Biodiversity & Climate Action 101 for Landscape Architects Webinar Series

Biodiversity & Climate Action 101 for Landscape Architects Webinar Series

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A free webinar series for ASLA Members hosted by the ASLA Biodiversity and Climate Action Committee.

For more than a year, the ASLA Biodiversity and Climate Action Committee has been leading the implementation of the ASLA Climate Action Plan. 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.

This series is designed to expand knowledge within the profession to achieve the Climate Action Plan Vision for 2040 – All landscape architecture projects will simultaneously: 

  • Achieve zero embodied and operational emissions and increase carbon sequestration 
  • Provide significant economic benefits in the form of measurable ecosystem services, health co-benefits, sequestration, and green jobs 
  • Address climate injustices, empower communities, and increase equitable distribution of climate investments 
  • Restore ecosystems and protect, conserve, and enhance biodiversity. 

This webinar series is underwritten by
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  • Contains 6 Component(s), Includes Credits Recorded On: 02/20/2024

    This session is a global introduction to carbon in the built environment tailored to landscape architects and landscape product vendors and contractors.

    This session is a global introduction to carbon in the built environment. It is tailored to landscape architects and landscape product vendors and contractors. Nearly 75% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions come from the urban built environment, and 35% are from outside the buildings. Understanding emissions from construction and operations is critical to reducing the climate impacts of landscape architecture projects.

    Landscape architects can use environmental product declarations (EPDs) and life-cycle analysis (LCA) to inform data-driven planning and design. These approaches can reduce climate impacts from built landscapes. Learn how to evaluate both EPDs and LCAs, which are integrated into green building standards, including SITES v2 certification.

    Speakers will review:

    • Key concepts of the natural carbon cycle
    • Common terms and concepts
    • Considerations for maximizing the carbon drawdown potential for the living landscape

    Underwritten by Landscape Forms

    Learning Objectives:

    At the end of course participants will be able to:

    1. Understand the distinction between embodied carbon and operational carbon, as defined in SITES v2 Pilot Credit 3: Assess and Improve Carbon Performance.
    2. Discover essential practices and resources to reduce carbon-related climate impacts in the built landscape, which may be used to achieve SITES v2 Pilot Credit 3: Assess and Improve Carbon Performance.
    3. Articulate the differences between biogenic carbon stored in construction materials, dead biomass in nature, and carbon sequestration.
    4. Understand the life-cycle report stages and what information to look for in an EPD to understand the embodied carbon potential of a product and product class that may be used to achieve credits in SITES v2 Site Design - Materials Selection.

    The GBCI course ID for this course is 0920029478, 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 https://sitesonline.usgbc.org.

    Christopher R. Ng-Hardy, ASLA, PLA

    Senior Associate

    Sasaki

    Chris focuses on the integration of ecology and culture, with a commitment to craft in the built environment. Chris led Sasaki’s CarbonConscience research project team from 2019 to the present and serves as a current co-chair of the ASLA CAC Carbon Drawdown & Biodiversity subcommittee. Through these efforts, Chris has been translating literature reviews and decarbonizing design strategies into tools and educational resources for designers and planners. Chris is actively applying these tools and research to projects in the USA and EU. Chris believes that every project is not only a design opportunity but an opportunity to experiment and learn.

    Pamela Conrad, ASLA, PLA, LEED AP

    Founder of Climate Positive Design, Lecturer at Harvard GSD

    Climate Positive Design / Harvard Graduate School of Design

    Pamela Conrad is an internationally recognized landscape architect and climate advocate. She is a senior fellow with Architecture 2030, and a 2023 Loeb Fellow and Faculty Lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. She founded Climate Positive Design to enable climate action by providing guidance and an app to support design teams in drawing down carbon while creating environmental, social, cultural, and economic co-benefits. She is a farm girl from Missouri, inspired by the richness and ingenuity of nature.

