Boston Flora

Tag: Boston Society of Landscape Architects

  • Saturday, August 1 – Submission Deadline, Franklin Park Poster Design Competition

    The City of Boston, the Boston Society of Landscape Architects and the Franklin Park Coalition invite the public to participate in a Poster Design Competition celebrating the physical and cultural icons of Franklin Park, Boston’s largest open space.

    Nestled in the heart of the City, Franklin Park, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in 1885, is a beloved destination for residents and visitors alike.

    Historically, iconic destinations and landmarks in public parks have often been celebrated through collector-worthy poster series. Artists have captured the magic and beauty of beloved public spaces across the United States, from the stunning posters created through the Works Progress Administration Federal Art Project in the 1930s to feature our national parks to the more recent series created in the mid 1990s for the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is time for Franklin Park, a celebrated gem of Boston’s Emerald Necklace, to receive the same attention.

    Submissions are due on August 1, 2025. Visit https://www.bslanow.org/postercompetition for complete rules.

  • Saturday, December 7, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – The Museum of Science Green Jobs Fair

    The Museum of Science is celebrating green careers, jobs that help to improve the environment and conserve natural resources. The green job sector is on the rise, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting the industry to grow rapidly by 2032. Are you interested in joining a green career or learning more about the industry? Participating Organizations Include: Boston Medical Center, Boston Society of Landscape Architects, Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation, College to Climate, The Food Project, Greentown Labs, Local 103’s Joint Apprentice and Training Center, Lutron, Ocean Spray, The Possible Zone, PowerCorps Boston, Solaris Renewables, …and more!

    Event participants will receive a pass for Exhibit Halls admission at the check-in table in the Museum lobby. Passes are limited; available on a first-come, first-served basis – register now to guarantee your spot today!

    This showcase is the culmination of the Museum’s Year of the Earthshot, an exploration of the climate solutions and the actions we can take now to live sustainably on Earth. 

    This December 7 program is free, thanks to the generosity of the Lowell Institute. To register, click https://www.mos.org/events/careers-tomorrow-green-jobs-showcase

  • Friday, March 10, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm – Plants and Placemaking with Matthew Cunningham, Live and Online

    Blending traditional Yankee building techniques with high design, Maine native Matthew Cunningham is well-known for his plantcentric residential landscapes throughout the Northeast. His gardens feature ecologically minded planting schemes and regionally sourced reclaimed materials that evoke an authentic sense of place, while showcasing his unique ability to grasp the dynamic rhythms of everyday life. With offices in Massachusetts and Maine, Matthew Cunningham’s firm, MCLD, has garnered awards from ASL A, the Boston Society of Landscape Architects, and APLD to name a few. His gardens have been published in magazines such as Architectural Digest, Garden Design, and New England Home. Cunningham is currently a lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Prior to founding MCLD, he worked for Reed Hilderbrand.

    This talk on March 10 is sponsored by the Native Plant Trust and pricing is, for in person attendance at Garden in the Woods, $30 for NPT members, $36 for nonmembers, and for Live Virtual, $15 for NPT members and $18 for nonmembers. Click here to register to attend this event in person. and Click here to register to attend this event virtually

  • Friday, July 9, 10:30 am – 2:30 pm – Harvard Designs: Arboretum and Science Complex

    Join The Native Plant Trust on July 9 from 9:30 – 2:30 for a landscape study of two Harvard University landscapes—Arnold Arboretum and the Science and Engineering Complex—designed by the award-winning landscape architecture firm STIMSON. This program follows the landscape architecture process from planning to implementation. We begin at Arnold Arboretum, discussing the Arboretum’s role in selecting plants for all Harvard University projects. We will then visit Harvard’s Science and Engineering Center (SEC) to tour the newly installed landscape and see the implementation of the arboretum’s recommendations. STIMSON landscape architects will also discuss the role of the SEC landscape project in the evolution of Harvard’s campus and key design factors such as stormwater management, landform orientation, and surface materials. The program is cosponsored with the Boston Society of Landscape Architects. Instructors will be Glen Valentine and Joe Wahler, principals, and Ryosuke Takahashi, associate, STIMSON. $60 for sponsor members, $72 for nonmembers. Register at http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/events/harvard-designs-arboretum-and-science-complex/

  • Wednesday, April 4, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Revealing a Sense of Place

    Seasonal New England is rich in its unique and dynamic ecological patterns. Join Grow Native Massachusetts on Wednesday, April 4 at 7 pm at the Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway, as Matthew Cunningham explores how his observations of these natural systems have influenced his firm’s creation of contextual and native plant-centric projects that grasp the rhythms of everyday life. He will show us a variety of residential landscapes, large and small, that embrace our regional flora, utilize ecologically sustainable principles, and that build connections between interior and exterior spaces to strengthen our relationship with nature. Come be inspired by these beautiful, vibrant landscapes that enhance life for both their human and their wild residents.

