More than a decade ago, Larry Weaner Landscape Associates designed and installed 40 acres of native meadows and prepared management plans for extensive woodlands on a 400 acre estate in northwest Connecticut, Twin Maples. A series of pocket landscapes were also created to highlight and enhance the property’s diverse array of existing microhabitats. In the 10 years since installation, the introduced native paltns have been dispersing seeds and invasive species have been carefully controlled. The property’s dynamic has now shifted to the point where native species dominate and are even proliferating into unplanted areas. Upkeep is consequently a fraction of that needed for comparably sized properties. Yet it is the raw beauty of this place and its evolution in concert with thoughtful management that is most compelling and uplifting: to experience it is to understand how humans can engage in a dance with the land itself.
On Thursday, August 7, the Ecological Landscape Alliance will sponsor a tour of the property with Larry Weaner, from 1 – 3 pm. To register, call 617-436-5838, or email ela.info@comcast.net.
