Moderator(s): Lee R. Skabelund, ASLA
Speaker(s): Bob Grese, ASLA | David Borneman

Restoring degraded landscapes often brings both surprises and disappointments.  While some changes become apparent after the first year or two of interventions, working on restorations for a decade or more provides valuable lessons and insights for the practice of ecological restoration.  The leaders of this webinar have had the opportunity to work on long-term restorations in a city’s natural areas program and a university botanical gardens and arboretum and will share lessons they have learned over 20-30 years of practice.  Topics will cover the detective work in learning a site’s history and potential for restoration, developing restoration targets and realistic expectations, creating the mechanisms for carrying out a restoration, and committing to the long-term needs of a restoration project.  Emphasis will be on terrestrial ecosystems of the upper Midwest—namely prairies, oak openings, and woodlands.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify background information needed about a site and its history (especially related to plants, soils, and hydrology) before beginning planning a restoration
• Understand criteria for setting restoration targets and planning a restoration process
• Understand the need for evaluation and the commitment needed for restoration success

Please complete a brief evaluation of this Online Learning presentation.

Speaker(s): Michael Igo, Affil. ASLA, LEED AP, PE
Moderator(s): Jim Davis, ASLA

Water conservation is more important now than ever and in no place in landscape architecture is it more in the forefront than in irrigation. This webinar focuses on why designers should care about conserving water in landscape irrigation and how it ties into the triple bottom line of the environment, society, and economy for sustainable development. We’ll do this by exploring the biology, mechanics, and engineering behind plant water conservation, implementation methods through irrigation practices and technology, and how the result can be a landscape that uses significantly less water while preserving your intended look as a landscape architect. The talk will conclude with real life water conservation success stories.

Learning Objectives

• Understand the basic scientific processes of the soil-plant-air-continuum (SPAC) and irrigation system used to supplement water

• Identify the major irrigation design principles in conserving water in landscape irrigation

• Become aware of alternative water sources for irrigation to offset the need for potable water

Please complete a brief evaluation of this Online Learning presentation.

Speaker(s): Bryan Astheimer, AICP, LEED AP, SITES AP

This presentation will provide the attendee with a high level introduction to the SITES^® v2 framework, introduce two SITES certified projects (Chicago's Navy Pier and DC's United States Botanic Garden), share select quality example documentation and tips, review some of the challenges and value add of utilizing the SITES framework on these projects, and will offer strategies for successfully integrating and embedding sustainable design attributes throughout the pre-design, design, construction, and operations phases. The audience will walk away with a better understanding of the SITES framework and how it can be used to drive sustainability within their projects.

The GBCI course ID for this course is 0920016542, providing SITES-specific CE hours required to maintain SITES AP credentials. Participants will need to pass the exam at the end of the presentation in order to receive a certificate of completion. Participants will need to self-report CE hours through their credentials account on usgbc.org.

Learning Objectives 

• Recognize how SITES v2 can provide a ready-made framework to promote good design, sustainability and improved project outcomes, starting with a pre-design site assessment as required in P2.2.
• Learn from case studies and understand associated challenges and opportunities using SITESv2.
• Understand methodologies for embedding sustainable design and maximizing accountability (leveraging SITES v2 P2.1, P2.2, P4.1, P7.1, P8.1, c9.3, specifications and tracking tools).
• Incorporate tips for quality SITES v2 compliance documentation into their projects, specific to C5.4, C5.5, C5.6, and C5.7.

Please complete a brief evaluation of this Online Learning presentation.

Speaker(s): Megan Barnes, Associate ASLA

Understanding the environmental, social and economic benefits of sustainable landscapes is essential for designers, developers, investors, and policymakers who influence land development and want better results. This session introduces and explores the concept of landscape performance and why it is critical to achieving sustainability and reaching key decision-makers, with a particular focus on examples from sustainable campuses in the United States. The Landscape Architecture Foundation will present an overview of the Landscape Performance Series, an online, interactive set of resources to help evaluate performance, show value and make the case for sustainable landscape solutions. Learn how the Case Study Briefs, Benefits Toolkit, Fast Facts, and more can be used to evaluate and demonstrate the impact of sustainable campus landscapes and how you can be part of this growing online resource.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the concept of landscape performance for campus landscapes and why it is critical to achieving sustainability and reaching key decision-makers
  
• Learn about resources available in the Landscape Performance Series to show value, quantify benefits, and make the case for sustainable landscape solutions
  
• Know how to access and submit projects, tools, and research to the online Landscape Performance Series database

Please complete a brief evaluation of this Online Learning presentation.