    Stephanie Carlisle

    Senior Researcher, Carbon Leadership Forum

    University of Pennsylvania - School of Design

    Stephanie Carlisle is an architect and ecologist whose work focuses on the interaction between the constructed and natural environment, including life cycle assessment (LCA), urban ecology, environmental justice, and climate policy. She is a research scientist at the Carbon Leadership Forum, where she works to develop open-access embodied carbon and LCA data, tools, and methods to support the building sector in radically decarbonizing construction.  Stephanie joined the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design in 2014. Previously, Stephanie worked for nine years as a Principal and Environmental Researcher at KieranTimberlake Architects in Philadelphia, where she helped lead the office’s research on embodied carbon, material health, landscape ecology, and environmental impacts. Since 2012, she worked on the development team for Tally, a software tool that enables architects and engineers to conduct full-building life cycle assessments during design. 

  • Contains 4 Component(s), Includes Credits Recorded On: 03/26/2024

    This session focuses on how to approach decarbonization as designers. Landscape architects are skilled at balancing a complex array of different considerations on every project, regardless of its type or scale. To achieve carbon reduction goals, our design approach must incorporate best practices and strategies seamlessly into our practice.

    This session focuses on how to approach decarbonization as designers. Landscape architects are skilled at balancing a complex array of different considerations on every project, regardless of its type or scale. To achieve carbon reduction goals, our design approach must incorporate best practices and strategies seamlessly into our practice. 

    The speakers will discuss how decarbonization strategies can be integrated with the existing project workflow, highlighting priorities and questions to ask at each design phase - from goal setting and team alignment to design decision-making, and technical oversight. A summary of the best practices to achieve reduction targets will be provided and the speakers will share more about the carbon accounting tools available to support designers. The session will conclude with a brief roundtable discussion of how to make the case for this approach with clients and project teams, then opening up to an audience Q + A. 

    Learning Objectives:

    At the end of course participants will be able to:

    1. Understand when to effectively overlay decarbonization approaches onto existing project workflow, phase by phase.
    2. Learn more about the best practices to achieve carbon reduction through design decisions.
    3. Gain an overview of various carbon accounting tools, and when to leverage their strengths.
    4. Explore different approaches to making the case for decarbonizing design with clients and project teams.

    Marieke Lacasse, FASLA, PLA, LEED AP BD+C

    Principal

    GGLO

    Marieke’s leadership in multidisciplinary practice and landscape architecture has yielded significant, sustained impacts at local and national scales. Her commitment to promoting sustainability and ecological principles in dense environments has helped to create inherently social spaces that spark belonging and identity. She believes in the power of collaboration, emphasizing co-creation and design equity to ensure that built work reflects the unique character, values, and needs of a community. Marieke is an enthusiastic supporter of Climate Action and carbon drawdown in her work. She has served for three years on the ASLA Climate Action Committee, as well as for ten years at the chapter level. Additionally, she volunteers her time to support homeless and affordable housing, arts, and environmental non-profits.

    Mariana Ricker, ASLA, PLA

    Associate

    SWA Group

    Mariana Ricker is passionate about California landscapes and emphasizes the importance of site-specific, sustainable landscape design. She enjoys working in urban settings that engage diverse user groups and activate spaces essential to civic life.

    In her work as a landscape architect, Mariana seeks to create memorable experiences, connect people to the environment, and provide elegant solutions to accomplish the project vision. At SWA, she works on a wide range of projects, from community parks to large-scale urban development and planning around the Bay Area and beyond. Mariana is committed to climate action within her project work and professionally. She is a member of the national ULI Sustainable Development Product Council, and currently sits on both national and local ASLA Biodiversity & Climate Action Committees. 

    Andrew Wickham, ASLA, LEED AP, PLA

    Project Leader

    LPA Design Studios

    Andrew Wickham is a Project Leader at LPA, a national integrated design firm.  Andrew leads designs at the intersection of built, cultural, and natural systems and is a champion of metric-driven design.  His interest lies in how the blending of built and natural environments can enhance a user’s experience and reinforce values of equity, ecology, and curiosity.  Andrew is a proven thinker and strategist, speaking at numerous conferences about the value of performative landscapes and human experience. He is currently Trustee for California Sierra Chapter of ASLA and co-chair of the Leadership and Communication sub-committee of the national Biodiversity and Climate Action Committee.

  • Contains 5 Component(s), Includes Credits Recorded On: 04/18/2024

    Explore how to decarbonize construction through material selection and detail composition.

    Explore how to decarbonize construction through material selection and detail composition. Our session will explore how to reduce the embodied carbon of landscape structures, including pavements, walls, stairs, decks, soils, planting, railings, and other site structures. We will also share resources for measuring and evaluating the carbon footprint of details and materials, including the SITES v2 rating system. 

