Conferences & Symposia

Creative Approaches for Ecological Landscaping

The 22nd Annual Land Ethics Symposium
REGISTRATION OPEN: General and Student

Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022

8 am – 1 pm

Held Virtually via Zoom

General Admission: $137.50 ($110 - early bird discount available until January 21, 2021)

Student Admission: $35 with valid ID

Symposium Overview

Look forward to the 22nd year of this not-to-be-missed symposium geared towards landscape architects, designers, contractors, land planners, municipal officials and homeowners. Learn how to create ecologically sound and economically viable landscapes through the use of native plants and sustainable practices. Continuing education credits will be available!

2022 Symposium Speakers

  • Darrel Morrison, FASLA, Professor and Dean Emeritus, College of Environment and Design, University of Georgia
  • Ash Gillis, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Owen Graduate School of Management Law School, Vanderbilt University
  • Beth Styler Barry, Director of River Restoration at The Nature Conservancy
  • Darren Damone, Principal, Director of Practice Development, Andropogon Associates, Ltd.
  • Jason Curtis, Senior Associate, Director of Sustainability & Technology, Andropogon Associates, Ltd.

2022 Symposium Programs

Dam Removal, An Important Tool in the Ecosystem Restoration Toolbox presented by Beth Styler Barry

With over 14,000 dams in the Mid-Atlantic region, it is no surprise that most of our river systems suffer many forms of impairment, and when rivers suffer, so do entire ecosystems. Dam removal is a type of river restoration that brings immediate and lasting ecological benefits to an ecosystem. This presentation will discuss the changes that come about both within the river itself and within its broader ecosystem. Topics will include improved water quality, habitat, riparian restoration and a look at the way we measure improvement in these areas.

Beth Styler Barry, director of river restoration at The Nature Conservancy, has 20 years’ experience in river restoration, water quality monitoring, community outreach and project management. At TNC, Beth leads development and implementation of major stream restoration projects, including dam removals, from permit application to working with engineers, contractors and partners for successful project completion. Beth leads the NJ Statewide Dam Removal Partnership. 

InSITES & Experiences from the Design of Bartholdi Park presented by Darren Damone and Jason Curtis

Nestled on the fringe of Washington, DC’s Capitol District lies the United States Botanic Garden’s Bartholdi Park. In this discussion we will explore the series of circumstances that brought this park into being, and how the formula of history, place and client vision helped to realize one of the country’s first Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) certification program projects. Join us as we unpack the successes and challenges of the SITES process at Bartholdi Park.

Darren Damone, is a principal and director of firm practice at Andropogon Associates, Ltd. in Philadelphia. Darren’s passion for design and early experience as an environmental educator in New York’s Hudson Valley inspired him to pursue a career which combined a strong design sensibility with his commitment to environmental stewardship. Over 19 years of professional practice, he has focused on projects that challenge him to integrate ecological processes with sophisticated design through a keen awareness of a site, finely crafted details, and use of the best practices in the field. His experience has taught him that the most successful projects develop from an open-minded site approach, letting the site tell its story, and collaborative project teams.

Jason A. Curtis, is a senior associate and director of sustainability & technology at Andropogon Associates, Ltd. Jason’s agricultural upbringing and direct experience with sustainable systems provides him with a unique perspective as a landscape architect. With over 20 years in the profession, he has used his diverse background and interests to effectively address the intricacies of small residential projects, as well as complex urban and institutional undertakings. Jason enjoys multidisciplinary collaboration in the design process and discover how to accomplish more with less. He is an active participant in the development and implementation of several sustainable design rating systems, helping clients understand the value of an ecological landscape design approach. In addition to his work at Andropogon, Jason is involved with various organizations including the Living Future Community Council at Green Building United.

Transforming residential landscapes with behavioral science presented by Ash Gillis

With biodiversity in severe decline, one way to effect change is to radically increase native plants in residential landscapes. But what would motivate homeowners to make this shift when faced with opposing societal pressures? This presentation offers insights from social psychology and a successful real-world example of communities growing native plants together.

Ash Gillis is a postdoctoral scholar at Vanderbilt University. They received a Ph.D. in social psychology from Penn State University, where they focused on leveraging motivations for environmentally sustainable behavior and support for climate change policy. Gillis’ work has been published in high impact journals such as Global Environmental Change, Nature Climate Change and the Journal of Environmental Psychology.

