Jacob Blue, Ted Spaid and Hunter Beckham will present on the Sustainable Sites Initiative at the 2011 National Green Centre

Jacob Blue: Use of Vegetation Through SITES

Jacob Blue with Applied Ecological Services will discuss the use of vegetation within the SITES context. He is working on an upcoming chapter on vegetation for the Sustainable Sites Handbook. The SITES website lists some examples of sustainable practices as they relate to vegetation (http://www.sustainablesites.org/):

• “Protect and use existing vegetation
• Use vegetation that promotes a regional identity and a sense of place
• Use vegetation to lower energy consumption
• Manage landscapes effectively to reduce potential damage

Learning Objectives:
• Exploring Design Schools of Thought
• Defining Ecotecture (Ecological Landscape Architecture)
• Defining Good Sustainable Design

Ted Spaid and Hunter Beckham: Sustainable Sites Initiative Overview  –  Lessons from two Pilot Projects

This session will provide an insight into the initiative and show examples of two pilot projects designed by SWT Design. The Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) is an interdisciplinary effort by the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at The University of Texas at Austin and the U.S. Botanic Garden to create voluntary national guidelines and performance benchmarks for sustainable land design, construction and maintenance practices.

Learning Outcomes:
• Promote a general understanding of SITES
• The importance of a strong interdisciplinary team
• Sustainable site design techniques
• Practical examples from the pilot projects

The presentations are included in the two day and one day (Monday) conference registration.

To register for the 2011 National Green Centre, visit www.nationalgreencentre.org or call 888-233-1876.

The 2011 National Green Centre, presented by the Western Nursery and Landscape Association will be Jan. 9-10 at the AMERICA’S CENTER in St. Louis, MO.