     Learning Objectives:

    • Explore the results of the CarbonConscience literature review of landscape material carbon factors, including which materials have the lowest footprint for masonry, wood, and metal fabrications.
    • Understand key decarbonization strategies for material and product selection, in support of SITES v2 Site Design – Materials credits.
    • Understand how state department of transportation specifications impact emissions from concrete pavements.  
    • Examine key considerations for specifying low carbon concrete, including how supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) can reduce the carbon footprint of concrete. 

    The GBCI course ID for this course is 0920029758, 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 https://sitesonline.usgbc.org.

    image above: Low Carbon Materials at the Ellinikon Park, Sasaki

    Christopher R. Ng-Hardy, ASLA, PLA

    Senior Associate

    Sasaki

    Chris focuses on the integration of ecology and culture, with a commitment to craft in the built environment. Chris led Sasaki’s CarbonConscience research project team from 2019 to the present and serves as a current co-chair of the ASLA CAC Carbon Drawdown & Biodiversity subcommittee. Through these efforts, Chris has been translating literature reviews and decarbonizing design strategies into tools and educational resources for designers and planners. Chris is actively applying these tools and research to projects in the USA and EU. Chris believes that every project is not only a design opportunity but an opportunity to experiment and learn.

    Meg Calkins, FASLA, SITES AP

    Professor of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning

    North Carolina State University

    Meg Calkins, FASLA, SITES AP, is a Professor of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning at North Carolina State University. Meg’s scholarship focuses on the environmental and human health impacts of site construction details and materials. She is the author of the book "Materials for Sustainable Sites" and editor of the "Sustainable Sites Handbook". She is currently writing a book with the working title of "Details and Material for Resilient Sites: A Carbon Positive Approach" (Routledge 2025). Meg has taken an active leadership role in development and implementation of the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) since 2003.

    Satyam Maharaj

    Associate

    Carbon Free Buildings, RMI

    Satyam is an associate on the Embodied Carbon Initiative within the Carbon Free Buildings team. His primary focus is on reducing the carbon impact of building materials by advocating for the broad adoption of low-embodied-carbon and carbon-sequestering building materials.

    Satyam previously worked as a structural engineer and construction manager in his home country of Trinidad and Tobago. He planned, designed, and managed the construction of facilities in the education, healthcare, and housing sectors, to name a few. He focused on ensuring projects were on a sustainable pathway by reducing embodied carbon content, introducing green concrete solutions, and advocating for renewable energy and efficient wastewater management systems. He led cross-functional teams and fostered engaging communication efforts between stakeholders and contractors to ensure projects were finalized within expected timeframes and budgets, and to end-user satisfaction.

  • Contains 5 Component(s), Includes Credits Recorded On: 05/21/2024

    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.

    To achieve the ambitious goals of the ASLA Climate Action Plan, the diverse businesses comprising the landscape construction industry need to mobilize for a transition. Designers and industry partners can help accelerate the transition by starting key conversations now.   

    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 

    The GBCI course ID for this course is 0920029908, 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 https://sitesonline.usgbc.org.

    Learning Objectives:

    At the end of course participants will be able to: 

    1. Initiate conversations with industry partners regarding the environmental impacts of their products to advocate for biodiversity and climate action. 
    2. Apply principles of the SITES v2 rating system to specify more sustainable products and materials. 
    3. Understand the intent of SITES Section 5 – Materials Selection: Prerequisite 5.1 and Credits 5.2-5.10, focused on selection and use of materials to support and enhance ecosystem services.  
    4. Identify certifications and other tools available to vet and verify environmental claims and practices.  
    5. Collaborate for positive change in our industry more effectively, with a contextual basis in industrial ecology and energy transition.

    Image credit: Kingsbury Commons, the first SITES Gold certified park in Texas / Casey Dunn

    Bryce Carnehl, Corporate ASLA

    Specification Support Manager

    Hunter Industries

    Bryce Carnehl has been in the landscape industry for over 20 years working in construction, landscape architecture, sales, corporate social responsibility, and marketing. Throughout these years he has dedicated himself to promoting the value of green spaces.

