WMG staff with assistance from an advisory board made up of professionals who teach and implement water harvesting practices. The lectures and trainings are taught by WMG staff and guest lecturers who are respected in their field.

To earn certification, participants must earn 90% on a written examination on concepts and applications of water harvesting taught in the course. Participants who earn certification are listed (if they desire) on WMG’s web site as a WMG Certified Water Harvesting Practitioner, with contact information for the participant or their business.


What are the prerequisites?
There are no educational or professional requirements for this course, but applicants should have the desire and capacity to master a large amount of information in a short time.
Capacity for physical labor: course participants will complete three hands-on system installation workshops over the course of a week, including piping, digging, planting, and rock work. Participants should possess a base of physical fitness.
Intellectual curiosity and the ability to read and analyze three course textbooks prior to the course, in addition to completing four applied homework assignments during the course.

Who are my teachers?

Brad Lancaster, Senior Watershed Specialist & author of Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond
Catlow Shipek, Senior Program Manager, Watershed Management Group
James DeRoussel, RLA, Program Manager, Watershed Management Group
Mark Ragel, Water Harvesting International founder

Questions?
If you have any questions about the training program or application process, please email tech-trainings@watershedmg.org, 520.396.3266x1.

Just heard back from Watershed Management Group yesterday - spots are filling up for this class and the early registration discount ends on Jan 24th.

Hoping to see some folks from permies in the class - I'll be there!