Some of the 2015 VA ASLA Award Winners
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Upcoming
Events
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April 2016
GVGBC LEED Lunch & Learn Presentation
April 26, 2016
12:00-1:00pm
Location Being Finalized
Designing Fitness-Focused Playgrounds and Natural Play Environments - Sponsored by Sparks@Play and Landscape Structures
Virginia Beach, VA
May 10, 2016
Richmond, VA
May 11, 2016
June 1, 2016
Fort Monroe, Hampton, VA
September 16-17, 2016
Upcoming VA ASLA event at Stone Brewery coming soon.
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Chapter Sponsors
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We Would Like to
Thank Our Sponsors!!!
If you would like to become an annual sponsor or you know a company that would,
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Greetings VA ASLA Member,
It's All About Observation
I feel fortunate every day how the VA Tech Landscape Architecture program shaped my career, everyday decisions and continued friendships. For example, Professor Paul Hellmund, through many weekend student train trips to Boston, had a tremendous impact to many of us. Professor Hellmund would take a group of students, everyone was welcome, to Boston to let us experience great public spaces and to visit every firm in town. His powerful message to us was simple and he was able to show us many real life examples of what not to do: don't spend all day at your desk (drafting board back in those days, now it would be your computer screen) get outside every day to observe how people experience the sites you are designing. I contacted Professor (recent Director, The Conway School) Hellmund recently to thank him for his insight of teaching life-long lessons.
April is World Landscape Architecture Month
and there are many ways mentioned in our newsletter below to help join the celebration. Every day we can promote the assets of our profession since well-designed public spaces are being recognized today more than ever. We can all help market the many health benefits, backed by research, of being outdoors: balance of circadian rhythms, faster healing, disease prevention, lower stress, depression and obesity, improved concentration, energy and socialization, just to name a few. We see huge increases in property values surrounding great urban parks and can share the value of evidence-based design research.
As we work and learn from each other we can also find solutions for true engagement, as also noted in a recent article by Wade Graham:
Instead of making "nature" into an urban lifestyle accessory, architects and planners must work to design better relationships between the parts of our cities and nature, and to promote just relationships between the people in them.
Missy Benson, ASLA
804-337-6763
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VA ASLA 2016 Awards
The VA ASLA 2016 Professional and Student Awards Program honors distinguished projects in Landscape Architecture completed by our State's Members and Students.
The purpose of the awards program is:
- To recognize Excellence, Exemplary Performance, and Significant contributions within the landscape architecture profession of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
- To encourage the application of landscape architectural solutions to the issues, problems, and opportunities challenging us today; and
- To provide a forum for the review and evaluation of work currently shaping our environment.
The award winning projects will be showcased at the
VA ASLA Fall Conference during a special awards event on September 17, 2016.
Submissions are due by June 1, 2016.
If you have any outstanding projects in the categories of General Design, Analysis and Planning, Residential Design, Communications, Research, and Community Service please consider entering. For more information on the program and submission requirements
click here!
*Images in header are pictures of some of the 2015 VA ASLA Award Winning submissions.
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2016 VA ASLA Fall Conference
History - Resiliency - Design
September 16-17, 2016
Fort Monroe, Hampton, VA
The Fall Conference Planning Committee is hard at work putting the finishing touches on this one-of-a-kind program.
September 16
With Historic Fort Monroe as a backdrop, an afternoon of tours are being planned. That evening we will have an opening reception.
A group of ASLA Fellows have graciously offered to sponsor the opening reception.
September 17
A day of educational sessions is being planned with the Annual Awards program to close out the day.
More information will be available soon on all of the conference events including the opening of registration.
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World Landscape Architecture Month (WLAM)
April 2016
 Join the Celebration
To help celebrate WLAM 2016, there are two great opportunities for you, as members, to show your friends and neighbors what this great profession is all about. On Tuesday, April 12
th, PBS will be airing a fantastic documentary:
10 Parks that Changed America. This program will feature 10 parks across the country that profoundly changed it. VA ASLA will be hosting a screening party in Richmond at a venue to be released shortly.
The Hashtag Challenge: #WLAM2016
Also, as part of the celebration, and to spread the word, I would like to challenge each of you to share a piece of the profession with those in your social circles. "But how can I do this?" you may ask. Even for those as social media challenged as I, it's quite simple, and here's how in 5 easy steps:
- Print out the "This is Landscape Architecture" (TILA) card below (or download it here: https://www.asla.org/contentdetail.aspx?id=45783 ). This site also tells you more about how YOU can participate.
- Go to one of your favorite designed spaces. This can be either one of your projects, or a space designed by someone else.
- Take a picture of the space with the WLAM card in the foreground.
- Share the picture on your social media site of choice (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.) with the hashtag #WLAM2016.
- Done.