Speaker(s): Linette Straus, ASLA, SITES AP | Steven Spears, FASLA | Terry Guen, FASLA | Evan Mather, ASLA

How often do you integrate maintenance planning into your projects? Is maintenance a significant concern for your clients? A maintenance plan is a prerequisite in the SITES v2 Rating System. Review actual SITES certified examples of maintenance plans and gain insight as to how to improve your own.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the prerequisites and credits for Section 8, operations and maintenance of the SITES v2 Rating System.
• Specify best management practices for devising a comprehensive maintenance plan.
• Analyze challenges from actual project examples, review the solutions implemented to solve them, and discuss how the maintenance plan addressed future anticipated issues.
• Develop a method for effectively assessing your client’s long-term maintenance capabilities to ensure the sustainability of your project.

Please complete a brief evaluation of this Online Learning presentation.

Speaker(s): Jeremy Klemic, ASLA | Brian McKinnon | Greg McPherson | Kevin Wilson

This session explores the multifaceted strategies for urban forest management. Panelists will expand on the significant value of urban forests, including increased property values, energy conservation, stormwater treatment, air pollution reduction, and wildlife habitat. They will also discuss real-world solutions for preservation, planning, and maintenance to replenish aging urban forests.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn how urban forests contribute to the history, functionality, and sustainability of a city or a campus.
• Understand the challenges and successes of maintaining urban forests.
• Gain insight into the landscape architect’s role in preserving urban forests alongside visionary clients.
• Examine strategies for reducing water load, increasing native landscape materials, and saving money for cities and campuses.

Please complete a brief evaluation of this Online Learning presentation.

Speaker(s): Steven N. Handel, Hon. ASLA | Courtney A. Goode, Associate ASLA | Flavio Sciaraffia | Sonja Vangjeli, Associate ASLA

Building on the trend of appropriating agricultural patterns and techniques in contemporary design, landscape architects could go further toward more significant engagement with productive landscapes. This panel will discuss three case studies across the Americas that redefine design and conservation approaches by weaving altered ecosystems with traditional agricultural practices.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand how a reframing of productive landscapes as novel ecosystems is driving new approaches to conservation and land planning.
• Compare and contrast how these case studies address related landscape conservation challenges in different geographic contexts across the Americas.
• Explore the role of landscape architects in heritage conservation, land management, and urban development.
• Discuss with the panelists the expanded definition of landscape conservation today.

Please complete a brief evaluation of this Online Learning presentation.

Speaker(s): Laura Gornowski Marett, ASLA, LEED AP | Christina T. Carlisle, ASLA | Zachary Chrisco, PE | Jason P. Soileau, ASLA

As large landowners in cities, universities are uniquely positioned to be leaders in innovative stormwater practices and to leverage the regulatory environment for implementation. This panel explores the challenges and opportunities of stormwater management on three urban campuses Tulane, Georgetown, and the University of Hawaii at Mānoa.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn about the specific opportunities and challenges for stormwater innovation on campuses in urban contexts.
• Discuss how contemporary thinking about stormwater management and BMPs challenges traditional civil engineering approaches.
• Learn from case studies of three universities leading stormwater innovation in their respective cities: Tulane (New Orleans), Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), and the University of Hawaii at Mānoa (Honolulu).
• Understand how the regulatory environment can be leveraged to facilitate the implementation of landscapes with both programmatic and stormwater functions.

Please complete a brief evaluation of this Online Learning presentation.

Speaker(s): Linette Straus, ASLA, SITES AP | Chris Moyles, ASLA | Catherine Seavitt Nordenson, ASLA, AIA | April Philips, FASLA

The SITES v2 Rating System - a performance-based process encourages projects to conserve water, maximize the use of precipitation, and protect water quality, with the goal always being to restore natural systems. Examine and integrate future hydrologic outcomes such as sea-level rise and create resilient designs that satisfy SITES credits.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the prerequisites and credits in Section 3: Site Design–Water and review documentation examples.
• Describe the technical requirements and calculations as well as specialist team members that may be required for fulfillment of SITES v2 water prerequisites and credits.
• Examine projects that demonstrate sustainable practices in water design and integrate climate issues such as prolonged droughts and sea-level rise.
• Learn how to integrate design choices for water and other site attributes to improve performance outcomes and plan for resiliency in the face of future climate events.

Please complete a brief evaluation of this Online Learning presentation.

Speaker(s): Micah Silvey, LEED AP | Chris Moyles, ASLA | John Swallow, Affil. ASLA

Soil is the living skin of our planet. As we’ve shaped it to our needs, we’ve often forgotten how essential it is for our survival. This session will review the complexity of soil ecosystems and frame the importance of soil in green infrastructure, urban landscapes, and the SITES Rating System

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the fundamental importance of soil in site design.
• Understand the importance of structural soils in ensuring better living conditions and therefore in advancing the development of successful urban landscapes and streetscapes.
• Discuss the soil testing requirements outlined in the SITES v2 Rating System.
• Describe the beneficial relationship between soil, vegetation and hydrology for promoting resilience.

Please complete a brief evaluation of this Online Learning presentation.