Through the lens of ecological memory, emerging approaches blend foundational restoration principles with innovations in landscape form, posing the question: What can we learn from plant competition dynamics, wildlife habitat forms, migration patterns, soil processes, and adaptation processes to respond to today’s biodiversity crisis and create and maintain resilient landscapes? Aligned with SITES v2 credits, this session encourages participants to embrace site-specific responses that promote long-term ecological function and resilience.

Using reclaimed and recyclable materials can be appealing but presents barriers favoring the status quo, often leaving potential benefits achievable. Landscape architects have the power to have to align with SITES v2 principles and employ materiality in ways that decrease carbon footprints, minimize waste, promote collaborative community building, generate local economies, deepen place-based connections, and inspire future generations.

This session connects academic design research, USDA-funded practice-based research, and municipal production experience to demonstrate how wood waste can be transformed into biochar—a high-value, carbon-sequestering product for urban forest and green infrastructure applications. This circular economy solution transforms waste management challenges into lasting climate mitigation opportunities, aligned with SITES v2 principles and credits.

Join climate action leaders for a 9-part webinar series to share collaborative research and knowledge to advance the goals of decarbonization and biodiversity protection.

Biodiversity is not exclusive to land and water. The night sky supports significant biological functions for people, plants, and pollinators. This workshop will provide the latest insights you need to implement responsible lighting at night, making beautiful nighttime environments more understood while minimizing biological disruption and damage to nocturnal ecosystems.

Soils hold 80% of global terrestrial carbon stocks and are critical for carbon drawdown. The nitty "gritty" details of how we work with soils hold the greatest potential for carbon sequestration of any aspect of the built environment. This session shares best practices for maximizing carbon storage in designed landscapes.

Using reclaimed materials in landscape architecture offers a variety of environmental and aesthetic benefits, but there is still untapped potential for these materials in public projects. Hear about how three industry professionals are approaching the benefits and challenges of using reclaimed materials in the public realm.

This session explores strategies for specifying and obtaining more sustainable materials to reach the goals outlined in the ASLA Climate Action Plan and SITES rating system. Diverse perspectives will be provided by a U.S. federal government agency, a nonprofit third-party certification body, and a landscape architecture and urban design firm.

It is time to reimagine landscape architecture and join our architectural and engineering colleagues by raising awareness and inspiring responses to disrupt forced labor in the materials supply chain. Learn how this new movement is mobilizing leaders, and how you can participate to design and build a more humane future.

Dive deep into the SITES material selection credits, explore the CAP model of industrial ecology, and uncover innovative products and practices that can accelerate the transition to a carbon-free, biodiversity-positive future. Discover practical tools, frameworks, and conversation starters that will empower you to lead the charge towards a more sustainable industry.