American Trails 19th National Trails Symposium

Little Rock, Arkansas

November 15-18, 2008 

American Trails National Trails Awards Program

Deadline:  May 31, 2008

Every two years, American Trails presents the National Trails Awards to recognize the tremendous contributions of volunteers, professionals, businesses, and other leaders who are working to create a national system of trails for all Americans. Nominations should cover accomplishments during the period of June 1, 2006 through May 31, 2008. The awards will be presented on November 17 during the Awards Banquet at the National Trails Symposium. The 14 categories for awards are:  

• Trail Advocacy Award (1 award per state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico) 
• Trail Worker Award (1 award per state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico)  

• Lifetime Service Award 
• Best Trails State Award (new award category)  
• Community Service Award (new award category) 
• Corporate Award 
• Outstanding Media Award 
• Outstanding Trail Sharing Award 
• Partnership Award 
• Planning/Design Award 
• State-of-the-Art Technology Award 
• Trails and the Arts Award 
• Trails for Health Award 
• Trails Public Service Award 

The deadline for submitting nominations is May 31, 2008. For awards criteria and the nomination form, visit the National Trails Awards webpage. You can also learn about past award recipients on this site.

Stay Up-To-Date with the 19th National Trails Symposium

For the most up-to-date information on the 2008 National Trails Symposium, please visit www.AmericanTrails.org/2008. Check the website often as it is updated frequently.

Contact the American Trails office for more information at (530) 547-2060 or symposium@americantrails.org.

Visit the American Trails website at www.AmericanTrails.org to access thousands of online resources for planning, building, managing, funding, and supporting trails and greenways.

Barnsdall Park

Contemporary Sculpture  by

MICHAEL C. TODD

You Are Cordially Invited to the Opening Reception on

Saturday,

April 26, 2008 4:00  pm - 7:00 pm

At  Barnsdall Park, 4800 Hollywood Blvd,Hollywood, CA 90027

WWW.BGTtix.COM

Please Contact Jeff Phillips at 1.818.725.4224

The Honorable Councilmember Eric Garcetti is scheduled to appear.  

CELEBRATING GREENSWARD:  THE PLAN FOR CENTRAL PARK  1858 - 2008

Public Events and Activities Planned to Honor the 150th Anniversary of Design Selection

The Central Park Conservancy and the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation are planning a series of public events and activities to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the design for Central Park ¾ one of America’s most important works of art and a treasured New York landmark.  On April 28, 1858, the Board of Commissioners of Central Park chose the Greensward plan submitted by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux for the design of America’s first major urban public park.  Today, Olmsted and Vaux are considered to be the founders of the profession of landscape architecture in America.

“The urban parks movement of the 19th century was the result of the immediate success of Central Park; every major city in the nation created parks based on New York’s exemplary public space,” says Douglas Blonsky, President of the Central Park Conservancy and Central Park Administrator.  “Today, it is one of the world’s great urban spaces, and we are pleased that in its 150-year history the Park has never looked more beautiful or been better managed.” 

Blonsky continues, “The restoration and maintenance of our nation’s historic parks has become today’s challenge, and once again Central Park, through the Conservancy, is at the forefront of that movement.  In 2008, we will celebrate the significance of this American masterpiece as well as its phenomenal recovery.”

“A great social experiment was begun in New York City 150 years ago when Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux designed Central Park,” says Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe. “Over the last 28 years, the Central Park Conservancy and the City of New York have teamed up to restore this masterpiece of landscape design and manage it as the great public backyard for New Yorkers and visitors — 25 million a year.”

Highlights of the commemorative events and activities planned for April 2008 include:

• Creating Central Park panel discussion at The Metropolitan Museum of Art: 
  Saturday, April 26, 2:30 pm
  
  
• Celebrating Greensward exhibition in the Arsenal:  April 23 through June 19
  
  
• Behind the Scenes free walking tours of Central Park led by Central Park Conservancy staff:  Sunday, April 27, 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm

The Bank of New York played a crucial role in the design of Central Park, when bank Director John A.C. Gray, on the advice of Calvert Vaux, convinced fellow Park Commissioners to hold a design competition for the Park.  In honor of this historic connection, The Bank of New York Mellon will support some of the events and activities during the anniversary celebration.