Beauty of the Wild presented by Darrel Morrison

Native plants are critical for the health of our local ecosystems, and it is imperative that society continues to integrate them into our everyday landscaping. In this presentation, Darrel Morrison will present his approach to the design and management of landscapes that are simultaneously ecologically sound and experientially rich. He will discuss people and places that have been influential in his teaching and practice of ecology-based landscape design, restoration and management over the past 50-plus years. He will share examples of his work in public gardens, including the Native Plant Garden at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum, the Old Stone Mill at the New York Botanical Garden and the Native Flora Garden at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden — as well as his successes with extensive native grasslands at Storm King Art Center in the Hudson River Valley in New York.

Raised on an Iowa farm, Darrel Morrison earned his BS in landscape architecture from Iowa State University in 1959, and his MS in landscape architecture from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He taught landscape architecture at UW from 1969 to1983, and at the University of Georgia from 1983 to 2004. For 10 years Morrison designed public and private gardens based on native plant communities of the appropriate region. Among his awards, he especially values the Bracken Medal, which he received from Pennsylvania State University in 1986, and the Scott Medal, awarded to him in 2021 by Swarthmore College. His book, Beauty of the Wild was published in 2021.

Continuing Education Credits

The 2022 Land Ethics Symposium has been approved for the following professional credits:

  • Association of Professional Landscape Designers - 4.0 units
  • LA CES™ - 4.0 units
  • Society for Ecological Restoration - 2.0 units (CERP)
  • Pennsylvania Landscape & Nursery Association - 4.00 PCH and 4.00 SLC CEUs
  • Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association - 4.0 - VCH CEUS

The 2022 Land Ethics Symposium has been applied for the following professional credits:

  • ISA - International Society of Arboriculture
  • NJ Nursery & Landscape Association, Certified Nursery & Landscape Professionals (CNLP)
  • Maryland Nursery & Landscape Association

2022 Land Ethics Symposium Sponsors

PRESENTED BY

PARTNERING

SUPPORTING


FRIENDS

Association of Professional Landscape Designers - Virtual Chapter
Carter van Dyke Associates
Eiseman Exterior Construction
Ernst Conservation Seeds
Larry Weaner Landscape Associates
Octoraro Native Plant Nursery
Pinelands Nursery
RAS Landscape Architects
Weatherwood Design, LLC
Wissahickon Restoration Volunteers

 

Land Ethics Award

Purpose of Award:

The Land Ethics Award honors and recognizes the creative use of native plants in the landscape, sustainable and regenerative design, and ethical land management and construction practices.

Who is eligible for nomination:

Nominations may be private individuals, businesses, design professionals including landscape architects and site engineers, conservation and preservation organizations and local, state and federal agencies involved with environmental protection.  School groups may also be nominated for relevant team projects.

Individuals, non-profit organizations, government agencies, community groups, and business professionals are encouraged to apply. Application projects must be a minimum of six months year and a maximum of four years old.

Judging/Selection Process:

The recipient will be selected by a jury of professionals in the field of design, preservation and conservation. The Land Ethics Award will be presented at the Land Ethics Symposium on February 17, 2022.

Download the 2022 Land Ethics Award Application

 

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Photos are from the 20th Annual Land Ethics Symposium in 2020

One highlight each year is the announcement of this year’s Land Ethics Awards, which honor and recognize the creative use of native plants in the landscape; sustainable and regenerative design; and ethical land management and construction practices.

With the recent push to revitalize the landscape on a more local and individual scale, this year’s judges chose winners whose actions reflect that ethos. No matter the size of your own landscape, BHWP encourages you to use native plants, exhibit a strong land ethic and promote sustainable designs that protect the environment.

The 2021 Land Ethics Award Winners include:

Best Community Effort: Heritage Conservancy Jackson Pond Pollinator Project

The Heritage Conservancy, based in Doylestown, for its Jackson Pond Pollinator Project. With significant community assistance, the conservancy converted a four-acre hayfield at its preserved property in Buckingham Township into a native pollinator meadow. It now includes 34 different species of native wildflowers and grasses, and a hedgerow of 150 newly planted native trees and shrubs of 12 different species.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best Individual Effort: The Sylvester Family

The Sylvester family of Solebury Township, who used 60 pounds of wildflower seed to convert 3 acres of turfgrass on their property into a thriving, rain water-absorbing wildflower meadow.

 

 

 

 

 

Best Large-Scale Project: Linden Blue Acres Floodplain Restoration Project

The Linden Blue Acres Floodplain Restoration Project, a project of the New Jersey Blue Acres Program that converted a floodplain in the Union County town of Linden in northern New Jersey that was devastated by Hurricane Sandy—including the loss of 24 homes. This restoration project improved floodplain functions and created 2 acres of native coastal forest and a half-acre each of native meadow and native floodplain vegetation. Project partners included Princeton Hydro, City of Linden, Rutgers University, NJDEP, Phillips 66, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, New Jersey Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership, and Enviroscapes.

Past Award Winners

Land Ethics Award: Best Community Effort - Heritage Conservency Jackson Pond Pollinator Project; Land Ethics Award: Best Individual Effort - The Sylvester Family; Land Ethics Award: Best Large-Scale Project - Linden Blue Acres Floodplain Restoration Project
Land Ethics Award: Best Community Effort: Lambertville Goes Wild; Land Ethics Award: Best Individual Effort: Glenn Blakely; Land Ethics Award: Best Large-Scale Project: American Littoral Society; Land Ethics Award: Project of Special Distinction: Neshaminy Creek Watershed Association
Congratulations Doylestown Township Environmental Advisory Council of Doylestown, PA Award of Merit: Middlesex County Office of Parks and Recreation/Princeton Hydro, LLC Director's Award: Marion M. Kyde, PhD
Congratulations to Wilma Quinlan Nature Preserve Committee of New Britain Borough Notes from the 2018 Land Ethics Award Jury: Starting with a considerably degraded site, the directors, designers, and volunteers created a nature preserve that exemplifies what the Land Ethics Award seeks to celebrate. Located along the Neshaminy Creek in New Britain Borough, Pennsylvania, the preserve demonstrates the creative use of native plantings to create a sustainable habitat for wildlife and a place for the public to learn about and enjoy nature, The combination of the use of native plants, volunteer involvement, educational component and well documented public and ecological impacts earned this project the top honor. Award of Merit: GreenVest, LLC Award of Merit: Princeton Hydro, LLC Award of Honor: Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust
Congratulations to United Friends School Notes from the 2017 Land Ethics Award Jury: Educate them when they are young and you have them for a lifetime. That is one of the key components of this student undertaking. This project beautifully illustrates what can be done with a minimum of money in a small space and dealing with an environmentally degraded area. The United Friends School students, as well as parent volunteers, created a school site vegetable garden, a functional rain garden and a small parking island garden, all in the midst of a highly urbanized area. The volunteers basically took a weed infested wasteland and transformed it into a green haven with the major thrust being the use of native plants. Perhaps the most salient feature of this project is that land stewardship is now a vital part of the students’ curriculum and the gardens provide an on-site demonstration as to how to get nature working for us, instead of against us. The well thought out maintenance plan will cement the project’s environmental gains in the years ahead. Award of Merit: Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens: Trout Creek Restoration Project Thank you to our 2017 Land Ethics Award Jury members: Don Borden, James Bray and Karen Budd
Public Space Category: Borough of Doylestown Rain Gardens Group Category: Grubs Ecology, Jamison Elementary School and Central Bucks School District, “Project Put Nature Back” Residential Category: Hess Landscape Architects, “Philadelphia Farm to Forest” Residential Restoration Director’s Award: North Creek Nurseries, Inc. Award of Merit: Weatherwood Design, Petrona Charles Residence Award of Merit: Pinelands Preservation Alliance Award of Merit: John Morgan Thomas Landscape Architects, Raab Meadow Award of Merit: Andropogon Associates, Ltd. & SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Gateway Center
Public Space Category 2015: Longwood Gardens Meadow Garden Expansion Spanning 86-acres, the Meadow Garden showcases native plantings and highlights the relationship between the human and natural worlds. Both sustainably managed and visually artistic, the Meadow Garden blends colorful plantings and grand vistas with best practices in land stewardship. The Land Ethics Award Jury commented that Longwood’s, “large scale Meadow project has it all: a sweeping landscape, a huge educational component, and the resources to maintain the area.” The judges were particularly impressed by Longwood’s use of corridors to link their meadow habitat to 700 acres of extant natural lands. The jury also admired the, “innovative learning pavilion where guests can not only view the beauty before them but learn how they can turn their home gardens into sustainable enclaves as well.” Group Category 2015: Ralph "Ozzie" Oswald and Buckingham Friends School Ralph “Ozzie” Oswald and Buckingham Friends School received the Group Award for their work on forest regeneration on the school grounds. Founded in 1794, Buckingham Friends School in Lahaska, PA is a Quaker day school for grades K-8. The 44 acre campus provides both traditional classroom and outdoor experiential learning. Approximately 30 acres of the site are wooded with a series of marked trails throughout. In 2013 the woodlands were suffering due to gypsy moth infestations, disease, aging, torrential rains, Superstorm Sandy, and over-browsing by deer. Under the leadership of Mr. Oswald, students and community volunteers began work on a 10 year forest regeneration and management plan. They removed invasive plants, implemented erosion control measures, identified and protected young tree seedlings, planted new trees, and installed deer protection fencing. Each grade is assigned an area of campus and a section of trail that they maintain throughout their school career. In the process they study plant life, soil, erosion, and environmental issues. By involving the entire school community in the program, the hope is to have both students and their parents better understand their environment and aid in its improvement and maintenance. Residential Category 2015: Jules Bruck and Sue Barton, Applecross In the residential category, the 2015 Land Ethics Award was presented to Sue Barton and Jules Bruck of the University of Delaware for the Applecross residential demonstration project. The jury commended the project for serving as a model for suburban residential properties. Designed and installed by researchers and students at the University of Delaware, a project goal was to introduce ecosystem services to a typical suburban residential yard, keeping in mind the homeowner’s desire to maintain a sense of community and overall curb appeal. Although the design incorporates a 6,000-square-foot meadow and a 3,000-square-foot reforestation area it maintains enough mowed lawn for play and entertaining. “The idea was to show people that you can incorporate a meadow and a forest into a residential landscape,” said Sue Barton, associate professor of plant and soil sciences at UD. “Almost all the plants are native and they’re quite showy. Sometimes native plants have a connotation of being less formal, less colorful, a compromise, and they’re not a compromise at all. It’s a very dramatic landscape. There’s almost always something blooming,” said Barton. The awards jury was impressed with how this project, “clearly demonstrates what can happen when several partners collaborate to change a sterile home landscape into one of environmental value.”
Our three recipients accepted their 2014 Land Ethics Awards at the Preserve's annual Land Ethics Symposium. Recipients were represented by: Linda Haan and Gylla MacGregor (New Jersey Audubon), Peg Prizer (Prizer Design Group) and David Hughes (Weatherwood Design LLC) for Bucks County SPCA, Peter Johnson and Tom Johnston (ThinkGreen LLC) for Haverford Reserve Community Recreation and Environmental Education Center. Our award recipients were selected by our 2014 Land Ethics Award jury, a group of experts who reviewed each award submission. The jury consisted of: Don Borden (Delaware Valley College; Quercus Studio), James Bray (Lower Makefield Township Environmental Council) and Pam Newitt (Naturalist and Educator). CONGRATULATIONS TO HAVERFORD TOWNSHIP’S HAVERFORD RESERVE COMMUNITY RECREATION & ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER CO-DESIGNERS: KIMMEL-BOGRETTE ARCHITECTURE + SITE & THINKGREEN LLC Notes from the 2014 Land Ethics Award Jury: What was impressive was the large scope of this project and the importance attached to environmental design parameters. This LEED certified building touches the land lightly and its sustainable design features infiltration basins, native meadows and vegetated native plant swales that result in capturing nearly 100% of the site’s storm water. We were also incredibly impressed with not only the building’s wonderful functional design but with the sheer beauty of the facility itself; it is literally breath-taking. CONGRATULATIONS TO BUCKS COUNTY SPCA- UPPER BUCKS SHELTER CO-DESIGNERS: PRIZER DESIGN GROUP, INC. & WEATHERWOOD DESIGN, LLC Notes from the 2014 Land Ethics Award Jury: We were especially impressed with the functionality of design of the facility and how artfully it blended into the Upper Bucks County side. The grass roots funding also played a significant factor in our decision. The choice of native plants in the design was also well thought out and helped create the low maintenance, environmentally sustainable landscape that was one of the main project goals. CONGRATULATIONS TO NJ AUDUBON – STEWARDSHIP DEPARTMENT Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Notes from the 2014 Land Ethics Award Jury: One of many things we admire about the Stewardship Department is the synergy developed by its link with other organizations, especially large corporations that have the assets to make things happen. Their link to the NJ Corporate Stewardship Council (CSC), an organization of 18 NH companies promoting a common goal of environmental sustainability and responsibility, has been incredibly productive and resulted in major habitat restoration projects throughout the state. The effects of their work is far reaching and long lasting.