    Every project begins with a plan, and better planning leads to project success. Bryce now works to create business opportunity for landscape stakeholders through design, planning, and specification efforts. He believes that together we can build business prosperity, increase the value of landscapes, and ensure healthy communities in which we all live, work, and play.      

    Amy Syverson-Shaffer, ASLA, RLA, SITES AP

    Sustainability Leader

    Landscape Forms

    Amy Syverson-Shaffer is passionate about connecting people to nature and to each other. Her past work as a landscape architect and in business development frames her collaborative approach to taking on big challenges. Today, she is lending her design acumen and contextual understanding to leading sustainability for the modern craft manufacturer, Landscape Forms. Since 2023, she’s served on the ASLA Biodiversity and Climate Action Committee, working to bridge between key efforts by Landscape Architects and their industry partner community. On any given day, you'll most likely find her working in the garden.

    Danielle Pieranunzi, SITES AP, LEED AP

    SITES Director

    Green Business Certification Inc.

    Danielle Pieranunzi is drawn to work that bridges the gap between science and practice to create accessible tools and compelling stories that foster positive change in society. Since 2006, she has worked on the Sustainable SITES Initiative (SITES) collaborating with a diverse group of practitioners, scientists, educators, and policymakers to elevate the value of nature in the built environment. This resulted in comprehensive design guidelines and a certification system guiding development projects toward nature-positive outcomes while addressing impacts on carbon, resilience, human health, biodiversity, and more. At GBCI, Danielle continues to support SITES focusing on technical development and client solutions.

  • Contains 4 Component(s), Includes Credits Recorded On: 06/25/2024

    Embark on a transformative journey towards zero emission business operations. This webinar delves into the strategies and best practices for measuring, understanding, and effectively reducing Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. Gain insights from real-world case studies of five landscape architecture firms on their journey to zero emissions. Learn how to develop an action plan with short and long-term goals for your organization's sustainable future.

    Embark on a transformative journey towards zero emission business operations. This webinar delves into the strategies and best practices for measuring, understanding, and effectively reducing Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. Gain insights from real-world case studies of five landscape architecture firms on their journey to zero emissions. Learn how to develop an action plan with short and long-term goals for your organization's sustainable future.   

    Learning Objectives:

    At the end of course participants will be able to: 

    1.  Familiarize yourself with the process of accounting for greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in a business's operations. 
    2. Understand Scopes 1, 2, and 3 emissions as classifications for climate-warming greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, along with the various methods to mitigate them. 
    3. Understand how to work within your organization to set up a GHG reduction action plan with short- and long-term goals to lower and eliminate carbon emissions. 

    Julie T. Donofrio, AICP, LEED AP

    Associate and Co-Coordinator, OLIN Labs

    OLIN

    Julie Donofrio is an urban planner and community engagement specialist with nearly 20 years of experience in urban planning and design on a variety of scales, with a focus on creating equitable processes for community engagement. Currently she serves as the Co-Coordinator of OLIN Labs furthering research and development to support practice, and build a community of research and learning within the design community. Prior to OLIN she was the managing director of PennPraxis at the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design, where she also served as a faculty member in the Department of City and Regional Planning, teaching graduate students for over 8 years. Prior to PennPraxis, she was an associate urban designer and planner at WRT in San Francisco and Philadelphia. She began her career as an urban planner with EDAW (now AECOM) in San Diego. Julie holds a Masters in City and Regional Planning and a Masters of Science in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Bachelors of Arts from Wake Forest University. 

    Hussein Sayani, PhD

    Senior Project Manager, ESG Advisory

    Langan Engineering & Environmental Services

    Hussein Sayani is Senior Project Manager within Langan’s ESG Advisory practice and is part of Langan’s Sustainability Committee. He is a climate scientist with 10+ years of experience in climate change research, data analytics, and carbon accounting. He specializes in ESG strategy and disclosures, greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting, and climate risk assessments. He has assisted clients across a variety of industries, real estate, manufacturing, oil and gas, and agriculture, with developing GHG emission inventories, product carbon footprints or life cycle assessments, ESG disclosures and has advised clients on climate change projections and associated risks.

