Down to Earth
Grounding Eco-Cultural Landscape Design
While landscape design begins as an intellectual endeavor, its goals cannot be achieved without seeds, plants, and physical activity. In this program we will show how landscape designers and architects can formulate planting plans, specify installation and management protocols, and perform project oversight that effectively steer eco-cultural designs to fruition. Presentations by highly accomplished design practitioners will be interwoven with sessions by native plant growers, ecologically savvy contractors, cultural landscape practitioners, and of course restoration ecologists - all of whom are grounded in the physicality of past and present living landscapes.
Join us as we learn how to better create plans that succeed when meeting the real world.
Featured speakers: Landscape Architect Adam Greenspan, FASLA, of PWP Landscape Architecture; Kofi Boone, FASLA, Professor of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning at North Carolina State University; Professor of Environmental Conservation at the University of Massachusetts Amherst Bethany Bradley, PhD; Principals Rebecca Kagle & Andrew Korzon, PLA, of LWLA (Larry Weaner Landscape Associates); and Founding Principal Stacy Passmore, PLA, AICP, of Landscape Architecture firm Superbloom.
Photo by Mark Weaner
In 2016, NDAL received the first Regional Impact Award from the Native Plant Trust (formerly the New England Wildflower Society), recognizing our work to advance ecological landscape design and the use of native plants.
In 2024, the American Horticultural Society awarded NDAL with its annual Great American Gardeners Award in Horticultural Innovation. This prestigious award is presented to an individual/organization “whose innovations have made the field of horticulture more sustainable and accessible to all.”
38 years of innovative education
Founded in 1990 by Landscape Designer Larry Weaner and NDAL, this annual two-day symposium has a long tradition of celebrating native plants and innovative ecological practice. Reflecting the diverse factors that shape our landscapes, presenters of the Symposium have historically included landscape architects, landscape designers, horticulturists, ecologists, historians, anthropologists, artists and others. The series offers in-depth explorations of forward-looking and overlooked topics, always seeking to connect theory with practical application. Join us as we continue to connect the dots between ecological restoration, cultural landscape practice, and fine garden design.
This Symposium will have applications for those practicing in any geographical location.
Scroll down for program details.
Where & When:
Oasis Conference Center at Hilton Garden Inn (virtual options available)
304 US-22, Springfield, NJ 07081
Jan. 28-29, 2027 | 9:00 - 5:00 PM ET
Oasis Conference Center is not the coordinator of this event and should not be contacted regarding the program.
For hotel information, scroll down below the program details and click the dropdown Hotel Recommendation.
Recordings & CEUs
Recording of the program will be available early February and viewable for 3 months to all attendees
(in-person and virtual attendees).
CEUs available
CEU types: APLD, CBLP, ISA, LA CES, NOFA, PLNA, SER (12 CEU hours for most types)
Stay tuned for details & instructions
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REGISTER NOW
We thank our Symposium Sponsors!
Speakers Sponsor:
Hospitality & Scholarships Sponsors:
Friends Sponsors:
Fees
Regular Rate (in-person & virtual)
$390 if registered by Dec. 16, 2026
$420 if registered after Dec. 16, 2026
Student Rate - with ID (in-person & virtual)
$210 if registered by Dec. 16, 2026
$235 if registered after Dec. 16, 2026
+$50 dinner add-on
Register by:
Jan. 21, 2027 (In-Person)
Jan. 27, 2027 (Virtual)
Register today
Early bird pricing available until December 16, 2026!
In-Person
Virtual
*Students please email your verification of student status (ie. student ID, course schedule) to info@ndal.org upon registering.
Please note for Group Orders:
If you would like to register more than one person, please email their full names and email addresses to info@ndal.org.
Corporate/office discount:
Groups of 5+ from the same company receive a 20% discount. Please email info@ndal.org with all names & email addresses.
Day 1
Photo by Mark Weaner
Light breakfast & lunch are included both days.
Evening reception immediately following the Day 1 program with complimentary wine, beer, and hors d’oeuvres.
Optional dinner add-on immediately following reception on Day 1.
Note: This program will have applications for those practicing in any geographical location.
Identities – Understanding through Experience (1 hr)
Adam Greenspan, FASLA
PWP Landscape Architecture’s work aims to create places that bring the living world into people’s daily lives, helping to establish place-based shared identity through embodied physical experience. While many of PWP's projects may sound mind boggling when described; a 5-acre rooftop botanical park or a 300 acre art park and eco reserve in Washington, DC, they are all dynamic living landscapes that are grounded in their “place”. But PWP is also involved in smaller-scale projects that allow their team to engage in intimate ways. Some can even include experimentation that informs the larger, more complex ones. Adam will share some of these recent and ongoing smaller scaled projects, including the Cherokee Heritage Center in Oklahoma, a residential project in Maine, and the East Bay AIDS Memorial Garden in Oakland, California. All employ a close engagement with existing site geology, indigenous history and heritage, and communal memory, among other things. In a time when AI and imagined realities can seem more immediate than actual places, the natural and cultural systems and history of the physical world can still be the grounding basis for impactful and surprising living landscapes.
When Ecology Research Becomes a Design Reality (1 hr)
Stacy Passmore, MLA
How can design research translate ecological knowledge into flourishing, high-performing landscapes? This presentation explores how research, site investigation, experimentation, and ecological data can expand design thinking while guiding its translation into built work. Drawing from built and in-progress projects by Superbloom, Principal Stacy Passmore will share how a design-research approach can shape everything from project concepts and spatial strategies to planting, specifications, construction, establishment, and long-term management. As climate and ecological conditions continue to shift, landscape becomes a multi-year practice of inquiry, experimentation, construction, and stewardship, where what we learn in the field can reshape what we design next.
Understanding and Mitigating the Impacts of Invasive Species in a Changing Climate (1 hr)
Bethany Bradley, PhD
Invasive species have pronounced negative impacts on ecosystems and economies, and these impacts may be exacerbated by climate change. But, for most invasive species and invaded ecosystems, specific predictions of how invasions will interact with climate change remain unknown. In this presentation, Bethany will review the current state of knowledge about how climate change influences invasive species. Collectively, invasion science suggests that we should be on the lookout for invasive species expanding into new landscapes, emerging earlier in the growing season, and becoming even more competitive. Bethany will further discuss how landscaping choices can mitigate future climate-driven invasions.
Indigenous Conservation: Holistic Intergenerational Stewardship for the Next Seven Generations (1 hr)
Amelia Marchand, MELP
Together, intertribal leaders are transforming Western conservation models and practices into Indigenized stewardship based within Indigenous Knowledges and right relations. Fostering the right relationships of trust, accountability, and respect are integral to Indigenous conservation. From pollinator initiatives and seed saving to wildfire restoration and cultural burning practices, the L.I.G.H.T. Foundation (LF) provides networks and support to facilitate the spaces where Indigenous conservation methodologies can take root, thrive, and prosper. Since time immemorial, Tribal Nations and Indigenous Peoples have honored cultural ecologies and developed sophisticated environmental heritages through resilience and adaptation. This presentation will highlight several intertribal LF projects, and invite attendees to learn how their work can be enhanced through a deeper understanding of Indigenous practice.
Specifying the Unfamiliar: Documenting Ecological Design and Restoration (1 hr)
Rebecca Kagle & Andrew Korzon, PLA
Ecological landscapes can succeed or fail on what is written in the specifications, because the field methods behind them are unfamiliar to even experienced contractors. Andrew Korzon and Rebecca Kagle of LWLA will show how to document the procedures unique to ecological design and restoration, with examples of how to specify seed mixes, sequence and phase the work, and describe a range of weed control techniques. The aim is specifications that are detailed enough to guide the work, simple enough to use, and clear to clients and contractors alike.
A Natural History of Empty Lots (1 hr)
Christopher Brown
In this provocative talk, author Christoper Brown will draw from his book, A Natural History of Empty Lots: Field Notes from Urban Edgelands, Back Alleys and Other Wild Places (Timber Press, 2024). He will explore the ecology of these landscapes, as well as the unlikely inspiration they can provide to the designers who work to rewild them. His presentation will show how reinterpreting extreme human disturbance, from urban to postindustrial, can reveal the potential inherent to the undervalued places where nature and city intersect.
