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In Spring 1999, the Environmental Horticulture Graduate Student Association (EHGSA) at the Univ. of Florida was given the opportunity to develop a professional development course, for credit, for graduate students. Members of the EHGSA determined that there was a need for seminars on topics such as curriculum vitae development, interview techniques, effective presentations, successful teaching, and many more topics pertinent to the graduate student as a future professional both inside and outside of academia. As a group, the EHGSA determined the seminar topics, found speakers to present the information and organized the course for the Fall 1999 semester. The rationale for creating this course, its development, topic selection, and student reviews will be presented.

Attracting new students into traditional agriculture programs has become increasingly difficult. The idea of offering a course as a means for introducing students to agriculture is a concept with popular appeal. As a recruiting effort, and as a method of introducing students to horticulture, the Environmental Horticulture Dept. at the Univ. of Florida designed a one-credit course for non-majors. The course was structured such that a broad understanding of horticulture, including production, landscaping, and floriculture, would be emphasized. The intent was to develop a course somewhat similar to an entry-level course, but incorporating a more enjoyable, practical, hands-on approach. ORH 1030 Plants, Gardens, and You was offered for the first time in summer 1997. It is now offered every semester. The course has one faculty assigned each semester and various other faculty members, including teaching, research, and extension specialists who participate as “guest lecturers”. Student response to ORH 1030 has been favorable, ratings are high and enrollment in the course has continued to rise from 30 to our current cap of 100. As a means of ensuring that we are meeting the needs of our students and to aid in targeting potential students, a survey was administered in Spring 2000. Students enrolled in the course were surveyed at the beginning and the end of the semester to gain insight into student demographics, horticulture background and experience, reasons for enrollment in the class, attitude toward horticulture and overall interest in horticulture. Findings will be discussed in addition to information and suggestions for successfully establishing a similar course in other horticulture departments.

Stress has been called the epidemic of the 90s and has been found to play an important role in causing many diseases. To help cope with the stresses of life, people often seek out leisure activities and nature. Botanic gardens provide a place for experiencing recreational activities and the natural environment. Researchers at the Univ. of Florida developed a survey to gain insight into the influence of a botanic garden on visitor stress. Three botanic gardens in Florida participated in the survey of garden visitors; these included Bok Tower Gardens, Fairchild Tropical Garden, and Mounts Botanical Garden. More than 300 surveys were administered to and completed by visitors of these gardens in Apr. 1999. The survey consisted of three main sections: 1) visitor perceptions of botanic gardens, 2) visitor personal perceptions, and 3) demographic variables. A stress process model was developed that incorporated botanic gardens as a coping strategy. The relative importance of a visit to a botanic garden and other stress process factors were examined for their importance in stress reduction. Also, botanic gardens were placed in context of the stress process model with the development of a multivariate framework. The stress process model included individual factors, stressors, stress mediators, and stress outcomes. Findings from this study provided insight into the role of botanic gardens as a method to cope with the effects of stress. Results showed that a visit to a botanic garden is important in the context of the stress process model as a coping strategy. Data also showed that visitors receiving the most benefit of stress reduction were persons most needing a coping strategy, those having higher depression index scores.

In 1975, the Environmental Horticulture Dept. initiated a work experience program. Students who work full time for an environmental firm of institution may register for ORH 4941 Practical Work Experience. Although ORH 4941 was not required, 241 students participated in the program during the 22 years when it was an elective course. In 1998, the departmental education committee changed the status of ORH 4941 from an elective to a required course. The objectives of this study were to determine if any differences have occurred since the status of the course has changed. The following were examined: 1) selected student characteristics (GPA, gender, age, etc.), 2) employing firms participating in the work experience program, and 3) required administrative procedures.

Public gardens, including public parks, botanical gardens, and arboreta are significant tourism destinations with increasingly popular appeal. In the United States alone, the number of gardens is continuing to rise impressively. Undeniably, there is a need for trained and educated horticulturists who can enter the horticulture industry, specifically in the area of public garden management. At the Univ. of Florida, a new course, ORH 4932, Public Gardens was offered. This course was designed with a field trip emphasis to help students visually understand and appreciate the value and diversity of such gardens. Students taking the course had an opportunity to visit and tour various gardens throughout the state of Florida. At the same time, students learned about the history, management, collections, and importance of such institutions to society. This session will explore the value of student experiences in the learning process, present an overview of how to develop a field trip class, and provide information to other educators interested in offering such a course.

Survey research has a long precedence of use in the social sciences. With a growing interest in the area of social science research in horticulture, survey methodology needs to be explored. In order to conduct proper and accurate survey research, a valid and reliable instrument must be used. In many cases, however, an existing measurement tool that is designed for specific research variables is unavailable thus, an understanding of how to design and evaluate a survey instrument is necessary. Currently, there are no guidelines in horticulture research for developing survey instruments for use with human subjects. This presents a problem when attempting to compare and reference similar research. This workshop will explore the methodology involved in preparing a survey instrument; topics covered will include defining objectives for the survey, constructing questions, pilot testing the survey, and obtaining reliability and validity information. In addition to these topics some examples will be provided which will illustrate how to complete these steps. At the conclusion of this session a discussion will be initiated for others to share information and experiences dealing with creating survey instruments.

