On February 25th, I will lead a session at our annual MELA Conference (registration full!) partnered by the Chicago Botanic Garden: "Our Future Is In Your Hand - Sustainability in Action." After many years on the board and as president, I am now happy to support the group as a speaker. The conference will focus on the five elements (Soils/Vegetation/Hydrology/Materials Selection/Human Health & Well-Being) promoted in the current Guidelines for SSI or Sustainable Sites Initiative. SSI is the national landscape component that is in the process of being developed to accompany and make up for the landscape lacks in LEED for green buildings.
What really thrills me is that our local "green" industry is finally jumping on the bandwagon of sustainable development. Currrently, there is a huge range of approach, but given the economy and the market, companies that dismissed sustainability in the past, now see good reason to learn about and begin to implement green landscape policies and practices. I am hoping that the recent fall-back in the US public's understanding and support of practices developed to balance climate change is only a temporary blip.
Given my long-term efforts at professional seminars to say, substitute almonds & water for coffee & donuts or question the sustainable elements in a site design or my role in facilitating the Earthways/AFOPADI Organic Agriculture & Reforesting Project in Guatemala, it fits my stereotype that I am leading the discussion on "Human Health & Well-Being." Putting together my presentation has forced me to consider many things...not the least of which is the fragility of life and what we can do to honor it.
Here I will post some photos from the Retreat I led last fall at the Red Spirit Retreats on "Exploring Landscape: Inside & Out." What I hope they capture, in terms of human health and well-being, is the essential nature of our connections to the landscape and to each other. Too, we must value those sacred trees as they mediate our earthly selves & the planet with our dreams and the skies.
3 comments:
Thanks for this kind of post. Never seems like one can say it enough and you always bring a personal, humane touch to every subject. Still waiting for Spring here!
How encouraging to know that so much work is being done in sustainable landscape. I know that my life is richer, and calmer, and happier, for the walks I take through the woods. Thanks for the lovely post.
Thanks Linda & Altoon for such positive feedback. I wish I could walk through the woods for daily grounding. But I did notice yesterday, from the sixth floor of my husband's office, the red flush of a Linden letting us know that indeed Spring will happen.
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