The story of Central Park’s design begins with Calvert Vaux, a young determined British architect, who moved to America in 1850 to create homes and estates for the Hudson River clientele of landscape designer Andrew Jackson Downing.  Downing had promoted the idea of a large New York City park in his magazine, The Horticulturalist.  In 1852, Downing drowned in a Hudson River steamboat accident and in 1856 Vaux moved to New York City to establish his architectural practice. 

Vaux approached Park Superintendent Frederick Law Olmsted to enter the design competition with him.  The winning design plan, which Olmsted and Vaux named “Greensward,” from the English word for “unbroken stretch of turf or lawn,” was innovative and visionary.

“Central Park in the 1850s was America’s greatest example of the marriage of aesthetics and engineering.  Above ground it is a designed landscape that copies nature so closely that it disguises its own fabrication, and below ground, it is an efficient technological system,” says Sara Cedar Miller, author of the book, Central Park, An American Masterpiece, and the Central Park Conservancy’s Park photographer and historian.

Few people are aware that the Park is entirely man-made with the exception of the rock outcrops.  Most of the Park’s meadows were created by draining the swamps and filling them with tens of thousands of cartloads of soil.  The Park’s lakes were the result of water flowing through the same system of pipes that also filled the bathtubs and kitchen sinks of New Yorkers.

One of the principal reasons why the Greensward plan won the competition was its unique approach to addressing the need for at least four east/west traffic crossings.  Ahead of their time, Olmsted and Vaux proposed to sink these transverse roads.  This technological innovation ¾ combined with strategically placed vegetation ¾ creatively screens out the crosstown traffic from public view, freeing Park visitors of the noise and bustle of the City, thus creating what the designers’ referred to as “a single work of art.” 

When the Greensward plan was selected in 1858, 106th Street was the northern terminus of the future Park, but it was modified in 1863 to add the land up to 110th Street.  The landscapes of the Park were completed in 1873. 

The Central Park Conservancy’s mission is to restore, manage, and preserve Central Park, in partnership with the public, for the enjoyment of present and future generations. 

The Central Park Conservancy is a private, not-for-profit organization founded in 1980 that manages Central Park under a contract with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.  Thanks to the generosity of many individuals, corporations, foundations, and the City of New York, the Conservancy has invested more than $450 million to date into the Park, making it a model for urban parks worldwide.  The Conservancy provides 85 percent of Central Park's $27 million annual operating budget and is responsible for all basic care of the Park. 

For more information, visit www.centralparknyc.org.

# # #

The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF) Hosts the Inaugural Pioneers of American Landscape Design Garden Excursion: Celebrating the Modernist Parks and Gardens of Robert Royston

TCLF has announced that the first Pioneers of American Landscape Design Garden Excursion will place a spotlight on the work of Robert Royston, FASLA. The two-day, “curated” tour will offer a unique opportunity to visit and learn about a variety of lesser-known and astonishing public and private landscapes by one of California’s pioneering Post-War landscape architects, Robert Royston. The tour will be led by Royston biographer  J.C. Miller, along with Royston himself. 

Tour space is limited to 24 people.  Fully tax-deductible tickets will benefit the production of TCLF’s Oral History module dedicated to the life and legacy of Robert Royston.

To purchase tickets, please visit http://tclf.org/events/royston_excursion.htm

The AIA 2008 National Convention and Design Exposition will be held May 15–17 in Boston. Architects can earn all the learning units they need over four days with numerous choices of workshops, seminars, tours, and expo education. The expansive expo floor features over 800 exhibitors ready to help attendees discover the newest products and services in the industry.

This year’s convention theme, We the People, will explore how architecture works on behalf of all people and society. Theme speakers include the founder of Habitat for Humanity, Millard Fuller, who will speak on sustainable design; Thomas Vonier, FAIA, RIBA, who will moderate a panel discussion on urban security; and Ambassador Andrew Young, who will address the legacy of Whitney M. Young Jr. For more information and to register, visit www.aiaconvention.com.