Children's contact with nature is slowly diminishing as we progress towards a more technology-orientated society. While computers and other technology provide students with valuable skills, children are becoming more detached from nature and the unique opportunities nature can provide. School gardens offer teachers and students a “down to earth,” hands-on approach they might not otherwise gain in the classroom. In Spring 1998, the Univ. of Florida in conjunction with the 1998 Epcot® International Flower and Garden Festival hosted a competition for the best elementary school garden among Florida elementary schools. The competition called for schools to construct or use an already existing garden and for teachers to incorporate the garden in their classroom instruction. Approximately 100 elementary schools throughout Florida participated in the competition. From these schools a random sample of 500 students were selected to answer an environmental attitude survey. Students completed the survey at the beginning of the spring semester and at the completion of the competition in April to examine the effects of the garden competition on their environmental attitudes. In addition, teachers were asked to complete a survey detailing the use of the garden in their classroom and the effect it had on their students. This session will discuss the details of the competition, the findings and implications of the competition, and suggestions on how to promote student and school participation in similar horticultural programs.

In recent years horticulture programs at universities across the United States have experienced a decline in student numbers. Researchers at the Univ. of Florida and Texas A&M Univ. have developed a survey to gain insight into the influences on undergraduate students who major in horticulture. Five universities participated in the survey of undergraduate horticulture programs, these include the Univ. of Florida, Texas A&M Univ., Oklahoma State Univ., Univ. of Tennessee, and Kansas State Univ. Approximately 600 surveys were sent to the schools during the 1997 fall semester. The questionnaires were completed by horticulture majors and nonmajors taking classes in the horticulture departments. The survey consisted of two main sections. The first section examined student demographic information, high school history, university history and horticulture background and was completed by all students. Only horticulture majors completed the second section, which examined factors influencing choice of horticulture as a major. Results examine fundamental predictors in promoting student interest in horticulture, demographic variables that may influence student choice of major, and student satisfaction and attitude toward current collegiate horticulture programs. Findings from this study will provide insight into the status of post-secondary horticulture education and assist in identifying methods to increase student enrollment in horticulture programs across the country.

The benefits of horticulture to our society have long been known. Just recently, we are beginning to see the valuable role that horticulture can have on impacting youth. However, research into this area has been limited. As this avenue of horticulture is growing, so is the need to continue and establish substantial research into this area. One important obstacle to overcome is funding. While a desire to pursue the effects of horticulture on youth exists, too often a lack of financial support has limited the depth and scope of research. Finding and establishing funding allows the researcher to explore and allocate the resources necessary to continue reputable research. This workshop will explore various funding opportunities for research in the area of children and gardening. Areas of discussion will include sources for funding as well as generating a proposed idea, refining your idea, documenting the need, and establishing uniqueness of your study. This talk will focus on finding and establishing funding for children's gardening research—a much needed necessity to help document and establish the benefits and importance of youth gardening programs.

A current trend in environmental practices concerns using constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment. The ecological values of wetlands have long been known. Wetland plants aid in the treatment of water pollutants by improving conditions for microorganisms and by acting as a filter to absorb trace metals. Wetlands now are being considered for industrial, municipal, and home wastewater treatment. Constructed wetlands are an economical and environmentally sound alternative for treating wastewater. These constructed “cells” are designed to function like natural wetlands. In constructed wetlands, water flow is distributed evenly among plants in a cell where physical, chemical, and biological reactions take place to reduce organic materials and pollutants. Increasing numbers of environmentally conscious homeowners are installing wetland wastewater treatment systems in their backyards with the aid of licensed engineers. This installation is occurring despite of the lack of educational materials to aid in site selection, selection of appropriate plant materials, and long-term maintenance. Traditional wetland plant species currently are being selected and planted in these sites, and the resulting effect is often an unsightly marsh appearance. With increasingly more homeowners opting for this alternative system, a strong need exists for educational materials directed at this audience. Therefore, educational resources that can provide information to the public regarding the benefits of wetland wastewater systems, while promoting aesthetically pleasing ornamental plant species is needed. A hands-on guide for installing constructed wetlands, a home page on the World Wide Web, and an instructional video currently are being developed at Texas A&M Univ. These technologies will be demonstrated and the values, needs, and opportunities available for the horticultural industry in the area of wetland construction will be discussed.

Floral Design (HORT 203) is an increasingly popular course offered at Texas A&M Univ. HORT 203 is offered as a university core curriculum humanities elective and, thus, enrolls many nonhorticulture majors, averaging 95 students per semester. HORT 203 is taught in a large lecture room that does not always lend itself to teaching a hands-on, visual design course. To increase student understanding of the materials, traditional 35-mm slides and overhead transparencies are being replaced by visual computer technology. Colorful, scanned-in images of floral designs are created in Microsoft PowerPoint and incorporated into computer presentations and color transparencies that supplement each instructional presentation. In addition, the Internet is incorporated in the course by providing students with instructors' and lab assistants' e-mail addresses, individual lab section pages, slides for plant identification, reading assignments, as well as classroom lectures. The technologies used for HORT 203 enhance student understanding and ease of teaching while providing a visual alternative to traditional teaching methods. The technologies used for HORT 203 will be discussed and demonstrated including a tour of home-pages, lectures, and plant id lists.

The objectives of this research project were to: 1) Develop an environmental science curriculum that was heavily activity-based, 2) evaluate the curriculum for usefulness as a teaching tool, and 3) test student knowledge and attitude changes towards the environment resulting from exposure to this 10-day curriculum unit. The curriculum developed entitled Environmental Technology—”Natural State of the Environment” was designed to provide an introduction to biological processes and basic principles of ecology, and to set the foundation for additional environmental studies. The curriculum was sent to 31 high schools in Texas and tested on 1500 students. Students participating in this study were administered a pretest prior to participation in the environmental science curriculum and an identical post-test after its completion. The questionnaire included an attitude inventory and knowledge section in addition to a biographical information section. Results examine the relationship between environmental knowledge and environmental attitudes, determine the attitude and knowledge changes from before until after the instructional unit, and focus on the importance and need for environmental education programs.