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iv | CONNECTICUT LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
Copyright ©2022
Connecticut Chapter
American Society of Landscape Architects
P.O. Box 209197 | New Haven, CT 06520
www.ctasla.org
Contents
LaCOnNdNsECcTaICpUeT
Architecture
FALL 2022
Walnut Hill Park, New Britain
(Photo: Mike Rettenmeier)
ON THE COVER: Wickham Park, Manchester, CT, designed by Olmsted Associates (photo: Lauren Wholey); EDITOR: Lauren Wholey, ASLA
Inset: Bust of Frederick Law Olmsted at Beardsley Park, Bridgeport, CT (photo: Stuart Sachs). DESIGN: J.M. Communications
FALL 2022 | v
Contents
1 From the Editor
3 From the President
7 From the Trustee
9 Executive Committee
1 3 Olmsted Award
23 Scholarships
PROGRAMS
Grace Farms Earth Equity and Design
38 for Freedom | Landscapes Forum
44
The Other Olmsteds: Planning for
Connecticut’s Future
EXPLORING OLMSTED
Frederick Law Olmsted in Connecticut
54
64 In Defense of the Union: Mr. Olmsted’s War
7 1 on Disloyalty and Disease
Off the Beaten Path: Vernacular
Explorations Along the Olmsted
Legacy Trail
79 Advocacy Grace Farms,
84 World’s Best Advertisers New Canaan
(Photo: Cynthia Reynolds)
vi | CONNECTICUT LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
FROM THE EDITOR
TAhe past is still presents a fairly recent transplant from California to Connecticut,
it was a delight to discover that I had landed, by chance,
in the state of Frederick Law Olmsted’s birth. How
Olmsted shaped many parts of Connecticut through his
design work, and how Connecticut shaped Olmsted, the
founder of the landscape architecture profession, is a story I have learned
a great deal about this past year, and which I am excited to share in this
Olmsted200 edition of Connecticut Landscape Architecture.
This year, the 200th anniversary of Olmsted’s birth, has brought
focus and attention to Olmsted’s legacy. ASLA Connecticut is proud to
present the aptly named Connecticut Olmsted Award to Preservation CT
and the State Historic Preservation Office, who, together with the Red
Bridge Group, have put together a statewide context and survey report
of all the Olmsted-designed landscapes in Connecticut. This report is
deeply researched, comprehensive, and beautiful to look through.
ASLA Connecticut also presents to you three features of what can
loosely be understood as past, present, and future implications of
Olmsted’s legacy in Connecticut. Oliver Gaffney writes of some of the
lesser-known history of Olmsted’s social reformer and public administra-
tor work. Phil Barlow and Elena Pascarella give an overview of Olmsted’s
life and highlight some of his many public parks and projects still in active
use in Connecticut. And Susan Fiedler proposes the beginnings of a new
Connecticut Olmsted trail, which could bring Olmsted’s full life history
more tangibly to the present.
What I have learned from this past year of delving into the history of
Frederick Law Olmsted, with the help of fellow landscape architects and
historians, is that the past is still present — in the parks and landscapes
Olmsted and his firm created, and also in the technical and soft skills
Olmsted used in order to make life better at the intersection of people
and nature. These skills are still very much alive in the practice of
landscape architecture.
Lauren Wholey, ASLA, Editor
[email protected]
FALL 2022 | 1
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FROM THE PRESIDENT
IThe magic of the national conferenceam so excited and honored to be your president for the year of
2023. I look forward to serving you in the coming months and
taking next steps with the organization as a whole. I first became
involved with ASLA Connecticut in 2020 on the Advocacy
Committee, then on the Executive Committee as member-at-
large. I had just finished my masters in 2020 and recently returned to
Connecticut after five years away. It was the height of the pandemic,
making it a huge struggle to meet people in the field. Years later, ASLA
Connecticut has connected me with dozens of professionals, helped me
secure my position at S/L/A/M, and given me the opportunity to attend
the national conference. I recently returned from San Francisco from my
first ASLA Conference on Landscape Architecture as a professional, and
my experience there is fresh in my mind. I attended trainings for new
chapter presidents, which outlined skills and updates from National
ASLA to serve our chapter. In addition to the required training, there
were many more experiences, and one huge surprise, that strengthened
my connections outside our state and provided knowledge and insight
that I am excited to bring back and share.