The Garden Conservancy and Flora Grubb Gardens present the 2008 Garden Design Chats at Flora Grubb Gardens, 1634 Jerrold Avenue, San Francisco, featuring a book talk and signing with Jill Nokes, landscape designer, on Thursday, May 15, 2008, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., discussing her book, Yard Art and Handmade Places: Extraordinary Expressions of Home.

            In her book Yard Art and Handmade Places (University of Texas Press, 2007), Jill Nokes profiles twenty homemakers who have used their yards and gardens to express their sense of individuality, to maintain connections to family and heritage, or even to create sacred spaces for personal and community refreshment and healing.

            Jill Nokes, an authority on native plants and ecological restoration, sought out residents who had transformed their yards and gardens into oases of art and exuberant personal expression. In Yard Art and Handmade Places, she presents their stories, told in their own words, about why they created these handmade places and what their yard art has come to mean to them and to their communities.

            Her book celebrates the fact that, despite the proliferation of look-alike suburbs, places still exist where people with ordinary means and skills are shaping space with their own hands to create a personal expression that can be enjoyed by all. 

Jill Nokes is a horticulturist, a landscape designer, and an author with a special interest in native plants and ecological restoration. She lives in Austin with her husband and two daughters, and has opened her garden to visitors through The Garden Conservancy’s Open Days Program.

Wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served at 5:30 p.m.; talk will begin at 6:15 p.m. Fees for this event are $25 per person with advance registration before May 8; $30 per person after May 8 or at the door. To register and for more information, contact The Garden Conservancy, West Coast Office at (415)561-7895, email wcprog@gardenconservancy.org, or visit www.gardenconservancy.org.

CALL FOR PAPERS

DESIGNING THE PARKS

A conference in two parts examining the design of buildings and landscapes in regional, state, and national parks.  Sponsored by the University of Virginia, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, and the National Park Service.

Designing the Parks, Part 1: The History of Park Planning and Design

Charlottesville, Virginia (May 20-22, 2008)

Designing the Parks, Part 2: The Present and Future of Park Planning and Design

San Francisco, California (Fall 2008)

This conference will meet for three days in Charlottesville, Virginia (May 20-22, 2008).  A three-day work session in San Francisco will follow in the fall of 2008.  In Charlottesville the meeting will be hosted by the University of Virginia and the papers presented will address the history of the planning and design of regional, state, and national parks.  The San Francisco meeting, which will be held at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, will explore current issues and future trends in park planning and design, building on the research presented the Charlottesville meeting.

Interested scholars, scientists, park professionals, and design practitioners are invited to submit paper abstracts of no more than 300 words for the Charlottesville meeting of Designing the Parks by January 7, 2008.

At both meetings, participants will include architects and landscape architects, historians, scientists, national and state park managers, partnership organizations, and others involved in park research, design, and management.  Many types of landscape reservations will be the subjects of papers and presentations at both meetings of Designing the Parks, including but not limited to scenic and wilderness reservations, historical and archeological parks, ethnographic and memorial sites, national heritage areas, and protected landscapes of all types.  The Charlottesville and San Francisco meetings of Designing the Parks will be linked in terms of content, themes, participants, and mutual relevance.

The papers presented at the Charlottesville meeting of Designing the Parks will feature new research into the history of the planning and design of regional, state, and national parks.  Many aspects of park design will be considered, including buildings, designed landscapes, park roads, interpretive design, or any other aspect of how parks have preserved and presented nature and history to the public.  Please include short résumés, titles, affiliations, and full contact information for all presenters.  Participants are invited to submit abstracts for any of the thematic sessions suggested below, or to propose their own thematic session.

Send abstracts to: designingtheparks@virginia.edu

or mail to:

DESIGNING THE PARKS

University of Virginia, Campbell Hall
P.O. Box 400122
Charlottesville VA 22904-4122

This two-part conference will meet for three days in Charlottesville, Virginia (May 20-22, 2008) and three days in San Francisco (Dec 9-11, 2008). In Charlottesville the meeting will be hosted by the University of Virginia and the papers presented will address the history of the planning and design of regional, state, and national parks. The San Francisco meeting, which will be held at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, will explore current issues and future trends in park planning and design, building on the research presented the Charlottesville meeting.