    Ronnie Siegel, ASLA

    Principal

    Swire Siegel, Landscape Architects

    Ronnie Siegel received a B.A from Colgate University and an M.LA. from the University of Pennsylvania.  She founded the firm Swire Siegel Landscape Architects in 1984, and has promoted sustainability with the use of native plants, conservation of water, and storm water recharge in her work in Southern California for 40 years.  Most of her projects also focused on the design of nature-based play and learning environments for children in urban areas.  She has promoted the benefits of open space design for children was a guest lecturer for the World Forum on Nature Education in Nebraska and for similar conferences around the world.  In addition, Ronnie created a Global Interactive Art Project called Carry the EARTH, which inspired action and collected environmental action stories from around the world from 2018-2023.  She has written and illustrated an award winning fictional children’s book DISPLACED: A Story About Climate Change and How Displaced Animals Ring the Alarm.   

    Ronnie is currently working with the US Green Building Council California to facilitate a collaboration with the ASLA on climate action by helping to organize a full day of nature-based solutions sessions at their annual conference in May 2024.  She is on the Biodiversity and Climate Action Committee of the ASLA and  helping to prepare resources for its members to facilite action.  

    Amy Syverson-Shaffer, ASLA, RLA, SITES AP (Moderator)

    Sustainability Leader

    Landscape Forms

    Amy Syverson-Shaffer is passionate about connecting people to nature and to each other. Her past work as a landscape architect and in business development frames her collaborative approach to taking on big challenges. Today, she is lending her design acumen and contextual understanding to leading sustainability for the modern craft manufacturer, Landscape Forms. Since 2023, she’s served on the ASLA Biodiversity and Climate Action Committee, working to bridge between key efforts by Landscape Architects and their industry partner community. On any given day, you'll most likely find her working in the garden.

    Tamar Warburg

    Director of Sustainability

    Sasaki

    Tamar works with Sasaki teams to develop sustainability and resilience goals appropriate for each project and access critical resources to reach those goals. She enjoys collaborating to integrate sustainability considerations throughout the design process, from preliminary programming through construction management practices.

    In this era of climate change, she believes that every project is an opportunity to make a healthy and resilient contribution to our clients, our communities, and our planet.

    Tamar works across all Sasaki disciplines, on projects as varied as net-zero campus buildings, resilience and sustainability strategies for cities and corporate clients, and minimizing carbon emissions from buildings and landscape projects.  She directs Sasaki’s Sustainable Leaders, training the individuals embedded in each project team responsible for project sustainability metrics and goals.

    Tamar came to Sasaki with 25 years of experience designing educational and community buildings, both in the United States and with the Green Architecture Studio that she founded in Israel. She completed her master of architecture and bachelor of architecture at Harvard.

  • Contains 4 Component(s), Includes Credits Recorded On: 07/29/2024

    Extreme heat is the deadliest of all weather-related disasters and creates acute and chronic health risks. Dangerous heat also impacts low-income and underserved communities the most, given these communities have far less tree canopy. Learn about the evidence for equitable, nature-based solutions to reduce temperatures. Discover how to visualize thermal disparities and implement impactful designs from the city to neighborhood scales.

    Extreme heat is the deadliest of all weather-related disasters and creates acute and chronic health risks. Dangerous heat also impacts low-income and underserved communities the most, given these communities have far less tree canopy. Learn about the evidence for equitable, nature-based solutions to reduce temperatures. Discover how to visualize thermal disparities and implement impactful designs from the city to neighborhood scales.

    Learning Objectives:

    • Recognize how extreme heat disproportionately impacts low-income and historically marginalized communities.  
    • Understand how to use data and visualization tools to highlight areas of high heat vulnerability within communities.  
    • Gain practical knowledge on planning and designing sites and communities through nature-based solutions that reduce temperatures and increase resilience.  
    • Explore how landscape architects collaborate with cities and community-based organizations to communicate extreme heat data to create heat-resilient communities.

    Image above: Heat map of Omaha, Nebraska / Salvador Lindquist, ASLA, and Keenan Gibbons, ASLA

    Daniella Hirschfeld

    Assistant Professor - Climate Adaptation Planning, Urban Ecology, Environmental Justice

    Utah State University

    Salvador Lindquist, ASLA

    Assistant Professor - Landscape Architecture

    University of Nebraska-Lincoln, College of Architecture

    Wes Michaels, ASLA, LEED AP

    Principal

    Spackman Mossop Michaels

    Wes Michaels is principal at Spackman Mossop Michaels (SMM) in New Orleans. He holds degrees from Harvard and the University of Georgia and has over 25 years of experience and focuses on building adaptive communities through green infrastructure. He's an Associate Professor at Tulane and a founding faculty member of the Master of Landscape Architecture and Master of Science in River-Coastal Science. Wes has won multiple ASLA awards and authored 'Digital Representation in Landscape Architecture.

