Typically landscape designers first determine their overall design direction, and then zoom in to design the details. But in an ecology-based approach, a site’s intricate environmental characteristics can and should influence big picture decisions. This two-day conference will explore crucial aspects of the native design process, beginning at the scale of individual species, and gradually zooming out to include plant community design, ecological master planning, and methods for creating sophisticated ecological designs within the context of current as well as emerging landscape practices.