    Matthew Cunningham is a rising star in the world of landscape architecture. He is passionate about the landscapes of New England and is committed to excellent design with ecologically sustainable principles. A graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Design, he worked at the renowned firm Reed Hilderbrand Associates before starting his own practice. Matthew was named “International Designer of the Year” by the APLD in 2017.  Image below from Turf Magazine.

    This lecture if free, and co-sponsored by the Boston Society of Landscape Architects. For more information visit http://www.grownativemass.org/programs/eveningswithexperts

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  • Wednesday, May 3, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – The Challenge of a Public Native Plant Garden: Maintenance, Interpretation, and Compromise

    The New York Botanical Garden’s new Native Plant Garden opened in 2013. Designed by Oehme van Sweden, it includes a diversity of microclimates on 3.5 acres of varied terrain with a planting plan of almost 100,000 native trees, shrubs, wildflowers, ferns, and grasses. On Wednesday, May 3 at 7 pm at the Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway in Cambridge, curator Michael Hagen will explain how this garden is successfully maintained, and their criteria for what constitutes “native” in species selection and the use of cultivars. This very public landscape presents native plants in a contemporary style, with an emphasis on aesthetics over recreating habitat. Michael will share his observations about how the public perceives and responds to the value of this native plant palette, along with ideas for inspiring others to “go native.”

    Michael Hagen is Curator of both the Native Plant Garden and the Rock Garden at NYBG. He previously served as Staff Horticulturist for over 11 years at Stonecrop Gardens in Cold Spring, New York and was Garden Manager at Rocky Hills in Mt. Kisco, a preservation project of the Garden Conservancy.
    This lecture co-sponsored by the Boston Society of Landscape Architects and Grow Native Massachusetts.

    Door open at 6:30 for general seating, and the event is free and open to the public.

  • Wednesday, January 20, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm – “Beyond LID” Green Infrastructure

    Low Impact Development (LID) has become an increasingly widespread sustainable approach to site planning and stormwater management design. In this Ecological Landscape Alliance webinar on Wednesday, January 20 from 2 – 3, Jonathan Ford, PE and Brian Kuchar, PE, RLA, will review the fundamental LID principles, then demonstrate innovative “beyond LID” advancements including neighborhood scale environmental design, “lovable” infrastructure, bioretention and permeable pavement case studies in various contexts, bioretention planting approaches, and solutions to address perceived LID stormwater maintenance and operation challenges.

    Brian Kuchar has over 18 years of experience in the combined fields of site engineering and landscape architecture including: site inventory assessment and planning, park and trail design, erosion control, stormwater management, green infrastructure, ecological and stream bank restoration, land management planning, public outreach, and construction administration. Brian has been employed in both the public and private sectors and has experience with a broad range of projects including multi use paths, park and riverwalk design, land use management, stormwater retrofit, green infrastructure and ecological restoration. He collaborated with the EPA on the development of a handbook for urban green infrastructure and stormwater retrofits as part of the EPA’s Green Infrastructure Municipal Handbook Series. Brian is a registered landscape architect as well as a registered professional engineer and a LEED accredited professional, and previously served as an adjunct professor in the Landscape Architecture Department at the University of Rhode Island.

    Jon Ford, PE, is a Senior Project Manager at the Horsley Witten Group. His planning and design approach is based on the principles of New Urbanism and the belief that compact, walkable neighborhood design creates vibrant, livable places in balance with nature. Mr. Ford is a Knight Fellow in Community Building at the University of Miami’s School of Architecture, co-founder and past President of the New England Chapter of the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU), and on the faculty of the Form Based Codes Institute. His projects have won numerous awards, including a CNU New England Award of Excellence, Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence Silver Medal, and Boston Society of Landscape Architects Honor Award. He serves on the Board of Directors of the New England Chapter of the Congress for the New Urbanism, Ecological Landscape Alliance, and Blackstone Parks Conservancy. Free for ELA members, $10 for nonmembers – See more at: http://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/beyond-lid-green-infrastructure/#sthash.ai2ui447.dpuf 

  • Wednesday, December 3, 6:00 pm – Arthur Shurcliff: From Boston to Colonial Williamsburg

    Join historian and author Elizabeth Hope Cushing on Wednesday, December 3, at 6 pm in the Hunnewell Building at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, as she speaks of landscape architect Arthur Shurcliff’s early work in Boston and how this led to Colonial Williamsburg, his largest and most significant contribution to American landscape architecture.

