April 2007 is National Landscape Architecture Month
This year's theme is "Discover Careers in Landscape Architecture."

ASLA has designated April 2007 as National Landscape Architecture Month. ASLA chapters across the country will celebrate with public outreach activities to help communities “Discover Careers in Landscape Architecture,” the theme for this year. The month encompasses Earth Day on April 22 and the birthday of Frederick Law Olmsted on April 27. Olmsted is widely credited with founding the American landscape architecture profession.

“National Landscape Architecture Month provides a great opportunity for ASLA members to introduce landscape architecture to students in their communities,” said ASLA President Pat Caughey, FASLA. “With only 30,000 landscape architects currently in the United States and the sustained growth in demand for landscape architecture services, there are major opportunities for young people considering entering the profession.”

According to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, landscape architecture is the fastest growing of all the design professions. The latest ASLA National Salary and Business Indicator Surveys support that projection, showing the average base salary and bonuses for landscape architects at nearly $90,000—up 20 percent from 2004—and firm billings up by 10 percent over the previous survey. Also, demand for landscape architecture services is projected to expand an astonishing 18 to 26 percent by the year 2014. To meet this demand, the number of graduates in landscape architecture programs needs to grow by an average of 6 percent each year.

At the national level, ASLA is working with the ACE Mentor Program to reach high school students and with the Cultural Landscape Foundation to target middle school students through its Cultural Landscapes as Classrooms program. Throughout the month, ASLA chapter events will be held to reach out to students. More information on National Landscape Architecture Month and on these local events can be found at the National Landscape Architecture home page.