Day 2
Photo by Mark Weaner
Light breakfast & lunch are included both days.
Note: This program will have applications for those practicing in any geographical location.
Wildscaping: Explorations in Naturalistic Garden Design & Blue-Green Infrastructure (BGI) (1 hr)
Tony Spencer
In the post-wild countryside of Ontario, Canada, Tony Spencer (aka The New Perennialist) is conducting a series of open experiments to combine naturalistic planting with Blue-Green Infrastructure (BGI). He will demonstrate how his universal concept of Wildscaping can be expanded into a fluid ecological art form. This is about using plant-driven landscape design to create and sustain dynamic garden spaces, filled with beauty and wildlife, and to rekindle our relationship to the natural world. His focus will link built structure to planted landscape in a symbiotic loop to build a new nature, and adapt to the inevitable extremes of the new climate.
Designing for Success in Native Plantings & Ecosystem Restoration (45 min.)
Jack Pizzo, PLA, ASLA
We all know the promised benefits of using native plants in the landscape, creating natural areas, and restoring ecosystems. The reality is usually something that causes short / long-term problems for the project. Jack will share what 40 years in the field as a landscape architect, ecologist, horticulturist, and nurseryman have taught him about success in this space. Topics to be discussed: choosing the right space, choosing the right plants, setting client expectations, planning for long term stewardship, and creating functional specifications.
Expanding the Role of Native Seeds in Design and Restoration (45 min.)
John Seymour
In this presentation, John will explore how native seeds and plants can play a greater role in shaping designed landscapes and restoring ecological function. Designers and installers will obtain knowledge about procuring seeds and specifying which seeds belong in their projects. John will examine the importance of native seed selection, regional adaptation, plant diversity, and the development of reliable regional sources of native seeds and plants in creating resilient, ecologically meaningful spaces. Attendees will gain insights into the opportunities and challenges of integrating native seeds and plants into design and restoration practices, as well as the creative infrastructure, production systems, and supply networks needed to expand their availability and use.
Panel Discussion | Ecology-based Landscapes: Addressing the Hurdles (30 min.)
Jack Pizzo, John Seymour, and Larry Weaner - Moderated by Sara Weaner Cooper
Panelists will compare notes on overcoming the real world challenges in providing the seeds, plants, & installation techniques required to consistently achieve the goals of ecological design. This interactive session will also allow participants to ask questions of the panel and share their own professional experiences.
Sites of Remembrance: Unmapped Burial Sites (1 hr)
Kofi Boone, FASLA
Kofi will share insights from community-engaged efforts to document unmapped African American and American Indian burial sites in North Carolina. This multidisciplinary research, supported by the NC Department of Transportation, centered on the careful observation and preservation of sacred landscapes on multiple sites. Pursuing environmental justice through democratic design, these projects will demonstrate how communities traditionally excluded from environmental decision making can influence policies and strengthen their land stewardship capacity.
Before New York: The Natural Geography of the City and Its Surroundings (1 hr)
Eric Sanderson, PhD
Brooks in Brooklyn? Yep. A river in the Bronx? Sure. Wildlife roaming Manhattan? You bet! Queens and Staten Island too hold stories of incredible ecological wealth and concentrated environmental power. Join the author of Before New York: The Natural Geography of New York City (Abrams Books, 2026) and Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York City (Abrams Books, 2009) and NYBG's Vice President of Urban Conservation Dr. Eric W. Sanderson as he reveals the landscape and ecosystem ecology of the Big Apple area. If geography, rocks, soils, plants and wildlife could talk, what would they teach us about “designing with nature”? Come to be astonished, learn how ecologists see landscapes put together and transformed, and find out how you can use this information to Nature Your City (or suburb), wherever it is.
Frederic Church and the American Landscape (1 hr)
Victoria Johnson, PhD
Landscape painter Frederic Church (1826-1900) did more than any other artist of his century to celebrate the American landscape. Virtuosic and visionary, Church invented a new artistic language that used the elements of nature to tell drama-filled stories about both human aspirations and ecological complexity. At Olana, his estate on the Hudson, he forged an enduring masterpiece of architectural, interior, and landscape design. In this richly illustrated talk, Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist Victoria Johnson explores Church’s profound influence on how his compatriots saw the American landscape, and how landscape designers can more deeply envision it today.
