“The new, innovative job profile of climate gardeners gives young people the knowledge of what sustainable green space design looks like. By implementing projects, students can experience the principles of sustainability in practice and develop an understanding of biological relationships and the ecosystem,” says Arno Langmeier, interim education director for Vienna.
The new apprenticeship was presented today at the vocational school for horticulture and floristry in Vienna’s 22nd district: climate gardeners green facades and roofs, set up irrigation systems and take care of the infiltration ability of surfaces. In this way, especially in urban areas, they help to create cooling shaded areas and thus reduce high temperatures, reduce noise and store rainwater.
“Especially in cities, people suffer a lot from extreme heat, and the design of green spaces can make a significant contribution to alleviating this,” says AK President Renate Anderl. “The climate gardeners will take this into account. As a Chamber of Labor, we have therefore been actively involved in the development process of the training and will continue to support it.” Sustainable urban green space design makes it possible to minimize heat islands in the city. This is particularly beneficial for those who live in or around these heat islands, but well-designed green and open areas also have advantages for employees: on the one hand, through cooler buildings, and on the other hand, being able to spend their breaks outdoors in the green.”
Herbert Eipeldauer, Guild Master of Viennese Garden Designers at the Vienna Chamber of Commerce, explains: “Environmental protection and sustainability are becoming more and more important. It is therefore important to us to create a profession that is a step towards a sustainable future for our society. The work is interdisciplinary and experts from the fields of horticulture, construction and technology work closely together.”
Mario Steininger, headmaster of the horticulture and floristry vocational school, emphasizes: “I am very pleased that the new apprenticeship for climate gardeners is starting today. Together with the Vienna Chamber of Commerce, the guild, and the social partners, we have developed this new job profile. The constant climate change with all its challenges demands answers to the questions of the future and this new apprenticeship combines detailed knowledge of plants, facade greening and irrigation systems in order to design the urban living space in a future-oriented, safe and beautiful way. That’s what makes the profession of climate gardener so attractive.”
Climate gardeners know:
- which plants are climate-adapted species that contribute to biodiversity and conserve resources.
- how space for roots is created and expanded under streets, parking lots and sidewalks.
- how the cooling effect of trees is best used in the urban microclimate.
- that the sponge city principle contributes to approximating natural water cycles, how it promotes biodiversity, improves the well-being of city residents and at the same time conserves resources.
- how to combine planting work with landscaping elements such as natural and artificial stones, wood, glass and plastics. Green spaces are formed using machines.
- how to look after customers and implement projects from planning to completion – whether building greenery, wooden terraces or paved paths.
- what plants need: from pruning trees and shrubs to fertilization and lawn care.
They are employed in horticultural companies as well as in federal gardens, cities and municipalities. Climate gardeners work with other specialists in horticulture, but also construction and technology.
The training period is three years and the first class starts at the end of January 2025.
For more information, see https://www.zukunftgestalten.wien/?page_id=2373
Photos will be available shortly below https://presse.wien.gv.at/bilder available.