Many of the panels I attended covered the topic of diversity in the
field. I am part of my company’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
group, and I am personally invested in diversity in the field. There were
discussions about many facets of this important topic, including different
paths to leadership, hand-drawing skills as a way to communicate, and
increased visibility of DEI issues and ideas, as well as how leaders can
take initiative and make space for diversity at their firm. We discussed
how firms can be more transparent and therefore more democratic,
All photos: Ellen Fallon-Senechal
An evolution of handwork over
the design process from the
“You Can’t Be What You Can’t
See: Visualizing Diversity in
Leadership” panel by Nicole
Warns, Swati Khimesra, and
Monique Bassey.
FALL 2022 | 3
how mentorship can take many different and This year’s big move was ASLA unveiling
necessary forms, and how (while it might take their new Climate Action Plan. It is
longer) design is always better when there ambitious, but I am confident we can
are a multiplicity of voices and perspectives at make significant strides towards
the table. achieving the goals outlined in the plan
Another message I took from these pan- as tenacious professionals.
els was a call to action regarding video and
our work. There is something so compelling This year’s big move was ASLA unveiling
about seeing a space in action, whether it is their new Climate Action Plan (www.asla.org/
capturing seasonality, programming, or even climateactionplan.aspx). You, the members,
the construction process. This is the direction indicated that climate change is the most
so many media outlets are headed that it just important issue to you on the legislative
makes sense for us to share our amazing body survey multiple years in a row. As a result, the
of work this way. What good marketing! Not goal for the entire organization is zero carbon
to mention, a great recruitment and visibility emissions by 2040. The first move ASLA made
tool for our field (looking at you, TikTok). in this effort was to hire a firm to audit the con-
Being on the west coast in San Francisco vention with regard to emissions. The results
for the conference provided me the opportu- could have big impacts on the convention
nity to get out and about in the city and look moving forward. There are many worthwhile
for inspiration in a place that was unfamiliar. I goals in the action plan focused on every-
visited Muir Woods National Monument with thing from water to climate justice. Please
my colleagues. What an awe-inspiring, hum- take some time to read it. It is a living docu-
bling experience. I literally could not grasp ment and I know ASLA would love to hear our
the age nor capture the size of these trees in opinions on its contents. It is ambitious, but I
pictures. am confident we can make significant strides
towards achieving the goals outlined in the
plan as tenacious professionals.
Then, there was the surprise. In the
Climate Action Plan committee there were
five people on the task force to draft the
Above: ASLA’s new Climate Action Plan will create
challenges and opportunities for landscape archi-
tects. Left: A moment in Muir Woods.
4 | CONNECTICUT LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
Above: Sketches from field session “SKETCH SF! Drawn Through the Heart of San Francisco,” led by Chip
Sullivan, Robert Chipman, James Richards, Richard Alomar. Below: Meeting for dinner with my two sisters
and Jean Senechal Biggs (a distant cousin, who is also a landscape architect!).
Action Plan and nineteen on the advisory have two sisters living in California near San
committee. One of the people on the advi- Francisco and had planned on meeting them
sory committee is named Jean Senechal for dinner. After discovering a cousin I never
Biggs, trustee of Oregon’s chapter. I thought knew I had, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity
to myself, how many people have that last to introduce Jean to them.
name? I found a panel she was running and, All of this is to say, you never know what
afterwards, I introduced myself. She had been you are going to learn, what you are going
wondering the same thing I had and, after to see, or who you will meet at these conven-
comparing notes, we discovered our fathers tions. If you have the opportunity to attend,
were cousins! I was so excited to meet a new please do! I have been incredibly lucky to
family member that was a landscape architect have had this experience and I am excited
by training as well as a chapter leader. I also to share what National is doing for us all
with you. And we have an energized ASLA
Connecticut Executive Committee of many
young, enthusiastic, and spirited officers.
I cannot wait to get started.
