The Edge January/February 2026

THE NALP EXPERIENCE

Plan Your Year with NALP

If you want to set 2026 off on the right foot, check out our handy guide on how to plan your year out with NALP’s free training and events in mind.

January NALP Executive Leadership Program (SOLD OUT) The NALP Executive Leadership Program is a transformative experience hosted at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. Through compelling case studies, dynamic discussions, and insights from world-renowned faculty, hone your strategic vision and sharpen

your leadership skills with the industry’s elite. Registration for 2027 will open in January.

February Leaders Forum

March National Collegiate Landscape Competition

Network with the industry’s most inspiring CEOs and senior executives at Leaders Forum, our annual executive-level conference. This year’s event is held in Santa Barbara, California, and features a mix of leadership education and a deep dive into industry challenges and legislative and regulatory issues, with plenty of time to build and strengthen relationships. You won’t want to miss out on the economic and legislative insights that will be shared during this member-exclusive event.

The National Collegiate Landscape Competition is the top recruiting event of the year. Where else can you go to meet 700+ of the nation’s top college landscape and horticulture students? Get a booth* at the career fair, network with industry, faculty and suppliers, support students and watch them showcase their skills in more than two dozen events. This year’s competition will take place at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. *Note booth availability is on a first come, first-served basis.

May Landscape Technician Training – Installation The Landscape Technician Certificate Program in Installation (free for contractors) provides comprehensive training for landscape technicians, addressing hardscapes, surveying, grading and drainage. This course takes an average of 4 hours to complete. 2.5 hours for Fundamentals, and 1.5 hours for the Installation Specialty.

April Landscape Technician Training – Maintenance

Free to members is NALP’s Landscape Technician Training Courses, which are ideal for providing basic training to new employees with no prior landscape experience. These courses are also available in Spanish. The Landscape Technician Certificate Program in Maintenance provides comprehensive training for landscape technicians. This course takes an average of 4.25 hours to complete. 2.5 hours for Fundamentals, and 1.75 hours for the Maintenance Specialty.

This course covers everything from landscape plan reading to turf, tree and shrub maintenance.

12 The Edge // January/February 2026