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Speakers
NDAL gratefully acknowledges Pleasant Run Nursery
for its sponsorship of our speaker fees.
Kofi Boone, FASLA, is a Joseph D. Moore Distinguished Professor and University Faculty Scholar in the College of Design at North Carolina State University. His work is in landscape architecture, environmental planning, and environmental justice with specializations in democratic design and interpreting cultural landscapes. He directs the Just Communities Lab, is a Past President of the Landscape Architecture Foundation, serves on the board of the Land Loss Prevention Project, and the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association. Kofi is co-editor (with M. Elen Deming) of Empty Pedestals: Countering Confederate Narratives Through Public Design (LSU Press, 2024), winner of an Honor Award in Communications from the American Society of Landscape Architects and a finalist for the J.B. Jackson Book Prize from the UVA Center for Cultural Landscapes.
Bethany Bradley, PhD, is a Professor of Environmental Conservation at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her research focuses on the biogeography of terrestrial plant invasions, including how invasive plant distributions, abundance, and impact are affected by climate change. Through science synthesis and communication, Bethany also works to provide invasive species managers with the information they need to develop proactive strategies to control and prevent invasions in a changing climate. Bethany co-founded the Northeast Regional Invasive Species & Climate Change (NE RISCC) Network, which conducts actionable research in partnership with practitioners to support climate-smart invasive species management.
Christopher Brown is the author of A Natural History of Empty Lots: Field Notes from Urban Edgelands, Back Alleys and Other Wild Places (Timber Press, 2024), described by its publisher as “a genre-defying work of nature writing, literary nonfiction, and memoir that explores what happens when nature and the city intersect,” and of a series of climate fiction novels including Tropic of Kansas (Harper Voyager, 2017). He is currently working on a new book about 21st century landscape and biodiversity, with the working title Field Notes from a Near Future. He lives in Austin, Texas, where he also practices law.
Adam Greenspan, FASLA, is PWP’s Design Director and has been the lead designer on a wide range of projects including public parks, campuses, mixed use developments, competitions, and residences. Adam’s background in art and sociology combined with years of horticultural practice support an integrated approach to design and allow him to develop projects from many angles. One of his main objectives at PWP has been to integrate regenerative principles and to emphasize planting-based design concepts within each project design. Adam has collaborated extensively with architects, artists, community groups, public and private owners, in the process of realizing exceptional built work.
Victoria Johnson, PhD, is the author of three books, including American Eden: David Hosack, Botany, and Medicine in the Garden of the Early Republic (Liveright, 2019), a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. Her latest book, Glorious Country: How the Artist Frederic Church Brought the World to America and America to the World (Scribner), published in 2026 for the bicentennial of Church’s birth, received rave reviews in The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and many other publications. Victoria holds a doctorate in sociology from Columbia University and an undergraduate degree in philosophy from Yale. She is Professor of Urban Policy and Planning at Hunter College of the City University of New York.
Rebecca Kagle is a Principal at LWLA (Larry Weaner Landscape Associates), where she has worked in varying capacities since 2008. Before joining the firm, she worked for Wave Hill and Prospect Park in New York City and the Lakeshore Nature Preserve at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, designing and implementing woodland and shoreline restoration projects. Her recent LWLA work includes Origin Park in Clarksville, Indiana, with Olin, and Dia Beacon in Beacon, New York, with Studio Zewde. Committed to bridging restoration and design, Rebecca watches closely as plantings establish and evolve, and what she learns on the ground shapes how LWLA approaches its next project.
Andrew Korzon, PLA, is a Principal at LWLA (Larry Weaner Landscape Associates), where he has been a key member of the team since 2017. He brings over fifteen years of experience, including seven with LandStudies, a leading floodplain restoration and stormwater design firm, and is a licensed landscape architect in Pennsylvania and New York with a 2010 Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture from Temple University. His portfolio spans residential gardens, private estates, and commercial, institutional, and conservation lands. Andrew integrates ecology and sustainability at every scale, and the expertise he earns in the field returns to LWLA’s studio, helping the firm continuously evolve its practice.