Best,
Ellen Fallon-Senechal, ASLA
[email protected]
FALL 2022 | 5
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FROM THE TRUSTEE
What an awesome INever stop learningstill have trouble explaining to people what a landscape architect
profession!!! We are artist, does. I feel like I am trying to define Art. The “minimally competent“
skill set we must have for licensing is hardly close to the diversity
scientist, researcher, of skills we learn and master. Every detail requires exploration and
networker, and more. research, with more and more knowledge layered on. It might start
with trying to understand a new type of concrete, which leads to research-
ing additives and aggregates, which further leads to understanding curing,
stone types, and methods of crushing. All of that leads to a multitude of
internet queries and phone calls to find out what’s available at local quar-
ries, and learning more about local geology. Then you go to the quarry to
see what the materials feel and looks like, and you end up meeting really
interesting people, who tell you about this great stone carver…
What an awesome profession!!! We are artist, scientist, researcher,
networker, and more. In the end we still need to find the beautiful solution
and get the project done right!
ASLA is here to help. Next time you are searching for ways to solve a
problem, learn a technique, find a product, or gain inspiration, consider
the value of ASLA’s resources:
• An extensive collection of online CEU programs (learn.asla.org)
• Research reports in areas related to landscape architecture (asla.org/
researchreports)
• Professional Practice Networks (PPNs), which provide opportunities
for professionals in the same areas of practice to exchange informa-
tion, learn about current practices and research, and network with
each other (asla.org/ppnopportunities)
• A world-class convention (asla.org/conferenceandevents) that
includes a full range of field trips and programs
• The Career Discovery hub (asla.org/yourpath)
• ASLA awards (asla.org/awardshome)
• And of course all of our state chapters (asla.org/aslachapters)
That is really just the start of everything ASLA does!
Renew your membership, and never stop learning, networking, and
exploring landscape architecture.
Barbara A. Yaeger, ASLA
— Barbara Yaeger is a principal of Land Canvas Landscape Architecture. She can be
reached at [email protected].
FALL 2022 | 7
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The Connecticut Chapter of ASLA is led by an all-volunteer executive committee elected by the members. The
leadership year coincides with the ASLA annual meeting in the fall (this year taking place in San Francisco, CA,
from November 10-13, 2022).
ELLEN FALLON-SENECHAL DANIEL GRANNISS RACHEL MEIER SEAN RAGAN ALLISON CASSELLA
President Past President President-Elect Vice President Secretary
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Beardsley Park, Bridgeport
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FALL 2022 | 13
Connecticut Olmsted Award:
Preservation Connecticut and the Connecticut
State Historic Preservation Office
At a program on September 23, 2022 at Wickham Park in Manchester, CT, Since 1992, ASLA
ASLA Connecticut’s President-elect Ellen Fallon-Senechal and Treasurer Connecticut has recog-
Oliver Gaffney presented the Connecticut Olmsted Award to Christopher nized a person or orga-
Wigren, Deputy Director, accepting for Preservation Connecticut and Jenny nization in Connecticut
Scofield, National Register Coordinator, accepting for the Connecticut State that has employed the principle
Historic Preservation Office. of stewardship of the land with
the Connecticut Olmsted
Award. This annual award
honors the life and lasting legacy
of Frederick Law Olmsted, a
native son of Hartford, who pio-
neered the modern landscape
architecture profession, advo-
cating for public spaces and the
stewardship of natural resources.
In 2022, which marks the
200th anniversary of the birth
of Frederick Law Olmsted
(1822-1903), it feels doubly
appropriate to recognize two
groups which have put forth a
tremendous effort to recognize
and celebrate Olmsted’s legacy
in Connecticut.
Preservation Connecticut
(PCT) and the Connecticut
State Historic Preservation
Office (SHPO) have worked
together this past year to doc-
ument and make public the
life and work of Frederick Law
Olmsted, as well as the contin-
ued work of the Olmsted firm,
which practiced in different
forms from 1860 until 1979.
14 | CONNECTICUT LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
The documentation of
Frederick Law Olmsted’s life and
work in Connecticut was, and
is, a tremendous undertaking.
The idea for this project began
in 2017 when the National
Association for Olmsted Parks
(NAOP) promoted the idea that
Connecticut had an important
place in the Olmsted story. Since
then, Preservation Connecticut
and the State Historic Preserva-
tion Office hired the Red Bridge
Group, a nationwide heritage
consulting firm, to survey and
document 139 Olmsted land-
scapes in the state. A record
was made of the history of these
sites, as well as their current state,
ranging from intact to no longer
in existence. Also assessed were
the signature design elements
of an Olmsted landscape (see
sidebar, page 17), the influence of
Connecticut on Olmsted designs,
and the legacy of Olmsted
designs on Connecticut.
Preservation Connecticut In observance of the Olmsted
bicentennial, Preservation
Connecticut and the Connecticut
State Historic Preservation Office
teamed up to study Olmsted
heritage, influences, and historic
landscapes in Connecticut, with
the help of a consultant team
from the Red Bridge Group. The
consultants documented 139
Olmsted landscape projects
across the state and created a
detailed account of the Olmsted
firm’s origins and ongoing
relationship with Connecticut.
Find a link to the 233-page report,
and more information about
Olmsted’s Connecticut legacy, at
preservationct.org/olmsted.
Seymour Cunningham’s grave plot in the East Cemetery, Litchfield, was one of
the many Olmsted project site documented (Job #05275, Olmsted Brothers, 1911).
FALL 2022 | 15
Hartford
Litchfield
Tolland
Windham
New London
Middlesex
New Haven
Fairfield
A map of Olmsted sites in Connecticut by project type, according to
the Master List.
PARKS, PARKWAYS, RECREATION AREAS, AND CEMETERIES, BURIAL LOTS, MEMORIALS,
SCENIC RESERVATIONS AND MONUMENTS
CITY AND REGIONAL PLANNING AND
IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS GROUNDS OF COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL
SUBDIVISIONS AND SUBURBAN COMMUNITIES BUILDINGS
COLLEGE AND SCHOOL CAMPUSES
GROUNDS OF RESIDENTIAL INSTITUTIONS COUNTRY CLUBS, RESORTS, HOTELS, AND CLUBS
GROUNDS OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS
PRIVATE ESTATES AND HOMESTEADS GROUNDS OF CHURCHES
This report is now accessible to the public ARBORETA AND GARDENS
through the PCT and SHPO websites, through
SHPO’s new geospatial system, CONNCRIS, and MISCELLANEOUS
through presentations to community groups. The
report will also be used as a basis for assessing
eligible sites for the listings on the National Register
of Historic Places or for adding information to sites
already on the Register but which are currently
under-documented.
Jenny Scofield and Christopher Wigren introduce their
findings at an ASLA Connecticut-hosted event at Wickham
Park in Manchester, Connecticut, with panelists Liz Sargent,
FASLA and Lucy Lawliss, FASLA, of the Red Bridge Group,
looking on.
16 | CONNECTICUT LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
Signature Design Features of the Olmsted Firm
1. Formal or marked property entry 9. Secondary roads leading to screened
service and functional areas, sometimes
2. Curvilinear entrance road to one side of a primary destination,
with formal outdoor spaces to the other
3. Oval or circular arrival court
10. Naturalistic plantings featuring turf or
4. Orchestrated entrance and arrival meadow, shade and evergreen trees,
sequence, coupled with carefully and a limited palette of shrubs
designed views of the primary
destination and key landscape features 11. More formal features, such as hedges
and gardens, at property road and walk
5. Siting of the primary destination, i.e., entrances, the arrival court, and adja-
institutional building or residence, at a cent to main buildings
high point to command views and for
effect upon arrival 12. Screen plantings used to limit views of
incompatible adjacent areas and en-
6. Separated vehicular and pedestrian close public open spaces where visual
circulation access to surrounding urban environ-
ments is not desirable
7. Modulated graded topography creating
smoothly rolling terrain in pastoral 13. Water features as focal points and for
landscapes and rougher terrain in refreshment in terms of sound and
picturesque landscapes cooling properties
8. Principal open space allowing for orien-
tation and passive recreation, edged by
sweeping curves composed of topogra-
phy and plantings
From Olmsted in Connecticut — Landscape Documentation Project, Statewide Context &
Survey Report, September 2022
In addition to organizing this significant report, Whitney Museum and Workshop in Hamden,
Preservation Connecticut and the Connecticut State Connecticut.