  • Contains 4 Component(s), Includes Credits Recorded On: 08/19/2024

    Hear from experts and project leaders across the country as they share success stories that have shaped policy and advanced nature-based solutions. Learn about transformative projects like the Los Angeles River Master Plan and San Antonio Mission Reach Ecosystem Restoration and Recreation Project – both U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-backed initiatives – and the Butte, Montana Sustainability, Health, and Resilience Plan. Discover how these efforts are influencing policy and fostering collaboration at all scales and creating opportunities for federal funding.

    Hear from experts and project leaders across the country as they share success stories that have shaped policy and advanced nature-based solutions. Learn about transformative projects like the Los Angeles  River Master Plan and San Antonio Mission Reach Ecosystem Restoration and Recreation Project – both U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-backed initiatives – and the Butte, Montana Sustainability, Health, and Resilience Plan. Discover how these efforts are influencing policy and fostering collaboration at all scales  and creating opportunities for federal funding. 

    Learning Objectives

    • Gain insight into the newly announced US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) directive and its implications for civil works projects.
    • Understand the collaborative efforts between landscape architects, USACE, local public agencies, and community stakeholders in implementing policies on nature-based solutions.
    • Understand how these large scale master plans are creating opportunities to pursue federal funding for nature-based solutions, particularly focusing on stormwater management and water quality, habitat restoration, multimodal transportation networks, and agricultural land management.
    • Explore how initial implementation projects act as a catalyst for new policies on nature-based solutions  at the scale of the city, watershed, and region.

    Image credit: Los Angeles River at Sepulveda Basin / Sepulveda Basin Vision Plan, City of Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering, Alta

    Hayden Akana

    Landscape Designer

    San Antonio River Authority (SARA)

    Hayden Akana is the Landscape Designer for the San Antonio River Authority (SARA), where she has been a part of the Planning Unit within the Engineering Department for two years. Her work is centered on implementing nature-based solutions (NBS) that enhance water quality and urban environments within SARA’s four-county jurisdiction, reflecting her commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship. Hayden holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), Hayden’s academic background emphasizes sustainability within the built environment.

    With an emphasis on resiliency and promoting local multi-benefit solutions, Hayden has contributed to significant SARA projects such as the Leon Creek BMP project for the Watershed Master Plan Program, the Nature-Based Solutions program, and the new Water Quality Improvement Strategies in the San Antonio River Basin project. Her efforts aim to foster safe, clean, and enjoyable rivers while addressing environmental and community needs.
    Alongside her professional work, Hayden is dedicated to community engagement and education. She volunteers at local events to inform the public about the San Antonio River Authority's efforts, emphasizing the importance of small-scale actions in contributing to larger environmental goals, as well as empowering and educating individuals to make a positive impact on their surroundings. Through her work, Hayden strives to create meaningful connections between people and nature, underscoring the importance of landscape architecture in building resilient, sustainable communities that are prepared to face the environmental challenges of the future.

    Michelle E. Garza

    Planning Specialist – Planning, Engineering Department

    San Antonio River Authority

    Michelle has 12 years of experience in the environmental science and sustainable energy fields and 13 years in business management. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) where she focused on geology and worked for the Texas Sustainable Energy Research Institute. Ms. Garza has been part of the Sustainable Infrastructure/Planning Unit in the San Antonio River Authority’s Engineering Department for nine years, where she works to educate the community on nature-based stormwater solutions to improve water quality and the urban environment. Ms. Garza is the development coordinator for SARA, working with developers in mandatory coordination areas, such as the River Improvement Overlay District and Westside Creeks Water Quality Overlay, on their LID/green stormwater infrastructure to protect our community's investment in the health and recreation of our creeks and rivers. Ms. Garza has project managed, working with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) on the Upper San Antonio River (SAR) Watershed Protection Plan (WPP) Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) Master Plan 319 Grant and as the representative on contractual matters for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality on the Upper SAR WPP Implementation - Stormwater Retrofit Best Management Practices (BMPs) 319 Grant. She is actively involved in the community as Co-chair of the US Green Building Council (USGBC)-South Texas Regional Chapter, President of the University of Texas at San Antonio Urban Planning Student Association, a SARA Watershed Wise Warrior, a Texas Master Naturalist, and a Texas Waters Specialist. Ms. Garza works with SA Tomorrow’s Regional Center Plan and Community Plan areas, SA Climate Ready-Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, and the SA 2030 District.   

