The 38th Annual Colorado Arborists and Lawn Care Professionals (CALCP) Spring Training Conference took place March 3–4, 2026, at the Sheraton Denver Tech Center in Greenwood Village, Colorado. The two-day conference welcomed hundreds of arborists, lawn care professionals, landscape contractors, applicators, suppliers, exhibitors, and industry partners from across Colorado for one of the state’s premier educational events. Designed to provide continuing education, the conference offered Colorado Department of Agriculture-approved pesticide applicator training and ISA Continuing Education Units (CEUs), helping attendees meet annual licensing and certification requirements.
This year’s educational program featured nationally recognized experts covering the latest advances in integrated pest management, pesticide safety, regulatory compliance, tree care, turf management, weed control, and emerging industry challenges. Dr. Whitney Cranshaw, Professor Emeritus at Colorado State University, returned with several highly attended sessions on insecticide classes, natural enemies, nuisance insects, and wood borers. Additional presentations included Colorado Department of Agriculture regulatory updates from Becky England, new pesticide technologies with Don Frantz, applicator safety with Jared Reinke, calibration techniques from Mark Pickrel, and specialized sessions led by Ryan Bartlett, Korey Lofy, Judd Fitzgerald, Robert Gonzales, Wes Eppele, Jeffrey Pettingill, Brandon Ewals-Strain, Brad Maddy, Kaitlyn Quincy, and others. The conference also featured a VIP leadership breakfast with Mark Tomko, founder of Valor Landscape, focused on key business metrics and industry trends for company owners and decision-makers.
Attendees participated in educational sessions covering smart integrated pest management, invasive insects, tree diagnostics, industrial and right-of-way weed control, aquatic systems, mosquito management, vertebrate pest control, rangeland stewardship, turf pest management, and Colorado forestry issues. Dedicated exhibitor networking opportunities throughout both days connected attendees with leading manufacturers, distributors, and service providers while reinforcing CALCP’s commitment to advancing professionalism, safety, environmental stewardship, and science-based practices throughout Colorado’s green industry.
During the conference, CALCP presented its prestigious Golden Gun Award to Jay Hicks of Hicks & Associates in recognition of his outstanding legislative leadership and steadfast advocacy on behalf of Colorado’s green industry. Through his work representing Green Industries of Colorado (GreenCO)—a coalition of Colorado’s leading horticulture, arboriculture, landscape, irrigation, and lawn care associations—Jay has played a critical role in advancing science-based pesticide policy, water conservation initiatives, irrigation regulations, workforce issues, and other legislation affecting the industry. His collaborative approach with legislators, state agencies, and industry stakeholders has helped ensure that Colorado’s green professionals have a strong, informed voice at the Capitol while protecting the interests of businesses and the communities they serve.