On Thursday, April 14, 1:30-3:30pm ET, ASLA will host a screening of the PBS Nature film, My Garden of a Thousand Bees, followed by the post-film discussion, Designing for Pollinators, with Patricia Algara, ASLA and Clay Bolt, World Wildlife Federation expert. This exciting event is among the first of DREAM BIG with DESIGN 2022 pre-event celebrations.

About the Film

Bees play a crucial role in healthy ecosystems, including the pollination of most fruit, vegetables, grains, and flowers. These important pollinators are facing challenges from declines in their habitat and food supplies. Through actions as small as planting a section of yards or community spaces with native wildflowers, we can each make a big impact. Even one square foot can make a difference.

Lasioglossum morio (Brassy mining bee) on forget-me-not flower. | Credit: © Martin Dohrn

About the Post-Film Discussion, Designing with Pollinators [Awaiting full description from Patricia and Clay]

The time to design for pollinators is now. Creating spaces that allow pollinator species to evolve is critical. Allowing for pollinator mobility, accessibility, connectivity, and the capacity to evolve and thrive is critical to the sustainable design of outdoor spaces. Panelists Patricia Algara, PLA, ASLA and Clay Bolt will explore this topic through a close examination of pollinator design. Among the topics discussed will be the impact of systemic pesticide contamination and the sourcing of plants from growers who are committed to not using systemic pesticides.

Event Details

• Date: Thursday, April 14, 2022
   
• Time: 1:30-3:30pm ET (Film Showing 1:30-2:30pm/Post Film Discussion 2:30-3:30pm)
   
• How: Register to watch the film and join the post-discussion
  
  1. Select “Pre-order now for free” and provide an email address.
  2. If you do not already have an Eventive account, please create one by providing a password (there is no fee).
  3. On the April 14, you will receive an email reminder an hour before the event starts with the link to join the live broadcast.
  
  

About the Panelists

Patricia Algara, PLA, ASLA

Patricia Algara, PLA, ASLA was born and raised in Mexico, she is the founder and president of award-winning BASE Landscape Architecture Inc. A recognized leader in sustainable design and community involvement, Patricia creates landscapes that immerse people of all backgrounds and abilities in learning, exploration and play. Patricia’s community involvement and advocacy expand the boundaries of traditional landscape architecture. She founded an NGO – With Honey in the Heart, that creates healthy habitats for pollinators. She has lectured at many universities and has won two national faculty ASLA awards. She received her MLA from UC Berkeley in 2007.

Learn about Patricia Algara’s non-profit passion With Honey In The Heart.

Clay Bolt | Credit: Neil Losin 

Clay Bolt is a Natural History and Conservation Photographer specializing in the world's smaller creatures. Clay's photography appears in publications such as National Geographic Magazine, The New York Times, and National Wildlife Magazine. He is a Senior Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers, a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London, and a past president of the North American Nature Photography Association. His work currently focuses on protecting North America's native bee species with a particular focus on threatened and endangered bumble bees. In 2017, he was a leading voice in the successful fight to protect the rusty-patched bumble bee under the Endangered Species Act—North America's first native bee to achieve this status. In 2019, Bolt became the first photographer to document a living Wallace's Giant Bee—the world's largest bee—as part of a four-person exploration team to rediscover the species in the Indonesian islands of North Maluku.

Clay Bolt is the Senior Communications Lead for WWF's Northern Great Plains (NGP) Program where he supports efforts to protect the grasslands of the Great Plains, restore plains bison and black-footed ferrets, and support food sovereignty initiatives for the region's Native nations. Clay also provides communications support to the NGP program's Sustainable Ranching Initiative, which is committed to working with ranchers to restore croplands back to grasslands, improve management of intact grasslands, and protect grasslands with agreements that prevent conversion.

Learn more about Clay Bolt at the World Wildlife Federation.

Please direct questions about this event, Dream Big with Design and other Career Discovery resources to Lisa J. Jennings, Senior Manager, Career Discovery and Diversity at discover@asla.org. Then connect with ASLA on social media and watch for more news on #ASLACareerDiscovery events.