By Blake Jackson
Five University of Wisconsin-Platteville students overcame a significant travel challenge to participate in the 49th National Collegiate Landscape Competition in Fort Collins, Colorado.
The event, organized by the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) and sponsored by STIHL, gathers horticulture and landscape students from across the nation for hands-on competitions.
The UW-Platteville team included Max Jacobs (agribusiness and environmental horticulture), Luis Avila Vette (soils and crop science and environmental horticulture), Amy Luginbuhl (environmental horticulture), Maggie Foster (environmental restoration and resource management and environmental horticulture), and Martha Guelker (environmental horticulture with a greenhouse/garden center management/business administration focus). They were accompanied by Dr. Michael Compton.
The students showcased their skills in various events. Foster competed in Annual and Perennial Identification, Guelker in Interior Plant Identification, and Luginbuhl in Woody Ornamental Plant Identification. Avila Vette, Foster, and Jacobs collaborated in the Landscape Plant Installation event.
Their journey was disrupted by a severe blizzard near Omaha, Nebraska, forcing them to seek refuge in Fremont. Experiencing widespread power outages, the group stayed in a hotel without electricity due to the closure of over 300 miles of Interstate 80 and impassable local roads.
The following day, the interstate remained closed, necessitating a two-hour detour. Despite the significant delay, the students arrived safely in Fort Collins, just in time for their scheduled competitions.
Jenn Myers, executive director of the NALP Foundation, ensured the students had access to all necessary materials. During the closing ceremony, NCLC Chair David Grover acknowledged the team's perseverance, highlighting their story as an inspiration to all attendees.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-nes
Categories: Wisconsin, Education