    Jessica M. Henson, ASLA, RLA, AICP

    Partner

    OLIN

    Jessica is a Partner at OLIN where she leads the Los Angeles Studio and directs planning and design projects that seek to create socially and environmentally resilient infrastructure including the Los Angeles County LA River Master Plan and the Sepulveda Basin Vision Plan. Her other significant projects include the reimagination of the Truman Presidential Library and Museum Grounds, the Colburn School of Dance, Chicago’s Willis Tower Roof Park, the new U.S. Embassies in London and Brasilia, the O’Hare Global Terminal, and the SELA Cultural Center. 

    Jessica’s work explores the relationships between hydrological, cultural, and social contexts. Specifically, she explores how landscape architects can create anticipatory design solutions that create more equitable communities in both urban and rural settings and respond to issues relating to flooding and water resources. In her design, teaching, and research she seeks to broaden the scope of the profession by thinking holistically about the places we live, why we live there, and the environmental, economic, and social effects of our settlement patterns. She leads the OLIN Labs @Scale project and is the author of “Wet + Dry: Rethinking the Mississippi River Cross-Section,” a study on Upper Mississippi communities exploring the relationships between income, topography, and flooding along the river.  

    Jessica is a registered landscape architect and certified planner. She holds a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania School of Design where she won the Laurie D. Olin Award and a Bachelor of Architecture with a minor in structural engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology. Jessica has also taught at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Tennessee Knoxville, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where she also served as the Undergraduate Programs Chair in the Department of Landscape Architecture. She is currently an Associate Adjunct Professor at the University of Southern California where she teaches the Master of Landscape Architecture Urban Design Studio in the School of Architecture. 

    April Philips, FASLA (Moderator)

    Founder

    April Philips Design Works (APDW)

    April Philips, FASLA, is the national chair of the ASLA Biodiversity & Climate Action Committee (BCAC), a registered landscape architect in California, a thought leader, artist, author and climate advocate. Founder of April Philips Design Works (APDW), an award-winning landscape architecture firm in California, April is now refocusing her energies exploring new horizons in art, ecology, climate action advocacy, lecturing, traveling, and making art that speaks to the experiential beauty and sprit of place. @AprilPhilipsDesign

    Eileen Takata

    Environmental Manager - South Pacific Division

    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

    Eileen Takata is the Environmental Manager for the South Pacific Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, where she leads initiatives in Cultural Resources, Environmental Justice, and Public Involvement, and supports regional programs focused on environmental compliance and drought resilience. She has also worked extensively with the USACE Collaboration and Public Participation Center of Expertise (CPCX) and is a leader in the Landscape Architecture Community of Practice.

    Before joining the South Pacific Division in 2022, Ms. Takata spent over a decade with the Los Angeles District, where she led significant projects such as the Los Angeles River and East San Pedro Bay Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Studies and played a key role in the $3 billion Santa Ana River Mainstem flood risk management project. Her work included strategic communications, public engagement, and facilitating numerous planning and safety exercises.

    A licensed landscape architect in California, Ms. Takata also has experience in private practice and public sector roles, including serving as a Watershed Planner for the County of Orange. She holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in landscape architecture and resides in a historic farmhouse in southern California with her family, where she enjoys speed puzzling, arts and crafts, and is actively involved in her church community.

    Megan Terry, ASLA, PLA, SITES-AP

    Landscape Architect/Project Manager

    Water & Environmental Technologies

    Megan is a licensed Landscape Architect and SITES Accredited Professional in Montana. Much of her philosophy is rooted in a childhood spent in the forests of Montana in a multi-generational logging family, and then as a wildland firefighter throughout the Western US. This background influences her work and understanding of high mountain deserts, the impacts of climate on the land, and the influence of humans in nature. 

