Boston Flora

Tag: water management

  • Thursday, November 3, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm – Wet + Dry: Landscapes of Resilience and Material Exploration

    The Harvard Graduate School of Design will host a free lecture on November 3 at 6:30 pm in the Piper Auditorium of Gund Hall in Cambridge with James A. Lord and Roderick Wyllie of Surfacedesign.

    Surfacedesign is a landscape architecture and urban design firm based in San Francisco, California. This internationally award-winning practice focuses on creating dynamic parks, campuses, plazas, waterfronts, civic landscapes and private gardens. The firm’s approach emphasizes and celebrates the unique context and imaginative potential of each project. The studio’s design process is rooted in asking novel questions and listening to a site and its users – a process that has led to engaging and inspiring landscapes that are rugged, contemporary, and crafted.

    Increasingly, water has become a central focus of all landscape interventions. Holistic, systems-based design thinking that actively engages water extremes—from drought to flooding/sea level rise— is at the core of Surfacedesign’s practice. Challenging the formal manifestations of municipal guidelines and standards for water management, each project engages water as an integral design element. James and Roderick will share a range of work from the residential to the infrastructural. These works celebrate water systems and explore how planting, topography and cultural narratives can reinforce water resiliency.

    James A. Lord is a founding partner of Surfacedesign, Inc. James’ innovative design approach and stewardship of the firm’s design practice has established Surfacedesign as an international leader in urban design and sustainability. He leads projects in New Zealand, Hawaii, Mexico, Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. James received his MLA from the Harvard Graduate School of Design and his BARCH from the University of Southern California.  

    Roderick Wyllie is an award-winning landscape architect and a founding partner of Surfacedesign, Inc. Roderick has led a variety of complex projects within the office, including the Uber Campus in Mission Bay, San Francisco’s Bayfront Park, The Land’s End Visitor Center, The Barnacles at Pier 9 and Expedia Global Headquarters in Seattle. His horticultural knowledge and passion for material authenticity reinforce craftsmanship and attention to detail into each project at Surfacedesign. 

    Anyone requiring accessibility accommodations should contact the events office at (617) 496-2414 or events@gsd.harvard.edu.

  • Tuesday, June 27 – Thursday, June 29 – One Water Summit 2017

    Water touches everything we do: it drives our economy, helps communities thrive, and shapes our environment. The challenges facing our water supplies and systems are complex and immense, both in scale and importance. From aging infrastructure, to demographic and economic shifts, political uncertainty, climate change, inequality—water cuts across so many of our country’s most pressing issues. At the One Water Summit 2017, the nation’s brightest minds and most committed leaders come together to discuss solutions that can create a more sustainable water future for all.

    Convened by the US Water Alliance, One Water Summit 2017 brings together hundreds of leaders from across the country to network, engage in thought-provoking dialogue, share best practices, set strategic priorities, amplify great ideas, and take actionable ideas back home. One Water Summit 2017 is a unique venue to craft innovative solutions, connect with influential leaders across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, and forge the alliances needed to advance sustainable water solutions.

    Many thanks to the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans for serving as our local host for One Water Summit 2017. New Orleans is the perfect backdrop for a dynamic, solutions-focused conversation about how we view, value, and manage water—now and for future generations. The Conference will be held at the InterContinental New Orleans, 444 St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans, and is $595 for a US Water Alliance Member, $745 for nonmember.

    Register today at http://www.cvent.com/events/one-water-summit-2017/event-summary-143e6507ae114e39b572c8c0c1eb1c0c.aspx. You won’t be disappointed.

  • Monday, September 1, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Practical Options for Food Production Resilience in an Increasingly Variable Climate

    Spend Labor Day, Monday, September 1, at the Newton Community Farm, 303 Nahanton Street in Newton, with Dr. Christine Jones, Australian soil carbon scientist, as she speaks about Practical Options for Food Production Resilience in an Increasingly Variable Climate.  The program will run from 10 – 4, and the cost is $55 for NOFA members, $64 for non-members.  There will be a potluck lunch, so bring your favorite dish to pass, a drink mug, and a table setting.  Read about the speaker at http://www.amazingcarbon.com.  Topics include building soil carbon to improve production and farm viability, plant and livestock health and disease resistance, human nutrition, and climatic resilience on your farm or garden plot.

    Dr. Christine Jones is an internationally-acclaimed agricultural consultant with a specific message regarding sequestration of carbon and humus development through appropriate agricultural practices. According to Dr. Jones, photosynthesis operating at full capacity is the critical element in soil humification. Among the many benefits of high-humus soils are an abundance of soil micro-organisms which manage and make available to the plants a broad range of minerals; more effective water management; and more vibrant plant health through improved plant immunity. Dr. Jones’ work focuses on how to maximize photosynthesis through biological processes. Her message is appropriate for anyone who raises food, for those who focus on conserving our natural resources, and for climate activists.

    For more information, please contact NOFA/Mass Education Events Coordinator Jamie Lombardo at jamie@nofamass.org or (860) 966-6368.

  • Wednesday, February 27 – Thursday, February 28 – Sustainable Habitats: Making Ecological Connections

    The Ecological Landscaping Association presents the 19th Annual Conference, Sustainable Habitats: Making Ecological Connections on February 27 and 28 at MassMutual Center, 1277 Main Street in Springfield.  Presentations will cover topics such as essential soil biology and soil improvements, water management, edible landscapes, phytomediation, carbon sequestration, and more.  To review the brochure and use the online registration, or to download a mail-in registration form, visit www.ecolandscaping.org.  You may also call Penny Lewis at 617-436-5838. The Keynote Dinner on February 27 will feature Jeff Lowenfels, author of Teaming with Microbes, A Gardener’s Guide to the Soil Food Web, speaking on How Plants Eat: The Wonder of Root Biology.  On February 28, the dinner speaker will be Rebecca McMackin, Park Horticulturist, Brooklyn Bridge Park, speaking on Brooklyn Bridge Park: Promoting Biodiversity in the Concrete Jungle.