From Words to Weeds: Breaking Language Barriers for Sustainable Landscapes in Florida
Teaching & Educational Technologies
Morgan Pinkerton
Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Agent
UF/IFAS Extension
Sanford
Abstract
Florida's environmental horticulture industry exceeds an annual worth of $10 billion and employs over 100,000 individuals in the state, of which 33% identify as Hispanic/Latino. The landscape sector, a dominant player in Florida’s horticulture jobs, prioritizes high aesthetic goals in regularly maintaining plants. Based on historic practices, this industry often employs reactionary pest management focused on quick chemical solutions rather than long term economic, environmental, and social sustainability in urban ecosystems. Additionally, many landscaping jobs do not require formal certification or licensure, so training is often provided in-house by senior employees and through experiential learning. Within Florida’s landscaping community, English and Spanish speakers often work side-by-side on multilingual teams which leads to unique challenges in training those in the field. Despite the large Spanish-speaking population within Florida’s landscape industry, language barriers can limit the adoption of more sustainable practices in the landscape as most materials and resources to assist in training new employees are only available in English. In 2021, a multi-county team of Florida extension agents received a United States Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant to develop Spanish-language landscaping extension materials on best practices and integrated pest management for Florida. As part of this project, agents developed the “Basics of Landscaping in Florida, Conceptos Básicos de Paisajismo en Florida,” a pocket-sized, waterproof booklet featuring science-based information and graphics side-by-side in English and Spanish. In early 2024, the agents published and printed the booklets, and began distributing through various landscape networks and extension programs across Florida. The team is currently implementing and evaluating the outcomes and impacts of this project. This presentation will discuss the team’s methodologies and experiences in developing and disseminating bilingual training materials to Florida’s diverse environmental horticulture industry and its potential applicability to other regions.
Authors: Morgan Pinkerton, Hannah Wooten, Tina McIntyre, Tatiana Sanchez-Jones
-
Morgan Pinkerton Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Agent, UF/IFAS Extension Seminole County, Florida, 32773
-
Hannah Wooten Commercial Horticulture Agent, UF/IFAS Extension Orange County, Florida, 32812
-
Tina McIntyre Florida Friendly Landscaping Agent, UF/IFAS Extension Seminole County, Florida, 32773
-
Tatiana Sanchez-Jones Commercial Horticulture Agent, UF/IFAS Extension Alachua County, Florida, 32603