Trevor Smith

Sundays, March 5 – April 9, 1:00 pm – Gardening For Life

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The Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, 869 Main Street in Brewster, will sponsor a five part series of classes on Sundays, March 5 – April 9, on Gardening for Life.  Register online ($45 for the series, $12 for individual talks) at http://www.ccmnh.org/Gardening-for-life

On March 5, Trevor Smith will discuss Waterwise Landscape Designs.  On March 12, Claudia Thompson speaks on Lessons from the Garden: What Native Plants Have Taught Me.  Mark Richardson of NEWFS follows on March 26 with his well received lecture Kill Your Lawn!  Nanette Masi, on April 2, covers Bird-Friendly Gardens, and the final lecture on April 9 by Michael Talbot is entitled Attractive Native Plants for the Cape Cod Garden.  For reservations, call 508-896-3867.

Thursday, November 10, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm – 2016 ELA Season’s End Summit: Landscape Design with Maintenance in Mind

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Beautifully designed landscapes are a delight to the senses. We all love the temptations shown in colorful garden publications, so full of promise and potential. All too often, the love affair ends when the maintenance begins. Join the Ecological Landscape Alliance on Thursday, November 10 at the Community Harvest Project Barn, 37 Wheeler Road in North Grafton for the 7th annual ELA Season’s End Summit to explore Landscape Design with Maintenance in Mind with our distinguished lineup of presenters. We will reconnect with colleagues, reflect on the past growing season, and get inspired for the next.

Designing and Installing Landscapes After Invasive Species Removal

Panel of Experts:
Past ELA Presidents Explore Design and Maintenance
– Panel Moderator, Theresa Sprague (Blue Flax Design), ELA President
Panelists include past ELA Presidents Dennis Collins, M.L. Altobelli, and Trevor Smith.
Darrah Cole (Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy)

Creating Sustainability – sustainable design and maintenance on the Rose Kennedy Greenway.  Darrah will share the successes and challenges of a highly used, busy urban park. The Greenway is one of Boston’s only organically managed parks, comprised of a mix of design styles and approaches. The Greenway has many areas devoted to native and pollinator plants, along with a diverse collection of shrubs, trees and spring flowering bulbs. Darrah will discuss design intent and the details of plant selection, focusing on what has succeeded and where adjustments were required. Fitting all these pieces together to create a vibrant, healthy, beautiful environment in the midst of downtown Boston takes thoughtful ingenuity, collaboration, and a serious commitment to sustainable values.

Christie Dustman (Christie Dustman & Company)- Design Solutions for Low Maintenance Landscapes

Fee $85 – $110 – See more at: http://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/2016-ela-seasons-end-summit-landscape-design-with-maintenance-in-mind/#sthash.tLzreIOP.dpuf

Monday, October 17, 10:30 am – 12:30 pm – Eco-Tour: John Hancock Charles River Walking Path

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Join Ecological Landscape Alliance tour guide Trevor Smith on Monday, October 17 from 10:30 – 12:30 to learn about the half mile permeable walking trail that was recently constructed along the Charles River in back of the Wellesley Office Park on William Street in Wellesley.  The project includes two boardwalk bridges and multiple vista points overlooking the water.  The projet is on Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) land and was funded by John Hancock Real Estate USA.  The walkway was installed using Porous Pave™ a durable pervious paving material made from recycled truck tires. The mix is then spread like concrete and hardens into an extremely durable, highly permeable surface strong enough for low speed auto traffic, comfortable to walk on, and has little to no effect on the delicate hydrology of the area.

The John Hancock Charles River Walking Path diverted 6000 tires from the landfill and can absorb 5,800 gallons of water per hour per square foot. In addition to the recycled content and high permeability, the surface is freeze and frost-heave resistant and provides significant traction. Normally such a permeable surface is used to reduce flooding and the impact of storm water. It works well for driveways and walkways because if resists freezing and cracking in winter and allows maximum return of water back into the ground. In this case however, the pervious surface is designed to provide a safe comfortable walking path through the woods without disrupting the normal water flow to the river and its inhabitants. The cost is $23 for ELA members, $33 for nonmembers. Register at: http://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/john-hancock-charles-river-walking-path/#sthash.dAlG7tOY.dpuf

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Tuesday, October 13, 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm – Natural Swimming Ponds: Beauty, Recreation, and Habitat with No Chemicals

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A low gurgle emerges from beneath the Mentha aquatica as clear water begins to make its way from the bog downstream between smooth boulders and over gravel. Liquid fingers catch the sun’s rays, bending them and throwing them in every direction. The blooms of iris, hemerocallis, and lobelia bob in the gentle breeze over the bog, where the water collects. The stream rushes over a broken slab of granite in a shimmering sheet adding its high-pitched notes to the chorus of gurgles above as it drops into the pond. Alighting on the edge, a female robin takes a drink, startling a small frog sunning on a warm boulder, while further along sparrows take turns flitting from a Dappled Willow to bathe. The splash of a Frisbee is followed by another splash as a dog wades into the water and momentarily disrupts the serene calm.

This entire sensory scene takes place at a natural swimming pond designed and constructed by Trevor Smith in Massachusetts. It is the embodiment of residential ecology combining habitat creation and rain harvesting, along with human interaction. It is 100% chemical free, low maintenance, and provides year round interest unlike a regular swimming pool. And although a swimming pond costs more than a rubber lined pool, it costs less than a gunite pool of equal size and comes with a tremendous number of additional benefits.

In this one hour Tuesday, October 13 Ecological Landscape Alliance webinar, Trevor Smith will explain design considerations, mechanical and bio-filtration options, water flow and circulation, rainwater capture for recharge, construction methods, and will Trevor will also discuss how to sell this new concept to your clients.

Trevor Smith is the owner of Land Escapes, a full service ecological landscaping company in the Boston area that specializes in Garden Design, Eco-Rain Recovery, Water Features, and Living Wall Installations. Trevor is also the President of the Ecological Landscape Alliance. You can reach Trevor through his website: www.everydaygetaway.com.

Register at: http://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/webinar-natural-swimming-ponds-beauty-recreation-and-habitat-with-no-chemicals/#sthash.bxGi3G8S.dpuf.

Wednesday, April 1, 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm – Green Roofs and Living Walls

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Living roofs and walls are popping up everywhere, in social media, magazines, and in our cities. What are they? How do they work? Can you have one? Landscape designer Trevor Smith will explain it all: the pros and cons of the different systems on the market, his successes and failures, and the steps you must follow to take your garden to new heights. The lecture takes place at Garden in the Woods, Hemenway Road in Framingham, on Wednesday, April 1, from 6:30 – 7:30 and is co-sponsored by the New England Wild Flower Society and the Ecological Landscape Alliance. $20 for members of sponsoring organizations, $25 for nonmembers. Register online at http://www.newenglandwild.org/learn/our-programs/green-roofs-and-living-walls.  Image from www.houzz.com.

Tuesday, January 7, 9:00 am – 11:00 am – Irrigation Tips for Landscape Designers

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The Ecological Landscaping Association and the New England Wild Flower Society will co-sponsor Irrigation Tips for Landscape Designers on Tuesday, January 7, from 9 – 11 (snow date Wednesday January 8), a panel discussion lead by Theresa Sprague and Trevor Smith, at Garden in the Woods in Framingham.  $20 for ELA and NEWFS members, $25 for nonmembers.

