Photo by The Holden Arboretum
Garden Ecology Ohio-style: Design to Field
Many decades ago, The Holden Arboretum, New Directions in the American Landscape (NDAL), and designer Larry Weaner began to combine ecological science, horticulture, and fine garden design - and few cared. Since then, their work has influenced countless projects from prairie, shrubland and woodland restorations, to fine gardens that incorporate the functions and feel of both – and now, many care. Through in-depth classroom sessions and interpretive field explorations, our instructors will connect theory with practice and share their insights on many years of landscape action, observation, analysis, and good old common sense.
When: Thursday, August 29th, 2024 & Friday, August 30th, 2024 | 9 AM - 4:30 PM both days
Where: The Holden Arboretum, Kirtland, OH
Category: Professional
Fee: $585
Student, Holden Arboretum, and Wild Ones members discounts available
CEUs available (APLD, ISA, LA CES, NOFA, SER - details to come)
Register by: Tuesday, Aug. 27th, 2024, 9 AM ET (2 days prior)
Limited attendance!
Photos by The Holden Arboretum
Agenda
Day 1 | Thursday, August 29, 2024
Presentation: Foundational Ecological Principles (1 hr)
Larry Weaner, FAPLD
Presentation: Case Studies of Prairies at The Holden Arboretum (1 hr)
Ann Rzepka Budziak
Field Walk: Prairies (3 hrs)
Ann Rzepka Budziak, Dawn Gerlica, Larry Weaner FAPLD
Wrap up discussion (1 hr)
Day 2 | Friday, August 30, 2024
Presentation: Ohio’s Forests & Introduction to Holden’s Working Woods (1 hr)
Mike Watson
Field Walk: Working Woods (3 hrs)
Ann Rzepka Budziak, Jessica Miller Mecaskey, Larry Weaner, FAPLD
Presentation: The Artistic Overlay (1 hr)
Larry Weaner, FAPLD
Wrap up discussion (1 hr)
Instructor Bios:
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Dawn Gerlica has worked at Holden Forests & Gardens in varying capacities since 1987. She has worked under various titles, including Seasonal, Field Botanist, Lantern Court Horticulturist, and now Senior Horticulturist. Dawn attended Hiram College where she minored in Environmental Studies while earning a degree in Biology.
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Jessica Miller Mecaskey’s work as a Woodland Community Forester focuses on conservation-oriented land management that can meet people's goals while maintaining or increasing ecological integrity. She stewards the 70-acre Working Woods demonstration forests and coordinates many of its outreach and education activities with private woodland landowners. Her professional and educational background is in forest ecology, natural resource management, written communication, and education.
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Ann Rzepka Budziak has been with the Horticulture Department at the Holden Arboretum since 2008. As a Horticulturist, she maintained the Myrtle S. Holden Wildflower Garden, collected, and propagated seed for use within the garden, assisted with heritage species monitoring, and helped maintain Holden’s commitment to the Center for Plant Conservation. In 2019, she was promoted to the position of Director of Arboretum Horticulture. Rzepka was previously employed by the Geauga Soil and Water Conservation District where she served as their Natural Resources Specialist. She earned a B.A. in Environmental Science from Hiram College.
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Mike Watson works on conservation issues involving wildlife. He also coordinates Holden Arboretum’s Bluebird Project, a volunteer-based program monitoring the nesting activity of bluebirds and other species using Holden’s 200+ nest boxes. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the College of Wooster and a master’s degree from the University of Michigan.
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Larry Weaner, FAPLD, founded Larry Weaner Landscape Associates in 1982 and New Directions in the American Landscape 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. He has been profiled in national publications. His book, Garden Revolution: How Our Landscapes Can Be a Source of Environmental Change (Timber Press, 2016) 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.”
“Always good to be out in the field ‘seeing’ the landscape through an ecologically technical lens and hear the successes and lessons learned from practical experience.”
“That was so valuable! The specifics were awesome, like traits of individual plants & design ideas (combinations & plants that tolerate each other in space & time). Specifics on species’ seed germination were wonderful!”
“This program really spoke to me. It addressed many issues I come across and inspired me to continue my work in this way.”
“Excellent as always!”
NDAL Institutional Ally:
Program Collaborator & Host:
Thank you to our Program Sponsor:
Bartlett Tree Experts - Cleveland
Visit their Facebook page
Or have an exploratory call about sponsorships:
510-518-0430
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Past NDAL In the Field Programs:
