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.
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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
