Boston Flora

Tag: Ecological Landscape Alliance

  • Monday, December 14, 12:00 noon – Creating Outdoor Spaces That Connect Children to the Natural World

    Nature play can awaken children’s senses, challenge their bodies, inspire their imaginations, and build self-confidence. In order to grow up healthy and happy, children need abundant unstructured time to play and explore in the natural world, but today’s children rarely have the opportunity to roam free outside. Bringing nature to the places where children spend their time is an answer. Well-designed nature play spaces are inviting and endlessly engaging for children AND good for the planet. With rich, inspiring images from around the world, author, educator, and landscape designer Nancy Striniste explains why and how to bring the beauty, adventure, and sustainability of nature play to backyards, schoolyards, churchyards, neighborhood parks, early childhood settings, and more. Nancy will speak online on December 14 at noon for this Ecological Landscape Alliance webinar. Free for ELA members, $10 for nonmembers. Registration required at https://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/webinar-creating-outdoor-spaces-that-connect-children-to-the-natural-world/

    Nancy Striniste, founder and principal designer at EarlySpace, LLC, has a unique background as both a landscape designer and an early childhood educator. From her Arlington, Virginia design office, she has worked with schools, childcare centers, municipalities, and organizations to create sustainably designed natural play and learning spaces and to teach educators and others about how to use the outdoors for teaching and learning.

  • Wednesday, November 18, 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm – Evaluating Soil Health Webinar

    Soil health has become something of a buzz word in the past few years, but many are unfamiliar with what soil health means. Kirsten Kurtz will discuss big-picture issues including characteristics of healthy soil as well as the global importance of soil health in the face of increased soil degradation, in this November 18 webinar at 12 noon sponsored by the Ecological Landscape Alliance. Additionally, she will explore quantifying soil health through laboratory analyses included in the Comprehensive Assessment of Soil Health (CASH) and will address management strategies for improving and maintaining soil health under different cropping systems.

    Kirsten Kurtz is the Manager for the Cornell Soil Health Lab with responsibilities in lab management, research, communication, teaching, and outreach. She has more than eight years of experience working with Soil Health Assessments. Before joining the Lab, Ms. Kurtz worked extensively with various Finger Lakes wineries and vineyards and co-owned a small organic farm, thus accumulating valuable agricultural and scientific knowledge. She is a co-author of the Comprehensive Assessment of Soil Health (CASH), the Cornell Framework Manual Version 3.2. She is the co-author on the Cornell Soil Health Laboratory Standard Operating Procedures, guest lecturer for a wide range of Cornell University classes, and developer of lab modules focused on soil health at Cornell University and elsewhere. Ms. Kurtz is also the founder of the Soil Painting Initiative, which utilizes soil painting as a form of scientific communication.

    Free for ELA members, $10 for nonmembers. Register at https://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/webinar-evaluating-soil-health/

  • Monday, November 9, 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm – A Stick in the Spokes: Meaningful Interventions in Landscape Systems Webinar

    Regenerative design depends on a feedback web of many processes for life to renew and restore. On the other hand, even ecologically-informed maintenance of private property usually involves some intervention to arrest succession, maintain access, and preserve other essential functions. How do we embrace principles of regenerative design on private land parcels where functional needs preclude true rewilding? What happens when we invite and then interrupt the feedback loop in some aspects of a place, but not in others? In this Ecological Landscape Alliance webinar on November 9, we’ll review transformations of different sized local properties and explore how we can maximize ecological benefits for our natural and social communities when our loftiest goals may be out of reach. Projects will include a small urban wild near the “Mass Pike,” a barrier beach restoration where wind dominates, the partial-rewilding of a suburban McMansion, a transformed agricultural parcel, and others.

    Laura Kuhn is a self-taught designer, who brought her experiences in theatre arts and choreography to the design of outdoor spaces in 1997. After initially working in the nursery business, she started her own business in 2000. Laura Kuhn Design Consultation creates custom artistic and wild spaces for private clients in the New England region and beyond. Ms. Kuhn offers services in landscape design strategy and restoration; project coordination and construction; oversight for urban oases, small parcels, estate gardens, and rural landscapes; edible gardens; and outdoor dining spaces. Her certifications include MCH, MCLP, and NOFA AOLCP. She currently serves on MNLA’s Government Relations Committee. In the past, she enjoyed serving as Advocacy Chair for the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD), serving on the MCLP certification committee for Massachusetts Certified Landscape Professionals, and most of all, teaching at the Landscape Institute.