Amelia Marchand, MELP, is a researcher, writer, and strategist with over 27 years of experience in cultural and natural resource management, climate action, and food and water security policy, working alongside Indigenous Peoples in the U.S. and First Nations in Canada. Now serving as the Executive Director of the Indigenous-led L.I.G.H.T. Foundation, Amelia made history in 2024 as the first woman Presidentially appointed to the Indian Tribe Member Seat on the Advisory Council of Historic Preservation (ACHP). She holds a BA in anthropology from Eastern Washington University and an MA in environmental law and policy from Vermont Law School. Always looking to learn from and share with others, she is a Public Voices Fellow of the OpEd Project at the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication.
Stacy Passmore, PLA, AICP, is Founding Principal of Superbloom, a landscape architecture firm working across the American West. Her work explores the dynamic relationships between people and ecological systems, treating landscape as a living laboratory for new forms of public space. Grounded in field-based research, her design practice spans public parks, campuses, ecological preserves, and regional planning, with a focus on climate, water, and changing ecological conditions. Stacy holds a Master of Landscape Architecture from Harvard University Graduate School of Design and a Master of Community and Regional Planning from the University of British Columbia.
Jack Pizzo, MS, PLA, ASLA, CPBM, ICN, is the Founder and Principal of The Pizzo Group. Founded in 1988, The Pizzo Group is one of the Midwest’s largest ecological restoration firms. The firm has earned over 170 industry awards. Jack is a published author and serves on multiple boards for conservation organizations and prescribed fire groups. Jack is also a Past President of the Illinois Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). He is committed to sustainability and naturally beautiful habitats.
Eric W. Sanderson, PhD, is Vice President of Urban Conservation and Director of the Center for Conservation and Restoration Ecology at the New York Botanical Garden in The Bronx, New York. His books include Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York City (Abrams Books, 2009), Before New York: A Natural Geography of the City: An Atlas and Gazetteer (Abrams Books, 2026), Terra Nova: The New World after Oil, Cars, and Suburbs (Abrams Books, 2013), and Prospects for Resilience: Insights from New York City’s Jamaica Bay (Island Press, 2016). Sanderson earned his PhD in ecosystem and landscape ecology at the University of California, Davis in 1998.
John Seymour is Co-Founder and President of Roundstone Native Seed and serves on the Environmental and Conservation Seed Committee of the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA). He has more than 30 years of experience in native seed production and ecological restoration. Roundstone produces over 280 species of native grasses, wildflowers, and wetland plants and offers turnkey restoration and consulting services. John is passionate about expanding regional native seed sources and advancing the use of native plants in landscape design, habitat creation, and ecological restoration.
Tony Spencer is the Canadian writer, photographer, blogger and planting designer behind The New Perennialist. He is recognized and published internationally in the world of naturalistic garden design. Day to day, Tony is a puckish ringleader for the naturalistic movement with over 110k followers on his various social media channels. He travels extensively to gardens and symposiums in his primary role as a communicator, documenter, and sharer of ideas for this movement. His first upcoming book with Timber Press is due out April 2028.
Larry Weaner, FAPLD, founded LWLA (Larry Weaner Landscape Associates) in 1982 and its educational affiliate, New Directions in the American Landscape (NDAL) in 1990. His nationally recognized work combines horticulture, landscape design, and ecological restoration, and spans more than twenty U.S. states and the U.K. His book, Garden Revolution: How Our Landscapes Can Be a Source of Environmental Change (Timber Press 2016), co-authored with Tom Christopher, received an American Horticultural Society (AHS) Book Award in 2017. In 2021 he received the AHS Landscape Design Award and the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD) Award of Distinction.
“I like the way the mix of cultural, ecological and design aspects of the presentations illuminate different perspectives and how I can incorporate those into my work.”
What 2026 Symposium participants are saying
“I found several of the speakers to be incredibly inspiring (as always)! I appreciate the combination of scientific rigor, cultural knowledge, and aesthetic applications that the different speakers present at the conference.”
“This gathering is like no other, and brings together a wonderfully diverse mix of people.”
“Love how unique the topics are! Always something totally unexpected and cool.”