    In 1928, the landscape architect and preservationist Arthur A. Shurcliff (1870–1957) began what became one of the most important examples of the American Colonial Revival landscape—Colonial Williamsburg. But before this, Shurcliff honed his skills in Boston. An 1894 engineering graduate of MIT with an interest in landscape design, Shurcliff, on the advice of Frederick Law Olmsted and with the aid of his mentor, Charles Eliot, pieced together courses at Harvard College, the Lawrence Scientific School, and the Bussey Institute. He then spent eight years working in the Olmsted office, acquiring a broad and sophisticated knowledge of the profession. Opening his own practice in 1904, Shurcliff emphasized his expertise in town planning, preparing plans for towns surrounding Boston. He designed recreational spaces that Bostonians still enjoy today, including significant aspects of the Franklin Park Zoo and the Charles River Esplanade. Historian Elizabeth Hope Cushing will speak of Shurcliff’s early work in Boston and how this led to Colonial Williamsburg, his largest and most significant contribution to American landscape architecture.  Fee Free, but registration requested. You may register on line at https://my.arboretum.harvard.edu/Info.aspx?DayPlanner=1381&DayPlannerDate=12/3/2014. Seating is limited. A reception will follow the lecture.

    The Esplanade Association is please to be a co-sponsor of this event along with the Library of American Landscape History, Boston Society of Landscape Architects, Friends of Fairsted, the and the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University.

  • Wednesday, April 16, 6:00 pm – The Arnold Arboretum: An Urban Gem of Landscape and Diversity

    William Friedman, PhD, Arnold Arboretum and Arnold Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, will speak on America’s oldest public arboretum and discuss new initiatives in collections development, botanical and horticultural research, and programs for the public. From mapping an urban wild with drones to climate change studies to Tree Mobs and sophisticated GIS-based collections management, come learn what old trees and new thinking are up to in the heart of Boston and the Emerald Necklace. Wednesday, April 16, 6:00pm refreshments; 6:30pm lecture at the Hunnewell Building of the Arnold Arboretum, the Arborway, Boston.Free for Arnold Arboretum and BSLA members, $10 nonmembers. Offered with the Boston Society of Landscape Architects.  Register on line at www.my.arboretum.harvard.edu.

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  • Thursday, March 14, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Brooklyn’s Resilient Edge: The Transformation of Industrial Waterfront into Brooklyn Bridge Park

    Brooklyn’s Resilient Edge: The Transformation of Industrial Waterfront into Brooklyn Bridge Park, is a lecture by Nate Trevethan, Senior Associate at Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates and senior design team member for Brooklyn Bridge Park, sponsored by the Friends of Fairsted, to take place March 14, 2013, with reception at 6:00 pm, lecture at 7:00 pm, at Wheelock College, 43 Hawes Street, Brookline. Free and open to the public. Seating is limited. Reservations are requested: e-mail friendsoffairsted@gmail.com or leave a message at 617-566-1689, ext. 265.

    Ambitious and visionary goals guide the creative team in their transformation of Brooklyn’s former industrial waterfront into a new public landscape of diverse recreational, economic, ecological and social possibilities: to preserve the historic urban context and the way it is experienced in this dramatic waterfront site. The award-winning design by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates gives voice to physical history, geography, industry, urbanity and evolving recreational needs as it transforms a challenging waterfront into a sustainable public park of monumental vistas and diverse landscape experiences.

    Friends of Fairsted gratefully acknowledges the support of the following co-sponsors: National Park Service, Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site; Wheelock College; Arnold Arboretum; Boston Society of Landscape Architects; Brookline GreenSpace Alliance; Brookline Historical Society; Charles River Conservancy; Emerald Necklace Conservancy; The Fenway Alliance; Friends of Mount Auburn Cemetery; Friends of the Muddy River; Friends of the Public Garden; High Street Hill Association; Historic New England; The Landscape Institute of the Boston Architectural College; Library of American Landscape History; Massachusetts Historical Society; Muddy River Restoration Project Maintenance and Management Oversight Committee; National Association for Olmsted Parks; New England Landscape Design and History Association; Society of Architectural Historians, New England Chapter; The Trustees of Reservations.

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