    Free for ELA members, $10 for nonmembers. Register at https://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/webinar-a-stick-in-the-spokes-meaningful-interventions-in-landscape-systems/

  • Wednesday, November 4, 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm – The Challenges and Complexities of Ecological Gardens – A 5-Year Journal of Discoveries Webinar

    Wednesday, November 4, 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm – The Challenges and Complexities of Ecological Gardens – A 5-Year Journal of Discoveries Webinar

    On November 4, online, take a five-year photographic journey through one of the largest ecological and bio-diverse built landscapes in Rhode Island: St. George’s School. This Ecological Landscape Alliance webinar features Lori Silvia. Ms. Silvia will share the process, challenges, and discoveries she has made while managing concept, design, installation, plants, and daily maintenance of the landscape. Broader philosophical questions regarding the landscapes’ evolution will also be considered. Ms. Silvia’s passion for and dedication to this project will be obvious and honest, and her photographs will reflect her intimate daily involvement throughout the entire process of developing St. George’s landscape.

    Lori Silvia has a BFA from Mass College of Art & Design and graduated from The Landscape Institute, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University. A collaboration of art, landscape design, science, and intuition is part of her vision. She has been a landscape designer and gardener at St. George’s School since 2008, creating LEED-certified ecological designs for the newly-built Hill Library and Academic Center and renovating nearly every corner of the campus in some way. Ms. Silvia is dedicated to experiential learning and lectures to students and the greater community.

    ELA members free, $10 for nonmembers. Register at www.ecolandscaping.org

  • Tuesdays, November 3, 10, 17, and December 1 & 8, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Residential Landscape Design

    This Native Plant Trust multisession course tackles the different aspects of the landscape design process. Workshop sessions focus on design methods using site analysis techniques and schematic design tools. Participants consult with the instructor and work on projects of their own choosing. Discussions about plants and habitats are interspersed with lectures on design principles, including criteria for making plant choices and determining placement in the landscape. Led by Cheryl Salatino, the class will be held at Garden in the Woods on November 3, 10, 17, and December 1 & 8,  from 1 – 4. $225 for members of sponsoring organizations, $270 for nonmembers. Register online at www.nativeplanttrust.org.

    Image result for Cheryl Salatino

  • Wednesday, October 28, 9:30 am – 4:30 pm – 2020 Season’s End Summit: Online

    As The Ecological Landscape Alliance approaches the end of the 2020 landscape season, we reflect upon many highs and lows. The intense weather events of record heat/drought/floods, a worldwide pandemic, and the long-overdue scrutiny of social injustice could not deter the one dependable constant, the tenacity of nature to carry on. While quarantining and isolating this spring, it was the re-greening of the landscape around us that brightened our days and gave us reason to hope. As the growing season progressed and plants and wildlife went through their life cycles, landscape professionals and home owners focused on the landscape with a greater sense of purpose than any prior season.

    As landcare professionals, we may not have the tools to heal our medical or societal ills, but we can focus on healing the earth that we are stewarding, one landscape at a time. Join us for this year’s Season’s End Summit for refreshing perspectives and inspiring discussions of the healing landscape tools that empower us to find  solutions as we look ahead to future seasons of stewardship.

    Neil Diboll will discuss Genetic Diversity: Critical in a Changing Climate, as well as The American Garden – A Life or Death Situation. Uli Lorimer speaks on More than Pollinator Friendly, and Heather Heimark’s topic is Retooling the Role of the Landscape Designer. Complete descriptions and biographies of the speakers can be found at https://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/2020-seasons-end-summit/

    Early registration discount through 9/28/20.
    Use coupon code: early-summit at checkout.

  • Wednesday, September 23, 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm – Why Rain Gardens Fail and Tools for Success Webinar

    Rain impacts each of our lives. Past generations developed methods that quickly whisk the rain from roofs, roads, and plazas on its journey to the ocean. The contemporary stormwater model features the design and installation of landscapes that mimic nature, capturing, storing, and infiltrating the water close to its source. Rain gardens and bioretention facilities are two practices in the green infrastructure toolbox, and they are often the first choices for designers, contractors, public agencies, and landowners due to their relatively low cost, large stormwater treatment capacity, and perceived ease of installation. However, complaints ranging from unsightly weedy holes to mosquito breeding water can leave agencies and landowners wishing for another stormwater alternative. With appropriate planning, design, construction, and maintenance, these stormwater treatment workhorses can be an artistic part of our landscapes, gardens, streetscapes, and public spaces.

    Steven Torgerson is a Registered Landscape Architect and the Director of Landscape Architecture at AMT Landscape Architecture + Design Division. He has nationwide experience in planning and design within an ecologically resilient framework and is passionate about creating spaces that are a catalyst for people to interact with their environment and community. Mr. Torgerson’s multidisciplinary design approach encourages alternative solutions to complex rainwater problems. He delights in community engagement and the opportunity to integrate public preferences into the design outcome. Before coming to AMT, Mr. Torgerson served as the Cultural Landscape Architect at Yosemite National Park and was the lead landscape architect for the Forest Service during the 2002 Winter Olympics. He has won numerous awards for his work in landscape architecture including the 2018 ASLA Potomac Chapter Honor Award for Brookside Gardens and the 2017 ASLA, Potomac Chapter Honor Award for Greening DC’s Streetscapes. Mr. Torgerson holds a Master in Landscape Architecture from the Pennsylvania State University with an emphasis in watershed planning and a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from Utah State University.

