Aquascape hosted two concurrent hands-on training events Feb. 4-5 in St. Augustine, Fla., where beginners attended a Build-a-Pond Day at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park, and Certified Aquascape Contractors participated in an advanced build led by Ed The Pond Professor at a residence nearby.
The beginner’s event included a day of classroom instruction and a day of hands-on instruction. Chris Hanson, lead foreman of Team Aquascape, led attendees in the build of an 11-by-16-foot Aquascape ecosystem pond and decorative fountain for the historic St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park. An enclosure around the pond will house cotton top tamarin and blue-billed curassow, both of which are critically endangered species.
At the advanced build, Certified Aquascape Contractors installed a 25-by-25-foot Aquascape recreation pond on the zoological park director’s personal property. The water feature will sit inside a future screened-in lanai to house his eastern collared lizard and other unique reptiles on the residence. This project aims to keep these critters close to home and all other predators a safe distance away. The recreation pond includes a bog filtration system, an intake bay, and numerous LED lighting fixtures.
“We incorporated a large cypress log edge with the type of gulch you would see in arid southwest regions. This recreation pond will become the centerpiece of this property and serve as a habitat for numerous reptiles,” says Ed Beaulieu, vice president of field research and contractor development for Aquascape. “Our regional hands-on training events are great for contractors looking to gain new skills and experience and offer fun networking opportunities.”