Historic Preservation Office have been hosting For all their work unveiling and celebrating
Olmsted-related events throughout the state over the Connecticut Olmsted history in this year
the course of 2022. Events have included tours of Olmsted200, ASLA Connecticut is proud to
at Olmsted-designed parks, presentations of the recognize Preservation Connecticut and the State
research findings to interested groups, and even Historic Preservation Office with the Connecticut
helping to run a summer camp session at the Eli Olmsted Award.
FALL 2022 | 17
J. SorensenSaturday in the Park
Connecticut SHPOPreservation Connecticut and the Connecticut State Historic Connecticut SHPO
Preservation Office hosted a celebration of the Olmsted landscape
heritage in Connecticut on October 15, 2022 at Fulton Park in Waterbury. Connecticut SHPO
The afternoon events included a preview of the Olmsted documentation
project, tours of Fulton Park, exhibits, children’s activities, and more.
Designed by Olmsted Brothers Landscape Architects beginning in 1920,
Fulton Park is a peaceful place of woods and lawns, with stone bridges
crossing a babbling stream and terraces overlooking two ponds.
Left: Speakers included (left to right)
Sen. Joan Hartley; Rep. Ron Napoli;
Alderman Mike Salvio; Jane Montanaro,
PCT; Rep. Jahana Hayes; Caroline
Sloat, PCT; Jonathan Kinney, SHPO.
Below: Children built their own park
in a sandbox at the State Historic
Preservation Office table.
Above: Christopher Wigren of Preservation Connecticut leads a tour of
Fulton Park. Right: Connecticut SHPO staff show off the “Go with the
FLO” T-shirt.
18 | CONNECTICUT LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
NAOP
Lucy Lawliss, FASLA,
presents the Olmsted
in Connecticut Land-
scape Documentation
report to an audience
of professionals and
enthusiasts at the ASLA
Conference for Land-
scape Architecture in
San Francisco, CA on
November 13, 2022.
Download the report!
portal.ct.gov/DECD/Content/Historic-
Preservation/01_Programs_Services/Olmsted-
in-CT-Landscape-Documentation-Project
www.preservationct.org/olmsted
Other Helpful Olmsted links
National Association for Olmsted Parks (NAOP): www.olmsted.org
Olmsted Bicentennial Celebrations: www.olmsted200.org
The Olmsted Legacy Trail (CTASLA): www.olmstedlegacytrail.com
Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site: www.nps.gov/frla/index.htm
Olmsted Online: www.olmstedonline.org
FALL 2022 | 19
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22 | CONNECTICUT LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
ASLA Connecticut currently offers two student Scholarships
scholarship programs to Connecticut residents, in order
to encourage awareness of the study and profession
of landscape architecture. Over the last two years, in
recognition that scholarships are a way of reaching
out to and supporting future landscape architects, the
ASLA Connecticut Executive Committee has focused
on increasing the number of scholarships awarded.
Together with the generous donations of our members
and supporters, we were able to increase our awards
from an average of one to two awards per year, to six
awards in 2021 and a record nine awards this year. The
recipients of our 2022 scholarship awards are featured
on the following pages.
The longstanding Karen Ann Shopis-Fox
Memorial Scholarship is given annual-
ly to students enrolled in an accredited
landscape architecture program at the
college/university level.
Since 2018 we have also extended our
scholarships to support and encourage
high school seniors entering the profes-
sion of landscape architecture through the
ASLA Connecticut Landscape Archi-
tecture Environmental Stewardship
Scholarship for High School Seniors.
Bordeaux botanic garden,
Dan Meyer, Cornell University
FALL 2022 | 23
KAREN ANN SHOPIS-FOX MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Michael Amato | University of Massachusetts Amherst
M ichael Amato
of Middletown,
Connecticut, studies
landscape architecture
at UMass Amherst. The
Covid-19 pandemic
served as a paradigm
shift for him, motivat-
ing a step away from
a career in fine art photography and towards a
new professional practice. Michael is interested
in regenerative systems utilizing tree crops,
public food forests, and foraging experiences
as a tool to combat food deserts, and reevaluat-
ing the role of the commons in modern society.
As a 2022 Karen Ann Shopis-Fox Memorial
Scholarship recipient, he will be able to contin-
ue his research mapping community orchards
across the Northeast.