This is a great way to promote the profession and to let other ASLA members nationwide know about the great work we're doing in Virginia. I look forward to seeing your pics and to the Virginia Chapter having some great images! If all else fails, ask a teenager to help you. I did, and my daughters said "welcome to the 21
st Century, Dad"! My response? Thank you. It's nice to be living in it.
Walt Cole, PLA, ASLA, LEED AP
VA ASLA Public Relations Committee Chair
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How Can You Help?
Participate in Career Fairs
Members of the staff at WPL in Virginia Beach, VA (
including VA ASLA Secretary, Mike Fox, PLA, ASLA) participated in a Career Fair at Salem High School in the area. Nearly 1,000 students attended and visited with representatives from over forty organizations.
Learn More
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Helping to Preserve Nature
Do you need to add to your service experience or resume? There is a request for design help by the Appalachian Trail Club. They are looking for a design to harden off a clay area at a trailhead and short trail connection along the Old Dominion section of the Appalachian Trail [Rockfish to Reeds Gap]. It should not take long and is in great need. If you are interested contact
Lynn Crump, PLA, ASLA before the end of March.
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Member Spotlight
Matthew N. Gart, ASLA
 Matt led a fabulous group tour of the Virginia Tech campus during our VA ASLA 2015 Fall Conference: "Tour of Sustainable Landscape Initiatives at Virginia Tech". We received rave reviews of his great tour and appreciate Matt's contribution to VA ASLA as a tour leader.
Matt is now a lead designer for Roanoke Parks.
We wish Matt the best in his new role!
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Information We Thought You Might Be Interested In Knowing About.
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service - Is now seeking proposals from states, local governments, and other third-party entities interested in developing wetland mitigation banks or modifying existing banks to restore, create, or enhance wetland ecosystems.
The agency is targeting $9 million in areas with a significant known wetland compliance workload and 13 states (including Virginia) with significant numbers of wetlands compliance requests.
The deadline to submit proposals is
March 28.
Learn More.
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National Wildlife Federation - Nature Play and Learning Places: Creating and Managing Places Where Children Engage with Nature.
Learn More.
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2016 River Management Symposium and National Outdoor Recreation Conference May 16-19, 2016 - Boise, ID
This is an unparalleled learning opportunity for outdoor recreation and river management professionals complete with Deep Dive learning opportunities and a chance to earn as many as 20 CM credits by attending the full conference.
Learn More.
$2000 Grant Opportunity for Emerging Professional Landscape Architects - up-and-coming Landscape Architects can compete for the opportunity to visit New Orleans and attend the 2016 ASLA Meeting and Expo. Twenty-one winners will each be awarded $2,000 to help cover attendance, as well as receive national recognition.
This grant competition is designed to accelerate individuals' careers in Landscape Architecture. It was created and funded by
ANOVA®
, a leading manufacturer of outdoor furniture.
Learn More
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Help Save the Chesapeake Bay in Your Own Neighborhood
Tuesday, March 22, 12:00 - 1:00pm
Interstate Center, Richmond, VA
Cost: $10 for USGBC Greater Virginia members and students/$25 for non-members
Learn how to reduce your stormwater footprint, improve water quality, and help Virginia meet goals set forth in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Improvement Plan and local TMDL Action Plan.
Learn More and Register.
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2016 National Watershed & Stormwater Conference
Tuesday, April 12, 9:00am- 7:00pm EST
Taking place in multiple locations across the US as well as online via webcast.
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The Global Grid -Looking for Interns including opportunities for: Landscape Architect Blogger, Environmental Design Blogger, and Urban Planning Blogger.
Learn More
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New Job Listings
Senior Planner
County of Chesterfield │Chesterfield, VA
Deadline for application - 5:00pm, March 24, 2016
Posted March 14, 2016
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Your 2015-2016 VA ASLA Executive Committee
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President
Missy Benson, ASLA
Playworld
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President-Elect
Walter Cole, PLA, ASLA
Clark Nexsen
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Past President
Lynn Crump, ASLA
Virginia Dept. of Conservation and Recreation
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Trustee
LuGay Lanier, FASLA
Timmons Group
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Secretary
Mike Fox, ASLA
WPL
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Treasurer
Chris Hale, ASLA
County of Chesterfield
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Member-at-Large
C.L. Bohannon, Ph.D., ASLA
Assistant Professor, Virginia Tech University
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Member-at-Large
Jarrod Katzer, ASLA
WPL
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Legislative Representatives
Billy Almond, FASLA,WPL
Ti Johnson, ASLA, Warner Larson
Rob McGinnis, PLA, FASLA, Oculus
HALS Liaison
Liz Sargent, ASLA
Liz Sargent HLA
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Membership
Luigi Mignardi, PLA, ASLA
Commonwealth Architects
Chapter Administrator
Kevin Bayes
804-523-2901
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| Our Mission The Virginia Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects' mission is to enhance the practice and benefits of landscape architecture in Virginia through advocacy, education, and service. |
| VA ASLA - 2415 Westwood Avenue, Suite B - Richmond, VA 23230 |
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