Congratulations to Haycock Community Wildlife Habitat: Notes from the 2013 Land Ethics Award Jury: We were impressed with this project’s focus on protecting wildlife for which there is far too little public awareness and funding. The inclusion of site work to control invasive plants adds real habitat modifications to foster their goals. This project is especially deserving of recognition because of the difficulty of accomplishing environmentally innovative projects in the context of municipal government. The project is also worthy due to the high caliber of scientific support and the extensive use of social media for public education. Nomination for Award - Haycock Community Wildlife Habitat Our three recipients accepted their 2013 Land Ethics Awards at the Preserve's annual Land Ethics Symposium. Recipients were represented by: Dr. Julie Fagan (Haycock Community Wildlife Habitat), Thom Almendinger (Duke Farms Foundation), Peter Johnson (ThinkGreen LLC) and Seth Budick (University City District). Our award recipients were selected by our 2013 Land Ethics Award jury, a group of experts who reviewed each award submission. The jury consisted of: Don Borden (Delaware Valley College; Quercus Studio), James Bray (Lower Makefield Township Environmental Council) and Leslie Sauer (author of The Once and Future Forest and land conservation advocate). Duke Farms' Skeet Shoot Field in 2012 Congratulations to Duke Farms Foundation Notes from the 2013 Land Ethics Award Jury: Duke Farms has become a premier institution for sustainability in the region by its dramatic transformation from a farm and garden into a naturalized public park. We urge every reader to visit this striking demonstration of sustainability. We also recognize and commend the extraordinary financial commitment made to this effort. Design for 42nd St & Woodland Ave in Philly Congratulations to ThinkGreen LLC and University City District's Woodland Green Pedestrian Plaza Notes from the 2013 Land Ethics Award Jury: This project achieved a total site transformation, bringing nature and a garden into the harshest of urban environments. This is an excellent example of re-greening to re-inhabit our cities. We appreciated the expansion of the original goals including stormwater management and the introduction of a tiny woodland habitat on Woodland Avenue. In addition the project appears to have accomplished a lot for a modest budget and overcame severe site restrictions. Long-term maintenance is included which is important to the project’s long term success. Nomination for Award - Woodland Green Pedestrian Plaza 2013 Nominations of Excellence Green roof at the Taylor Residence Margot Taylor - SITES Pilot Project at Taylor Residence Notes from the 2013 Land Ethics Award Jury: Hopefully this beautiful example of ‘green’ will inspire others to follow suit. The demonstration value of this project will have a wide impact due to its connection to the developing Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) program. Hopefully this landscape will be monitored over time in this program. For this project in particular it would have been helpful to have more knowledge of the before conditions and what kind of grading and other site modifications were undertaken.” Nomination for Award - Taylor Residence Notes from the 2013 Land Ethics Award Jury: A sustainable future is definitely dependent upon individuals such as Nancy who work unflaggingly in everything they do to demonstrate plant stewardship. Both as a professional and a dedicated volunteer, Nancy has been an important bridge between traditional horticulture and the use and protection of native plants. As the application noted, Nancy is an inspiration to us all. Nomination for Award - Nancy Beaubaire Floodplain creation in Trenton, NJ Notes from the 2013 Land Ethics Award Jury: This project epitomizes the state of the art in urban stream restoration, including the community networking, grant finding, and construction oversight that make such a project possible. Its presence in the City of Trenton only adds to its importance and educational value. We are especially impressed by the implementation of monitoring for this project, including the use of the Plant Stewardship Index.
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