News from North Carolina ASLA Sections:

Problem Solving Plants: New Innovations from Encore Azalea and The Southern Living Plant Collection

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more about applications and benefits of these premium plant brands, as well as network with professionals in the industry while enjoying light refreshments. Afterward, explore the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in a self-guided tour. Best of all, you’ll earn NCLA approved credit for one hour of continuing education.  Free to attend.

Place:             Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

Date:              Thursday October 7th

Time:              4-6 pm

Host:               PDSI (Plant Development Services Inc)

CEU Credit:  1 hour

For More Information

To celebrate National LA month, the Coastal Section will be hosting and exhibitor’s booth at The Wilmington Earth Day Festival.

The event is sponsored by Earth Day Alliance and will be held on Saturday, April 17^th, 2010 from 12 to 6PM at Hugh McRae Park.

The theme of the festival will be ‘Reduce’- implying that if consumption can be reduced then less will need to be reused or recycled.

Volunteers to man the booth are asked to contact me. Ideas for booth exhibits and activities are encouraged. Please contact Dan Blackman via e-mail  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Dan Blackman, RLA, ASLA

NCASLA Coastal Section Chair

Greetings area NCASLA members, landscape architects and related design professionals,

The first NCASLA Mountain Section Meeting for 2010 has been confirmed. 
Place:  Handmade in America http://www.handmadeinamerica.org/
Presentations:  4-5 local WNC artists (TBD) will present their work and discuss use of art and craft in the landscape.  More details on the artists will be sent out later

Date:  Thursday March 18, 2010
Time:  4:00 to 5:30 p.m.
Cost:  Free to Attend (although small donations to cover refreshments will be accepted.  NCASLA’s budget for section events is very small).

Note:  Please consider joining the NCASLA group on LinkedIn if you would like to receive or share future notices of upcoming events, presentations or conferences.  Here is the group link:
http://www.linkedin.com/groupRegistration?gid=2610527

Please forward this to any in the landscape architectural/related design professions who might be interested. If you are already in the Linkedin group and this is a duplicate email or if you no longer wish to receive these emails, please just let me know so I can remove you from the list.
Best regards,

Stephanie
NCASLA Mountain Section Chair

Celebrating Earth Day in Downtown Greensboro

 There will be a second annual celebration of Earth Day at Center City Park hosted by Sustainable Greensboro in downtown Greensboro on April 22, 2010.

Last year NCASLA was a partial sponsor of the premier event during April in conjunction with celebrating National ASLA month last April. Also, last year senior Landscape Architecture students from A&T won the "Waste Art" contest as part of the celebration.

A&T Student senior projects, firm visits & graduation

The senior class will be graduating the first week of May, April 30 is the last day of classes. They will be completing their senior projects. In Professional Practice class we will be visiting firms where Landscape Architects are employed to see how they operate locally.

Learn how you can help shape the future of the Piedmont Triad!
Featuring US Department of Transportation Secretary, Ray LaHood

In the United States the typical American family on average spends 60% of its income on housing and transportation cost. As our region continues to grow we must take action to integrate land use, transportation and housing to create livable, sustainable communities. On April 28 the Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation (PART) and the Piedmont Triad Partnership (PTP) will host the first Piedmont Triad Livable Communities Summit. This summit will feature US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood who will talk about how our region can move forward together and become a significant destination along the East coast.

April 28, 2010
8:00am-12:00pm
Grandover Resort & Conference Center
*Limited Seating Available

Register Online:
http://tinyurl.com/PTSummitReg

For more information contact the PART Office at (336)662-0002
http://www.partnc.org/LivableCommunitiesSummit.html

RANDAL SCOTT ROMIE, RLA, ASLA

 Triangle Section News

McGill Compost will be providing a lunch and learn on Friday, October 15, 2010, JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh from Noon until 2:00 pm.

Lunch will begin at 11:30 and the presentation will begin at 12:00.  The presentation is roughly 90 minutes.

The course is titled "Using Compost to Create Sustainable Sites and Manage Stormwater and Erosion".   

The course has been submitted to NCBOLA for 1.5 credit hours.  I will distribute the course number once it is approved.

 Program Overview:

1. Soil Health Concept
2. Trends in Soil and Site BMPs
3. Compost as a Tool for Landscaping and Environmental Improvement
4. Benefits of Soil Improvement for Sustainable Site Development
5. Discussion of Current Techniques for Site Regeneration and Protection

Healthy soil is the foundation of successful landscapes.  Soil restoration is at the core of ASLA’s Sustainable Sites Initiative, because it is essential for climate protection, stormwater management, water conservation, and human and wildlife habitat.  Soil and site best practices are now required in certain States and in an increasing number of local codes as part of Low Impact Development ordinances.  And they can save the savvy practitioner money and time on a variety of development projects, as well as assure long-term planting success. 

This presentation will put NC ASLA members on the cutting edge, with practical techniques for:

• Complying with State and local soil BMP regulations.
• Protecting existing soil and vegetation
• Using compost and other organic amendments effectively
• Construction sequencing for site BMPs
• Understanding how to specify and inspect soil and compost
• Using organics as EPA-approved erosion control BMPs
• Innovative site BMPs such as living embankments, flood and slide restoration
• Practical “lessons learned” from many projects: big, small, urban, rural, public and private.

Participants can receive a manual/specifications and other print and online resources for design professionals. 

The Meeting will be held at the JC Raulston Arboretum at the NC State University.

JC Raulston Arboretum