    Megan’s focus is on resilient, long-term solutions that address regional and local challenges, as well as considerations for the people and animals that call these places home. Megan has experiences that ranges from large remediation and reclamation projects like the Silver Bow Creek Conservation Area to planning documents like Climate Action Plans that are based in implementable actions.

    Megan holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Idaho and studied abroad in Italy and Germany. She currently serves on the Executive Committee as the Montana Vice President for the Idaho-Montana chapter of ASLA and volunteers on several community boards including the municipal ADA committee and the Center for Performing Arts. As a foster parent and reunification proponent, Megan believes that landscape architects hold a unique position to advocate for those whose voices are often not heard, and to convey the impacts of the built environment on social connection and belonging within our communities.

  • Contains 4 Component(s), Includes Credits Recorded On: 09/26/2024

    This webinar will briefly review the fundamentals of the biodiversity crisis. Through case studies, we will then explore ways landscape architects can apply conservation science and design practices to protect and enhance biodiversity.

    Biodiversity is a simple word for the unimaginably complex sum of all life on Earth. Our societies are responsible for the accelerated loss of biodiversity, primarily through habitat destruction and fragmentation. Landscape architects are uniquely qualified to take a leadership role in protecting the diversity of life on this planet. More so than all the other design professions. 

    This webinar will briefly review the fundamentals of the biodiversity crisis. Through case studies, we will then explore ways landscape architects can apply conservation science and design practices to protect and enhance biodiversity. 

    Learning objectives:

    1. Understand the fundamental reasons for the decline of biodiversity and how landscape architects can play a role in stemming the loss.
    2. Become familiar with the links between the loss of biodiversity, climate change, and environmental justice. 
    3. Learn approaches, strategies and practices - at different scales - to protect, enhance, and off-set impacts to biodiversity. 
    4. Explore ideas for deeper dives into biodiversity design practices.

    Image above: Fern Hill Treatment Wetlands. Forest Grove, Oregon. Biohabitats / Jim Maloney

    Keith Bowers, FASLA

    Founder/Team Leader

    Biohabitats, Inc.

    As the founder and president of Biohabitats, Keith has pioneered the practice of nature-based design, green infrastructure, and regenerative design within the landscape architecture community. As a multidisciplinary organization with a mission to Restore the Earth and Inspire Ecological Stewardship, Biohabitats practices at the crossroads between biodiversity conservation, climate adaptation and environmental justice. Keith’s mission is to change the way capitalism is practiced. As a B-Corp and 1% for the Planet organization, Keith has instilled Self Governance, Wholeness, and Evolutionary Purpose as the guiding principles behind Biohabitats success. Keith is an advocate for biodiversity and ecological restoration around the world.

    Sohyun Park, ASLA, PhD, SITES AP

    Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture

    University of Connecticut

    Dr. Sohyun Park, ASLA, PhD, is Assistant Professor in the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture at the University of Connecticut. She earned her Ph.D. degree in Environmental Design and Planning from Arizona State University, a Master’s Degree in Landscape Architecture from Seoul National University, and a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology from Sookmyung Women's University. She is a SITES Accredited Professional.

    David Cutter, FASLA, SITES AP (Moderator)

    Landscape Architect

    Cornell University

    David Cutter, FASLA is the University Landscape Architect for Cornell University, renowned for its spectacular landscape, diverse architecture and sustainability ethos. He is licensed in New York, and a SITES AP with 30 years’ experience in planning, design, and management. Prior to joining Cornell, he worked as a consulting landscape architect and an environmental scientist with the Environmental Protection Agency in Philadelphia, and as a county planner, national scenic byway landscape architect, and community planner for the Army in upstate New York. While his primary duties revolve around campus planning, design and stewardship, working for a leading university has rekindled his interest in education and the nexus between academic and professional practice. He embraces the premise of the campus landscape as a living classroom and is always open to opportunities to collaborate with instructors, students and researchers to incorporate real sites, issues and research into the student experience. David has also been an active advocate for the profession, serving as a leader, mentor, and volunteer in the American Society of Landscape Architects at the state and national level, and a founding member of the Association of University Landscape Architects.

  • Contains 1 Component(s) Includes a Live Web Event on 12/18/2024 at 1:00 PM (EST)

    Webinar details coming soon...

    Coming soon...