The 2017 Marcy Damon Conservation Landscaping Award winner was Adele Ashkar, FASLA. Ms. Ashkar, of The George Washington University, was be recognized for her many contributions to educating professionals and promoting sustainable landscaping in the Chesapeake Bay region.

 

Speakers & Tracks

Keynote Address

Rick Darke
The Design and Stewardship of Living Landscapes

Closing Plenary

Beth Ginter & Shereen Hughes
The Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional Certification: Preparing Professionals to Effect Change

Track A: Putting the Practical in Sustainable Landscape Practice

    • Implementing Sustainable Landscape Maintenance in Private, Public, and Institutional Settings
      Cheryl Corson, Kate Austin, Dave Hirschman, Paul Tukey

    • Early Detection and Rapid Response to Invasive Plant Infestations
      Kevin Heffernan

    • Preserving Trees in Development Projects
      Bill Elmendorf
    • Infiltration Testing For Stormwater BMPs: What Would Mickey Mouse Do?
      Dave Hirschman

    Track B: Plants, Wildlife, & Biodiversity: Understanding Pieces of the Puzzle

    • Thinking about Honey Bees and Native Bees in Landscape Design
      Sam Droege

    • From Seed Production to Your Seed Mix
      Greg Kedzierski
    • Knockout Natives
      George Coombs

    • Plant Lessons Learned from Designed Rain Gardens
      Ann English, Edamarie Mattei, Rochelle Bartolomei, Luke Jessup

    Track C: Communication: What We Talk About When We Talk About Sustainability

      • Talking About Sustainable Landscape Design: Tools and Resources to Help You Connect with Clients
        Steve Raabe

      • The Multiplier Effect of Non-traditional Partnerships: Successes with the Faith Community
        Erin Bennett

     

    • Getting it Right: Rain Garden Retrofits in Public Spaces
      Kate Austin, Ruth Hocker

    • Landscape Performance to Demonstrate Impact
      Barbara Deutsch

The 2015 Marcy Damon Conservation Landscaping Award winner was Ellie Altman.

 

Speakers & Tracks

Keynote Address
Planning for the Unplanned: Integrating Ecological Restoration Techniques & Landscape Design
Larry Weaner, Larry Weaner Associates

Summary >>

TRACK A
Landscape Design Perspectives		TRACK B
Soils and Plants: From the Ground Up		TRACK C
New Paradigms in Stormwater Management		TRACK D
Sustainable Management of the Designed Landscape

Work & Play Around the Chesapeake Bay: Case Studies in Sustainability

Julie Dieguez (handout);
Sandi Olek;
Kelly Petrey

Summary >>

Soils is Not Just a Dirty Word: Exploring the Mysteries of Managing Soil Biology

Steve Zien (handout)

Summary >>

Creative Collaboration and Resotration in Baltimore

Ashley Traut

Summary >>

Use of Compost and Microclover to Reduce Runoff and Lawn Fertilizer Use

Mark Carroll

Summary >>

Climate Change Impacts and Landscape Adaptation Strategies

David Tuch

Summary >>

Restoration and Maintaining Native Ecosystems by Control of Non-native Invasive Plants

Marc Imlay (handout & handout )

Summary >>

Regenerative Design: RSC’s, Sand Seepage, and Re-evaluating Stormwater as an Important Resource

Joe Berg

Summary >>

Picking Your Battles: Invasive Plant Control

Larry Weaner

Summary >>

Landscaping With Deer

Kathleen Salisbury

Summary >>

Successful Rain Gardens: Inspired by Wild Plant Communities

Claudia West

Summary >>

Innovation in Industrial Site Stormwater Management

David Hymel

Summary >>

An Integrated Approach to Sustainable Landscape Management

Cheryl Corson, Doug Delano, Joseph Mudd & Janet Weston

Summary >>

Plenary Address
The Challenge of Residential Design & Rating Systems: A Case Study of the Gaddy House
Lauren Wheeler, Director of George Washington University’s Landscape Design Program

Summary

The conference was preceded on Friday (November 15) with a dinner which announced the First Marcy Damon Conservation Landscaping Award to Britt Slattery as well as the print edition of Conservation Landscaping Guidelines: The Eight Essential Elements.

 

Speakers & Tracks

Pre-Conference Dinner Address
Sylvan Kaufman, Sylvan Green Earth Consulting

Challenges in Conservation Landscaping

Keynote Address
Networks for Life: Your Role in Building Biological Corridors
Douglas Tallamy, PhD., University of Delaware

Keynote Summary

TRACK A
Marketing Nature: How to Sell Conservation Landscaping		TRACK B
Innovations in Conservation Landscaping		TRACK C
Flora & Fauna: Applying Ecology to Design		TRACK D
Soil Science Simplified

An Overview of the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES)TM

Tom Hall, ASLA, AICP
Susan Hall, Landscape Designer (handout)

Summary >>

Restorative Agriculture

Margaret Morgan-Hubbard, Eco City Farms, Riverdale Park, MD

Summary >>

Water Gardening and Aquatic Invasive Species

Diane Oleson, Penn State Cooperative Extension (references & resources handout)

Summary >>

The Hidden World of Mycorrhizal Fungi

Roger Tai Koide, PhD, Emeritus Professor of Horticulture, Penn State University

Summary >>

Meadowscaping for Large and Small Spaces

Catherine Zimmerman, Author of Urban and Suburban Meadows

Role of Pollinators in Urban Habitat Restoration

Toni Burnham, Urban Beekeeper, Washington, DC (handout)

Summary >>

Maintaining Curb Appeal with Native Plants

Douglas Tallamy, University of Delware (handout)

Summary >>

The Rest of the Story: Carbon, Gardening and Biochar

Dale Hendricks, Green Light Plants, LLC (handout)

Summary >>

Non-invasive, Mostly Native, Ornamental Alternatives

John Peter Thompson, Author

Summary >>

Reducing Urban Stormwater Pollution: RiverSmart Homes Program

Jennifer Guillaume, DDOE

Summary >>

Top Plant Picks for Pollinators

Constance Schmotzer, Extension Educator, Penn State Cooperative Extension, York County (Pollinator-Attractive Plant Trial, Pollinator-Top Plant Picks Trials, Pollinator-Plant Phonology Trials handouts)

Summary >>

Urban Soil Husbandry and Sustainable Hydrologic Landscapes

Stuart Schwartz, PhD, University of Maryland

Summary >>

Plenary Address

Native Plants in Your Garden: Lessons from Nature and Culture
C. Colston Burrell, Garden Designer, Author (handout)

Plenary Summary

See photos from the conference on flickr: Turning A New Leaf 2013 (photo album)

Doug Tallamy Keynote

Friday, December 2
Willow Valley Doubletree Resort and Conference Center
Lancaster, PA

This one-of-a-kind conference brought together professionals from the landscaping industries, horticulture, planning and education to discuss and learn about current trends, issues and technologies in conservation landscaping. From the science of storm water management to native plant marketing techniques, this conference focused on innovative practices to improve your business and the health of the environment and the Chesapeake Bay.

See photos from the conference on flickr: Turning A New Leaf 2011 (photo album)

2011 Turning a New Leaf Conference attendees in the main hall.

2011 Turning a New Leaf Conference attendees in the main hall.

Welcome and Introductory Remarks
Marcy Damon, Chesapeake Bay Foundation and CCLC Founding Board President
Adele Ashkar, George Washington University Landscape Design Program

Welcome Summary

Keynote Address: D.C.’s Green Initiatives
The Honorable Anthony Williams, former Mayor of Washington, D.C.

Keynote Summary >>

TRACK A
Sustainable Landscape Design: Making Beautiful Practical		TRACK B
Selling Green: Business Models, Planning and Marketing		TRACK C
Getting It Done with Local Governments		TRACK D
The Science of Sustainability: Urban Ecology and New Technologies

Sustainable Sites Initiative and the Design Process

Nancy Somerville, ASLA

Summary >>

Business Models

Luke Jessup, Father Nature Restorative Landscaping

Jeff Potter, J&G Landscaping

Carla Thomas, Nature by Design

Summary >>

Case Study: Corsica River

Lee Edgar, Queen Anne’s Co., MD

Robert McGrory, Town of Centreville, MD

Summary >>

Soil Compaction

Stu Schwartz, UMBC

Summary >>

Sustainable Design in Practice – Developing Performance Landscapes

Faye Harwell, Rhodeside and Harwell, Inc.

Summary >>

Selling Green in a Tough Economic Climate

Stan Sersen, EnviroCenter

Summary >>

Local Government Incentives: Programs and Technical Assistance

Jennifer Guillaume, DC DDOE

Ann English, Montgomery Co., MD DEP

Aileen Winquist, Arlington Co., VA

Ron Bowen, Anne Arundel Co., MD

Summary >>

Lawns, Landscapes and Identity: Current Practices and Adoption of New Stormwater Techniques

David Myers, University of Maryland

Summary >>

Green Roofs and Living Walls: Plant Based Building Systems

Michael Furbish, Furbish Company

Summary >>

Marketing Green

Eric Eckl, Water Words that Work

Summary >>

Projects and Lessons Learned

Anya Zmudzka Sattler, ArtGarden Design

Lauren Wheeler, Natural Resource Design

Adele O’Dowd, Willow Landscape Design

Aileen Winquist, Arlington Co., VA

Daryl Braithwaite, City of Takoma Park, MD

Summary >>

The Urban Canopy

Mike Galvin, Casey Trees

Summary >>

Plenary Address

What THEY Say About Why YOUR Work Matters
Eric Eckl, Water Words That Work

Plenary Summary >>]

Friday, November 9, 2007
Northern Virginia Community College, Ernst Community Cultural Center
Annandale, Virginia

More than 260 participants were drawn to promote and learn about sustainable landscaping practices. From organic lawn care to site-specific stormwater management techniques, from backyard forests to sustainable site design, this conference focused on innovative practices to improve your business and the health of the environment and the Chesapeake Bay.

Keynote speaker Keith Tomlinson addressed ecologically smart landscaping for the Chesapeake basin.

Concurrent sessions covered profitability of green businesses, creative stormwater management, “how-to” workshops focusing on techniques and practices, and designing and maintaining native landscapes.

Closing speaker Doug Tallamy demonstrated the importance of gardening for life by supporting both plant and animal diversity in the landscape.

Friday, November 3, 2006
Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church
Bethesda, Maryland

Nearly 200 participants were drawn to promote and learn about sustainable landscaping practices. From organic lawn care to site-specific stormwater management techniques, from tree preservation to sustainable site design, this conference focused on innovative practices to improve your business and the health of the environment and the Chesapeake Bay.

Keynote speaker John Knott addressed the art and economics of natural building.

Concurrent sessions covered designing and planning communities; emerging profitability of green businesses; and “how-to” workshops focusing on techniques and practices.

Closing speaker Rich Pais explored how to work with developers to preserve healthy environments.

The conference also featured an eco-marketplace and luncheon networking opportunities.