    This ELA webinar is free for ELA members, $10 for nonmembers, and you can register at https://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/webinar-why-rain-gardens-fail-and-tools-for-success/

  • Monday, September 14, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm – Deer-Resistant Native Groundcovers Webinar

    Effortless and Evergreen— Move over pachysandra, myrtle, and mulch. Discover the many native groundcovers that are easy to grow, shunned by deer, and offer year-round interest. Create a living mulch that provides seasonal beauty, is beneficial to wildlife, and moderates soil temperature and moisture.

    Melissa (Missy) Fabel is a native plant designer, consultant and writer. She has a certificate in Field Botany from the New York Botanical Garden and a certificate in Gardening with Native Plants from the Native Plant Center at Westchester Community College, where she also teaches and is a Steering Committee member.

    This Ecological Landscape Alliance Webinar will take place September 14 from noon – 1 and is free for ELA members, $10 for nonmembers. Register at https://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/webinar-deer-resistant-native-groundcovers/#get-ticket

  • Saturday, September 12, 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm – Eco-tour of Private Gardens in Rye, New York

    The Ecological Landscape Alliance is sponsoring a tour of two responsibly landscaped gardens in Rye, New York on Saturday, September 12 from 4 – 6 pm. The tour will be professionally led by Green Jay Landscaping out of Rye.

    Garden #1 is a New American Garden of Egalitarian Elegance. In the midst of habitat loss, it is a welcome relief to see evidence of landscapes that support pollinators and enhance biodiversity – all while providing a restful and rejuvenating space for humans. The image is Old World Tudor meets Contemporary Ecological Playscape at this Rye property.

    Garden #2 (pictured below) is The Secret Garden of Celestial Happiness.

    These gardens represent a complete landscape renovation. The private property of tour guide and landscape designer, Jay Archer. He refers to his own landscape as an ever-evolving project!

    At the heart of this project was the complete removal of the entire backyard – formerly a large lawn.

    As with all of Jay’s projects, this design is based in nature-based principles and is rich with habitat features that are anchored with native plant material. This garden is a model of biodiversity, resource conservation and is a pollinator paradise!

    Features include:

    • A native plant garden with stone, gravel and mulched paths
    • A constructed fish pond, waterfall and stream
    • A unique wetland boardwalk

    Design choices based upon ecological principles, plant selections, and maintenance practices are all critical elements in creating healthy ecosystems. As a landscape ecologist, Jay Archer has successfully combined all three elements and these two resulting landscapes are models of biodiversity and resource conservation.

    Another key feature of healthy habitats is the way a property is maintained. Jay’s gardens are completely organically maintained for the health of people, pets, pollinators, and the planet.

    Address and directions will be provided after registration. $33 for nonmembers of ELA, and a discount will be provided to ELA members. Sign up at https://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/eco-tour-private-gardens-in-rye-ny/

  • Wednesdays, August 5 and August 12, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm – Advanced Design Online Workshop with Patrick Cullina

    As landscape architects and designers become more aware of the potential benefits that individual landscapes can achieve, the vital need for a paradigm shift is motivating professionals to accept their responsibility as land stewards. Designs based upon ecological principles consider plant selections for form and function but also for the resulting plant community that supports biodiversity and increased habitat.

    Led by award-winning horticulturist and landscape designer Patrick Cullina, this advanced design workshop will help designers to achieve key ecological landscape goals such as diversity and durability without sacrificing artistry. Mr. Cullina will guide workshop participants through plant selections to create dynamic, transformational landscapes that require fewer inputs while delivering increased ecosystem services.

    Informed by his broad range of projects from Maine through the Mid-Atlantic, Mr. Cullina’s workshop will explain how to develop locally appropriate design strategies guided by lessons from regional ecologies. Discussions will include site design, plant material selection for multi-season interest, as well as maintenance strategies that will lead to transformative landscapes. He will also review strategies for managing the various and challenging aspects of conceiving and implementing such designs successfully, including site assessment and soils, plant selection, planting plans and schedules, nurseries and the marketplace, landscape contractors and installation, landscape maintenance, and the roles of clients and regulatory agencies.

    As part of this full day August 5 Ecological Landscape Alliance design workshop, attendees will participate in a practical hands-on design charrette focused on implementing dynamic landscape principles. Charrette results will then be reviewed and discussed to round out the exercise. For ticket information visit https://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/advanced-design-workshop-with-patrick-cullina-8-5/#get-ticket