Growing PHYTO: Integrating Phytotechnologies in the Public Realm to Mitigate Polluted Sites - 1.25 PDH (LA CES/HSW)

Phytotechnology utilizes plants to remediate groundwater and soils. Commonly the focus of obscure sites, recent phytotechnology projects have moved into cities increasing plant performance to sequester carbon and reduce the heat-island effect. This session explores the budding relationship between scientists and designers by looking at case studies that integrate phytotechnologies into public landscapes.

Learning objectives:

Discover the landscape architectural applications and metrics of phytoremediation and phytotechnology- how plants can be considered for the removal, or mitigation of contaminated soil and groundwater that frequently affect communities.
Explore recent case studies that illuminate the equitable, scientific, and public-health advantages that phytotechnologies can have on community and landscapes such as streetscapes, parking lots and brownfield developments.
Understand the science behind the multi-performance benefits of Hybrid Poplar trees that go beyond the perceptions of these maligned trees.
Learn the full-service methods to develop a robust phytotechnology planting application - from early planning strategies, client education, design and specification, propagation and sourcing, installation, and long-term maintenance and monitoring.

Erik Prince, ASLA

Principal

Atlas Lab Inc.

Erik Prince is a Principal at ATLAS Lab and a guiding force of the firm’s advocacy for culturally and ecologically responsive design. Erik translates strategic planning into experiential design, integrating natural systems and evoking local history. His leadership are distinguished in the profession with expertise in planning for resilience, building urban parks, and using innovative fabrication techniques in construction. Erik has been a Lecturer at UC Berkeley and Northeastern University. He holds a BS in Landscape Architecture from Colorado State University. He graduated with Distinction from the Harvard Graduate School of Design and was awarded the Jacob Weidenmann Prize.

Kate Kennen, ASLA

Owner & Associate Teaching Professor

Offshoots, Inc. & Northeastern University

Kate Kennen is founder of Offshoots, Inc., a Boston, MA landscape architecture and horticultural installation practice focused on productive planting techniques and phytotechnology consulting. She grew up on her family’s garden center Pleasant View Nursery, which she now helps operate, and has degrees from Cornell University and Harvard’s Graduate School of Design with distinction in Landscape Architecture. Kate’s book, co-authored with Niall Kirkwood, PHYTO: Principles and Resources for Site Remediation and Landscape Design, received national awards. Kate is also a fulltime faculty member at Northeastern University’s College of Arts, Media and Design teaching landscape technologies and planting design.

John Freeman III

Chief Science Officer

Intrinsyx Environmental

John L Freeman, Ph.D., is Chief Science Officer of Intrinsyx Environmental NASA-Ames Research Park and Researcher at NASA-Ames Earth Sciences Forestry Division in Biospheric Branch SGE. His research includes microbial endophyte phytoremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons, chlorinated compounds, explosives, and tolerance mechanisms of Salt/B halophytic plants. He manages twenty phytoremediation projects in USA collaborating with large Environmental Engineering Firms, EPA, USGS and USDA-ARS and Supervises laboratory research projects at NASA-Ames. Dr. Freeman received a dual major B.S. in Environmental Sciences and Microbiology minored in Chemistry at Northern Arizona University and a Ph.D. in Plant Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Purdue University.