At both meetings, participants will include architects and landscape architects, historians, scientists, national and state park managers, partnership organizations, and others involved in park research, design, and management. Many types of landscape reservations will be the subjects of papers and presentations at both meetings of Designing the Parks, including but not limited to scenic and wilderness reservations, historical and archeological parks, ethnographic and memorial sites, national heritage areas, and protected landscapes of all types. The Charlottesville and San Francisco meetings of Designing the Parks will be linked in terms of content, themes, participants, and mutual relevance.

The purpose of the Charlottesville session is to assess lessons learned through an examination of park planning and design history. The research presented will provide a foundation for presentations and workshops addressing the unique challenges facing current park design and management, which will be the subjects of the San Francisco meeting of the conference. Both meetings of Designing the Parks will also stand independently for those attending one or the other of the meetings.

The conference is cosponsored by the National Park Service, The Cultural Landscape Foundation, the University of Virginia, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, the National Parks Conservation Association, and the George Wright Society.

For more information, see www.designingtheparks.com

Linking Differences—Defining Actions, reveals that although we are aware of our contrasts and heterogeneity, we are also concerned with how to bridge those differences in order to begin defining actions with a shared responsibility. At this EDRA conference we will come together to explore how environmental design can be used to collaboratively solve common challenges and help to link different subcultures through implementing specific plans and devising effective local strategies.

Veracruz, originally called the Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz, was the first municipality in the Americas. It was here where the first encounter between two cultures, the Spanish and the Indigenous, occurred. Since the beginning, Veracruz has been full of contrasts, inequities and differences. The cultural richness and knowledge of our indigenous and ethnic groups is so strong that it has been able to survive across the centuries and its presence is a voice that still sounds all over our country. The city of Veracruz is a splendid and beautiful port, which serves as an important channel of communication between Mexico and the whole world. Veracruz is known as the four-time heroic city for the important roles it has played in various worldly battles and serves as the birthplace of Mexican Independence. Veracruz is home to incomparable beaches, lagoons and rivers that amaze us with their natural wonders, and equally amazing archaeological and colonial sites.

11^th US/ICOMOS
INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM

May 28 - 31, 2008 in Washington, DC

For more information:

http://www.icomos.org/usicomos/Symposium/SYMP08/2008_Symposium_Theme.htm

Beyond Wetlands:  Engineering the Landscape

Hosted By: Biological Systems Engineering, Virginia Tech
Dates: Workshops June 9th-10th, Meeting June 11-14st, 2008
Location: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA

http://www.cpe.vt.edu/aees/index.html

Join the Museum of Arts & Design for tour of the sculptural and architectural installations along Pier 66, a part of the Hudson River Park’s latest developments. Artist Paul Ramirez Jonas and architects Allan and Ellen Wexler will discuss the plans and concepts behind their publicly installed works, and the challenges involved with designing for the great outdoors.

Paul Ramirez Jonas is the artist behind “Long Time," a 30-foot, stainless steel waterwheel that uses the Hudson River’s changing tides to power a connected odometer. The Wexlers created “Two Too Large Tables” an installation that provides seating and shade, encourages social interaction and engagement with the views and landscape of this unique setting.

For more information or to RSVP please call 212-956-3535 x 127 or email education1@madmuseum.org

Join the Museum of Arts & Design on a tour of Governors Island with architects Rob Rogers and Jon Marvel of Rogers Marvel Architects. Over the past few summers, Governors Island has emerged from its shadowy military past to become one of the New York City’s great outdoor public spaces.  After years of debate and discussion, a plan has been selected that will transform the Island into a natural playground with high-concept landscape design and architecture. The new island, designed by the collaborative team of West 8/Rogers Marvel Architects/Diller Scofidio + Renfro/Quennell Rothschild/SMWM, will include free wooden bicycles for use navigating around the island, hills and caves for climbing and exploring, and a new ferry terminal for easy transportation to and from the big city.

For more information or to RSVP please call 212-956-3535 x 127 or email education1@madmuseum.org