The goal of most irrigation systems is to produce healthy landscapes while conserving water.  For landscape designers to achieve this goal, irrigation systems need to be well designed.  This panel discussion will held you understand the basics of irrigation systems in order to improve communication with irrigation contractors.  For more information email ela.info@comcast.net, or call 617-436-5838.  Theresa Sprague is the owner of BlueFlax Design in Mattapoisett, where she focuses on merging science with the fine art of landscape design.  She holds a Masters Degree from the Conway School of Landscape Design and is currently ELA’s Vice President.  Trevor Smith is owner of Land Escapes, a full service ecological landscaping company in the Boston area. He is currently ELA’s President.

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Wednesday, June 5, 10:30 am – 12:30 pm – Natural Swimming Ponds: Behind the Scenes

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The Ecological Landscaping Association will hold a seminar in Sandwich, on Cape Cod, on Wednesday, June 5 from 10:30 am – 12:30 pm with Trevor Smith, Landscape Designer and LEED Green Associate, on Natural Swimming Ponds: Behind the Scenes, Designing, Building and Maintaining. Environmentally friendly, chemical-free, natural swimming ponds have low ongoing maintenance costs and are healthy alternatives to conventional pools.  The design options are varied and can range from formal to natural.  With careful planning and installation, a natural swimming pond provides a beautiful and relaxing place for swimming, an ecological landscape feature, and a wildlife sanctuary all in one.  $20 ELA member, $25 Nonmember.  Registrations are limited.  Register on line at https://www.eventville.com/catalog/eventregistration1.asp?eventid=1010426.

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Thursday, April 4, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm – Watergardens: The Voice of Our Landscape

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Water is the key to life on this planet, yet it is the one resource we take most for granted.  Trevor Smith shows how we can add water to our landscape in both large and small ways to reduce urban noise pollution, create habitat, attract wildlife and create our own everyday getaway.  Join the Ecological Landscaping Association and the New England Wildflower Society on Thursday, April 4, from 6:30 – 8:30, at Garden in the Woods in Framingham,  to find out about different types of rainwater harvesting methods, and the many benefits of capturing and reusing storm water.  In addition, learn about natural, holistic swimming ponds and how easy they are to install in your garden.  Trevor Smith is the owner of Land Escapes, a full service ecological landscaping company in the Boston area that specializes in Garden Design, Eco-Rain Recovery, Water Features, and Living Wall Installations.  For more information email ela.info@comcast.net or call 617-436-5838.

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Saturday, July 14, 10:30 am – 12:00 noon – Verticulture: The Art of Living Walls

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Trevor Smith of Land Escapes will explain the benefits of living wall technology, the opportunities that Verticulture presents and how to incorporate the artfulness of living walls into your design repertoire, at this Tower Hill Botanic Garden class to be held Saturday, July 14, from 10:30 – noon at Tower Hill, 11 French Drive in Boylston. You will never look at a blank wall the same once you have the opportunity to “paint” with plants. Smith will discuss why living walls are not only an environmental benefit on a small scale by improving indoor air quality, or a large scale by reducing heat island effect, but also an innovative way to overcome landscape challenges in confined spaces with dynamic results.  Fee is $15 for Tower Hill members, $18 for non-members, and you may register by calling 508-869-6111, or visiting www.towerhillbg.org.

Wednesday, April 4, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm – Living Walls: Verticulture ™ Life Off the Wall

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Though the idea of living walls and green facades is not new, the modern day applications and the infinite design and business possibilities are.  Explore the benefits of living wall technology, the opportunities it presents, and learn how to incorporate the artfulness of living walls into your landscape or home.   Learn about the environmental value of living walls and see how they can serve as an innovative way to overcome landscape challenges in confined spaces with dynamic results, and learn to take Urban Farming to new heights.  This Ecological Landscaping Association seminar is co-sponsored by the New England Wild Flower Society, and will take place Wednesday, A;pril 4, from 6:30 – 8:30 at Garden in the Woods in Framingham.  Your instructor Trevor Smith is a landscape designer and LEED Green Associate with Land Escapes.  Fee is $24 for ELA and NEWFS members, $29 for nonmembers.  Register on line at www.newfs.org.