“The whole conference was very inspiring. I realized I had become frustrated with the tidal wave of my daily tasks and needs to meet - the conference helped re-ground me in why this work is important and interesting, and gave me hope. The long view of always, always, always something new to learn and some new perspective was great - NDAL re-enforces for me keeping an open mind and grounded in beauty. ”
Hotel Recommendation
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Hilton Garden Inn, Springfield, NJ
(Same building as the Oasis Conference Center where the Symposium programming will be held)304 US-22
Springfield, NJ 07081$150/night + taxes/fees
Must reserve by Monday, Jan. 4, 2027, 11:59 PM for reduced rate.
Visit the booking website:
Go to: Booking Link
Enter the Group Code :
Use the group code NDAL to access the discounted rates and availability.
Select Your Dates and Room Type:
Choose your check-in and check-out dates, then select the room that suits your needs.Complete Your Reservation:
Follow the prompts to enter your personal details and payment information.
Alternatively, you may call the hotel directly at 973-232-5300 and mention the group code NDAL / NDAL ORGANIZATION ROOM BLOCK to book your room.
Registration & Portal
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When registering you will be asked to either sign into your existing account or create one. This account will give you exclusive access to the session recordings and course materials. These materials will be available until three (3) months after the live event dates.
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Please note for Group Orders:
If you would like to register more than one person, please email their full names and email addresses to info@ndal.org.
Corporate/office discount:
Groups of 5+ from the same company receive a 20% discount. Please email info@ndal.org with all names & email addresses.
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To purchase a course as a gift for someone else, go to your chosen course, click Register, then check off “This is a gift.”
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Accredited Organic Land Care Professionals of The Northeast Organic Farming Association of Connecticut receive a 10% discount on this course. Please look out for the discount code from NOFA, or contact Jennifer Shaffer, NOFA Organic Land Care’s Program Director at jennifer@ctnofa.org for the code.
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Members please reach out to the Native Plant Society of New Jersey for the coupon code to receive 10% off upon registering.
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Registration will be refunded only if notification is received before ten (10) working days prior to the live event date less a $10 processing fee.
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The program will be recorded and available to all registrants after the live session ends for three (3) months. If you are registered, you do not need to attend the live session in order to access the recording.
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You can register for 3 months past the live session date, and access the materials - including the recording - until that point.
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Zoom Webinar. Please make sure to download the Zoom application (https://zoom.us/download) and download the latest Zoom update if needed prior to the live course. We recommend that you join ~5 minutes prior to the start time. The speakers will use slide presentations. If you have any technical difficulties during the session and need to contact us, please email info@ndal.org instead of calling.
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Yes, please see the CEU details at the top of this page.
FAQs
Student Scholarships -
Free Symposium Admission
Students and recent graduates are invited to apply for scholarships granting free admission to the Symposium. Four scholarships will be awarded for the in-person event. The scholarships honor Darrel Morrison, FASLA, Senior Honorary Faculty Associate, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Planning and Landscape Architecture; and Glenn Dreyer, Connecticut College Arboretum Director Emeritus.
Scholarship volunteer benefits: Two of the four scholarship recipients will be eligible to participate as Symposium Volunteers, assisting organizers with simple event day tasks, and will receive free admission to the Day 1 dinner (valued at $50). To be considered, please indicate on the application form.
Eligibility: Current undergraduate/graduate student or matriculation in 2026/2027.
Application deadline: December 9, 2026.
Recipients notified by: December 11, 2026.
To apply: Complete this form
Applicants will be notified by Dec. 11 so that anyone who is not selected has time to register for early-bird admission, which ends on December 16.
Photo by Gina Vecchione Photography
“I am always delighted. You seem to outdo yourselves each year.”
Contact
Registration and Portal questions:
Alyssa Calderone Prevost
NDAL Programs & Administrative Associate
acalderone@ndal.org
Venue & travel questions:
Madeleine Heimer
NDAL Events Coordinator
events@ndal.org
267-587-6657
Symposium Producer
Sponsorships available - expand your reach!
Expand your company’s reach among landscape professionals and sponsor the Symposium!
*Please note: The Symposium sponsorship program is solely administered and associated with New Directions in the American Landscape (NDAL). Sponsorship of the symposium is exclusively an exchange for goods and services and does not impart any tax-deductible benefits.