Olmsted 200 has served as the catalyst for an inspiring collection of educational programming, with conferences available via C-SPAN and webinars available through YouTube. From the Olmsteds’ connection to the National Park Service to the family’s influence on topics like campus design and international park-making, these programs clarify the Olmsteds’ impact on the field of landscape architecture and carry Olmsted’s vision into the 21st century.

On Saturday, C-SPAN 2 aired a conference hosted by the National Association for Olmsted Parks (NAOP) and the Architect of the Capitol. The conference explored how Frederick Law Olmsted and his son, Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., contributed to the preservation of public lands. Watch Frederick Law Olmsted, Conservation & National Parks.

Last year’s conference, which also aired on C-SPAN 2, highlighted the Olmsteds’ perspective on campus planning and how their principles inform campus design today. Frederick Law Olmsted, his sons, and successors believed that the physical environment of learning— meaning the buildings and grounds— played a significant role in the success of education. Olmsted planned campuses for Cornell, Stanford, and Trinity College, while the firms undertook projects at scores of institutions including Duke, Sewanee, Colby College, Harvard, Gallaudet, Wellesley, Swarthmore, and Johns Hopkins. Watch sessions from this conference here.  

NAOP’s Conversations with Olmsted webinars have been a staple throughout the bicentennial, focusing on the different aspects of Olmsted’s far-reaching influence on America’s physical landscape and social fabric. Conversations with Olmsted: An International Perspective featured some familiar faces for ASLA, like Kongjian Yu, FASLA, founder of Turenscape and professor and dean, College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture at Peking University. Watch every installment of Conversations with Olmsted here, and save the date for the final installment of the bicentennial year on December 13. Details coming soon. 

Olmsted 200 has even inspired local organizations to create Olmsted-themed content of their own. For example, Olmsted City of Greater Utica in Utica, New York, created a multi-part series exploring the city’s connection to Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., and Friends of Stonehurst created a similar video series featuring Gerry Wright as FLO himself. All of these opportunities and more can be found on Olmsted 200’s Shared Spaces blog: https://olmsted200.org/blog/

To learn more about Olmsted 200, visit www.olmsted200.org and find us on social media.