Aquascape Builds Two Ponds for Hands-On Training Event in St. Augustine, Florida

Aquascape hosted two concurrent hands-on training events Feb. 4-5 in St. Augustine, Florida. Beginners attended a Build-a-Pond Day at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park to sharpen their water feature installation skills by working alongside TEAM Aquascape masters. Simultaneously, 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, Inc. “Our regional hands-on training events are great for contractors looking to gain new skills and experience and offer fun networking opportunities.”