Pima County Course Offerings
Learn more about Pima County’s Smartscape Course and Advanced Courses.
Registration typically opens 6 weeks before class start date.
Pima Smartscape Course
Courses in English are offered twice a year, in Jan./Feb. and Aug./Sept.
Smartscape consists of eight classes plus an exam session and a Resources & Marketing session.
Smartscape is a training program specifically designed for landscape and irrigation industry professionals such as: installation and maintenance supervisors and crew members (as well as company owners and office staff involved in scheduling field staff or contracting), landscape architects and designers, nursery employees, and municipal employees (Parks & Rec, Water). We also encourage HOA committee members and property management personnel to attend. Smartscape is held twice a year, in the winter and in the summer.
Smartscape is a comprehensive, research‐based program that prepares students with essential skills for the basic design, installation, and maintenance of attractive, water-efficient landscapes that offer a unique sense of place and value to our communities. Smartscape delivers 20 hours of high-quality education on the best irrigation and horticultural practices appropriate for the Sonoran Desert environment. Students receive a Smartscape Study Guide with valuable information and materials, instruction from experts in the green industry, and the opportunity to earn International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) and Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD) continuing education units, and Arizona chapter of American Society of Landscape Architects (AzASLA) continuing education credits. Graduates of the course receive a certificate of completion from the University of Arizona and a chance to market themselves as a Smartscape professional by listing their contact information in the Smartscape Online Directory.
Completion of the Smartscape course is required in order to register for any Advanced courses.
Pima Smartscape En Español
Courses in Spanish are offered twice a year, in Mar./Apr. and Oct./Nov.
Smartscape en Español consists of eight classes plus an exam session and a Resources & Marketing session.
Smartscape is a training program specifically designed for landscape and irrigation industry professionals such as: installation and maintenance supervisors and crew members (as well as company owners and office staff involved in scheduling field staff or contracting), landscape architects and designers, nursery employees, and municipal employees (Parks & Rec, Water). We also encourage HOA committee members and property management personnel to attend. Smartscape is held twice a year, in the winter and in the summer.
Smartscape is a comprehensive, research‐based program that prepares students with essential skills for the basic design, installation, and maintenance of attractive, water-efficient landscapes that offer a unique sense of place and value to our communities. Smartscape delivers 20 hours of high-quality education on the best irrigation and horticultural practices appropriate for the Sonoran Desert environment. Students receive a Smartscape Study Guide with valuable information and materials, instruction from experts in the green industry, and the opportunity to earn International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) and Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD) continuing education units, and Arizona chapter of American Society of Landscape Architects (AzASLA) continuing education credits. Graduates of the course receive a certificate of completion from the University of Arizona and a chance to market themselves as a Smartscape professional by listing their contact information in the Smartscape Online Directory.
Completion of the Smartscape course is required in order to register for any Advanced courses.
Pima Advanced Smartscape: Irrigation
Next course TBA
The Advanced Smartscape: Irrigation course consists of four classes: Irrigation Assessment, Drip Irrigation Maintenance, Turf Irrigation Maintenance, and Irrigation Management.
Pre-requisite – Completion of the Smartscape course is required.
Advanced Smartscape: Irrigation builds upon the Smartscape course experience with 12 hours of rigorous, on the auditing, installation, and maintenance of drip and sprinkler irrigation systems specific to the Sonoran Desert. The course stresses irrigation efficiency and responsible water use in turf and desert landscapes. The course stresses irrigation efficiency and responsible water use in turf and desert landscapes.
Learn from industry experts in this hands-on course including irrigation assessment and maintenance, auditing and troubleshooting, seasonal watering adjustments, and smart controller programming.
Pima Advanced Smartscape: Green Stormwater Infrastructure
Next course TBA
The Advanced Smartscape: GSI Maintenance course consists of four classes: Intro to Green Stormwater Infrastructure, Maintenance Practices for GSI, Care of Trees & Vegetation, and GSI Review.
Pre-requisite – Completion of the Smartscape course is required.
In this four-part series, participants will receive in-depth knowledge on the fundamentals of designing, installing, and maintaining sustainable infrastructure.
Pima Advanced Smartscape: Urban Forest Management
This course is offered in English each year in November or December.
The Advanced Smartscape: Urban Forest Management course consists of four classes: Urban Tree Selection & Planning, Tree Biology & Long-Term Care, Soil Health & Management, and Risk Management.
Pre-requisite – Completion of the Smartscape course is required.
In this four-part series, participants will receive in-depth knowledge about managing the trees in our urban desert community. Topics include structural assessment, stem strength, tree failure prevention, pruning, irrigation and general arboriculture science.
Pima Advanced Smartscape: Urban Forest Management – En Español
This course is offered in Spanish each year in November or December.
The Advanced Smartscape: Urban Forest Management course consists of four classes: Urban Tree Selection & Planning, Tree Biology & Long-Term Care, Soil Health & Management, and Risk Management.
Pre-requisite – Completion of the Smartscape course is required.
In this four-part series, participants will receive in-depth knowledge about managing the trees in our urban desert community. Topics include structural assessment, stem strength, tree failure prevention, pruning, irrigation and general arboriculture science.
Pima Advanced Smartscape: Plant Materials
This course is offered each year in September.
The Advanced Smartscape: Plant Materials course consists of four classes.
Pre-requisite – Completion of the Smartscape course is required.
The Advanced Smartscape: Plant Materials training builds upon the Smartscape course experience with 12 hours of in-depth training for landscape professionals on plant materials best suited for water-efficient landscapes in our desert environment.
After completing the four-class course, students will be able to effectively integrate a wide selection of regionally appropriate plants into landscape designs and provide proper maintenance by implementing the knowledge gained in Advanced Smartscape: Plant Materials.
Students will receive the opportunity to earn International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), and Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD) continuing education.
Pima Advanced Smartscape: Sustainable Landscapes
This course is offered each year in May.
The Advanced Smartscape: Sustainable Landscapes course consists of four classes.
Pre-requisite – Completion of the Smartscape course is required.
The Advanced Smartscape: Sustainable Landscapes training builds upon the Smartscape course experience with 12 hours of in-depth training for landscape professionals on Wildlife and Pollinators, including Ecology, Conservation, and Designing Site-Specific Planting Palettes.
Objectives: After completing the lesson, the student will be able to:
- Identify and describe habitat needs of common wildlife and pollinators in Pima County.
- Demonstrate how landscaping maintenance can either help or hinder wildlife and pollinators.
- Discuss what makes a plant “native.”
- Identify some of the most valuable pollinator and wildlife plants for Pima County Landscapes.
- Describe how some non-native ornamentals can also support native pollinators and wildlife.
- Describe how site constraints can affect species choice.
- Evaluate a species list for its potential to provide overlapping bloom periods.
- Consider additions to a plant palette to increase resources for pollinators and wildlife.
- Be familiar with 20 excellent native pollinator plants for Tucson.
Students will receive the opportunity to earn International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), and Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD) continuing education.
Pima Invasives: Urban & Suburban Weeds and Fire Risk
Urban & Suburban Weeds and Fire Risk is a two-day event that offers in-depth training for landscape professionals. A few non-native, invasive plant species are not only unsightly but create a fire hazard for urban and suburban properties as well as open spaces. These weeds can drive down property values and increase insurance rates. Some of the species are the same ones that fueled the devastating fires in Lahaina.
Learn to identify these dangerous plants as soon as they germinate and get insights into their germination and growth, plus tips and tricks for effective manual removal and herbicide treatments.
A total of five credits of Agricultural Pesticide-Use CEU’s are available through this class.
