Category: News

Certification Corner

The Kona Landscape Industry Certification Technician Test was held on June 13^th (written) and June 15^th (hands-on). This year marks the very last hands-on test to be given on the Big Island.  Seven landscapers achieved their certification in Kona.

Michael J. DiMarco, LICT         Hawaii Lawn & Landscape                  Ornamental Maintenance

Cary Freeman, LICT                    Hi Landscaping                                          Ornamental Maintenance

Tamara Hynd, LICT                    Tamara’s Fine Gardening                      Ornamental Maintenance

Josiah Olival, LICT                      Hawaii Lawn & Landscape                    Softscape Installation

David Stubbs, LICT                     Stevenson and Associates                    Softscape Installation

Dustin Taka, LICT                        Lono’s Landscaping LLC                         Ornamental Maintenance

Joel Woodcock, LICT                 Aikane Nursery                                         Softscape Installation

The Landscape Certification Committee of LICH (Landscape Industry Council of Hawaii), who administered the certification test for NALP (National Association of Landscape Professionals), understands how hard all candidates of the LICT Program worked and knows the commitment of energy, study time and financial resources that it took to become certified.

The Certification of these landscapers could not have been possible without the generous support of the Judges, who give of their time and efforts on test day to make it all happen, and the sponsors and vendors who donate materials and supplies. The Kona Judges this year:
Pacific Minthorne, LICT (Plant ID)
Wynton Wizinowich, LICT (Basic and Advanced Controller)
Danny Aegler, LICT (Chain Saw)
Micah Barker, LICT (Power Blower)
Justin Smith, LICT (Lateral Repair and Head Adjustment)
Caz DiMarco (Tree Planting)
Christian Renz, LIC-M (Pruning)
Adam Broderson, LICT (Rototiller)
Lynnette Tohara (Irrigation)

The NALP (National Association of Landscape Professionals) Landscape Industry Certified Technician (LICT) will be alive and well for the whole upcoming year. In January 2020, as many of you know, the LICT test will still be given and administered by LICH, but the there will not be a hands-on component to the test starting in 2020. The test skills needed to pass the hands-on questions will still exist, but only as a computer-driven test! The written tests we are used to taking will be a part of that same computer-based test. As the LICT State Administrator, my strong recommendation is that if you have retakes standing in the way of getting certified, take your retakes now and get certified while the test is familiar to you. If you have any misgivings about taking the test on a computer, now is the time to get certified! The LICT designation will continue to exist and be promoted by our industry and LICH will still prepare landscapers to prepare for the test in its new form.
As 2019 progresses, more information will be available about how the 2020 computer test will work, what will be needed, and what to expect when taking the test. Our present PLANET Study Manuals will still be the basis for preparing for the new 2020 LICT test. Anyone who is certified at the end of 2019 and has kept up their certification status with NALP will keep their certification in 2020 as long as they keep getting re-certified. The list of all who have become certified since we began testing in Hawaii will remain on that list. Have you kept your certification current? If you need help with re-certification, let me know: Garrett at getcertifiedhawaii@gmail.com / 808 960-3650

What a year we have had!  Hurricane Lane, volcanic eruptions, the National Association of Landscape Professionals changing their certification program termination deadline (twice!). In spite of it all, the Kona LICT Training and Testing program persevered. The LICT written tests were offered twice, once after the Hawaii Island Landscape Association Landscape Maintenance Training (LMT) classes ended, some candidates tested on June 14, 2018. Most candidates attended the Test Prep Intensive on August 25th in preparation for the full written and field test which was offered September 7^th and 8^th. Even the test site went through a change. Originally the test site was going to be at Palamanui Community College, but the work needed to prepare a new site was not able to be accomplished in time, so the test was held on our old stomping grounds at the UH Kainaliu Extension.

The Kona LICT test this year offered certification in Ornamental Maintenance and Irrigation and we are proud to list our new 2018 Hawaii island Landscape Industry Certified Technicians: