Horticulture Students Place in National Landscape Competition

North Dakota State University (NDSU) horticulture students and faculty attended the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) 46th National Collegiate Landscape Competition (NCLC) at North Carolina State University, Raleigh, March 16-19, 2022. Over 500 university and college students from across the United States attended and participated in competitive events, a career fair, workshops, and career development. There were 42 teams competing. 

NDSU team members Maren Donovan, Jamie Miller, Taylor Pulver and Clarissa Satrom competed in landscape design and installation, plant identification, plant problem diagnosis, truck and trailer operation and other events. 

Donovan and Satrom took 3rd place in Arboriculture Techniques. This contest evaluates the contestants’ knowledge and skills in general arboricultural practices including tree climbing and line throwing. 

Overall results ranked Satrom in the top 10% of contestants.

The team also won the roll call chant contest, earning $1,000 from John Deere for the NDSU Horticulture and Forestry Club. 

Team co-advisor Todd West was recognized for outstanding social media posts during the competition and won $2,500 in hand tools from Corona for the NDSU horticulture program. Harlene Hatterman-Valenti advises the team with West, who are both Department of Plant Sciences faculty.

Donovan and Satrom are from Fargo, North Dakota, majoring in horticulture; Satrom is also pursuing a natural resources management minor. They are advised by Hatterman-Valenti and West, respectively. 

Miller, who is from Medford, New Jersey, is majoring in horticulture and crop and weed sciences with soil, biology and botany minors. She serves as the NDSU Horticulture and Forestry Club president and is advised by West. Pulver, who is from New York Mills, Minnesota, is majoring in landscape architecture with a minor in horticulture. Her advisor is Stacy Jordet from the Department of Architecture. 

Natural resources management graduate student Sarah Linderwell also attended as a coach. She is from Plymouth, Minnesota, and is advised by Christina Hargiss from the School of Natural Resource Sciences.

Source: Todd West
Author: Kamie Beeson
Editor: Karen Hertsgaard