Michael wants to design spaces that
reimagine the role of the public park. Consid-
ering our rapidly changing climate, and recent
stresses on the global supply chain, Michael
believes now is the time to invest in our local
communities. Mowed lawns and town greens
can be transformed into ecological oases —
resilient landscapes that require less fossil fuel
inputs and produce a greater variety of yields
to feed people who experience food insecurity.
Many of these designed spaces are evident
throughout western Massachusetts. Michael
intends to learn from these well-established
resilient landscapes, and introduce these
concepts to his local community in central
Connecticut.
This studio project, completed in Spring 2022, is a reimagining
of a public park in Middletown, CT, that exists today as a mowed
lawn, small parking lot, and hiking trailhead. The intent of the
project was to transform the park into a dynamic space which
could support a wide array of programming for a diverse popula-
tion, while simultaneously maximizing its agricultural productivity
through regenerative practices. The design includes a community
orchard that produces fresh fruit for local food banks, a traditional
community garden, educational spaces, play areas, a loop path
connecting to the existing hiking trail, and raised platforms that
capitalize on profound existing views to the northwest.
24 | CONNECTICUT LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
KAREN ANN SHOPIS-FOX MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Victor Cizik | University of Connecticut
V ictor Cizik is currently the Legend Plant List
president of the ASLA chapter
at UConn and part of the BlackLAN Humming Bird - - - - - - - - - - Smooth Hydrangea
student council. He likes to be part Butterflies
of these organizations in order to Bees 1- - - - - - - - - GoldenrodRough
spread awareness of different issues - Virginia Mountain Mint
like gentrification and how many
underrepresented groups do not - Blueberries
have access to local parks. Victor
is interested in all aspects of urban Cardinal Flower
design and designing cities that are
centered around pedestrians rather - - - Beebalm Spotted
than cars. He believes that every-
one has a right to be able to access NewYork lronweed
all parts of their cities and, more
importantly, have access to well- - - American Aster
designed green spaces that are able
to support them. Underrepresented E!)"' I I I I I I Milkweed Butterfly
parts of large cities get neglected
when it comes to designing safe .s �9 @)9999 ..ro �� I
and walkable neighborhoods. In the � ���LupmeW1ld
future he would love to be able to
hold a position where he is able to : tt) (f)(f) (f) (f)(f) tt)(f) tt)
tackle this issue and design accessi-
ble green spaces for everyone. LupineWild
These pollinator garden graphics tell the story
of how the space will be used as an area of
collectiveness, allowing both pedestrians and
pollinators to coexist, while also displaying the
importance of native plants and their usage.
FALL 2022 | 25
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP SCHOLARSHIP FOR HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS
Keon Coleman | Westhill High School, Stamford
K eon Coleman was Keon interned at the Stamford animal shelter during the
born in Melbourne, summer, taking care of stray dogs and cats and helping
Australia, to parents of animal control officers with their tasks.
African American and
Mauritian ethnic back-
grounds. While a senior
at Westhill High School
in Stamford, Connecti-
cut, he was a member of
the Stamford Regional
Agriscience program. Within the program, in
addition to being an animal laboratory man-
ager, Keon was promoted to aqua laboratory
assistant as well as doggy day care manager.
This opportunity arose out of his interest in
and love of animals.
Keon is currently attending Roger Williams
University in Rhode Island, majoring in the
field of architecture. His goal is to improve the
housing and environmental conditions of his
community.
In April of 2022, Keon volunteered with a group called Future 5, helping to clean up Kosciuszko Park in Stamford,
removing invasive species, moving rocks off the main path, and picking up garbage. During his senior year at
Westhill High School, Keon worked as the animal lab manager, taking care of guinea pigs, rabbits, snakes, and a
leopard gecko. He also created a cricket breeding enclosure to feed the fish and reptiles in the aqua lab.
26 | CONNECTICUT LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
KAREN ANN SHOPIS-FOX MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Marco Da Cruz | University of Connecticut
M arco Da Cruz grew up on a farm in Cape Verde, Marco’s favorite assignment to date, an
and moved to Bridgeport, Connecticut, at the Origin, Migration, and Arrival model project
age of eight. In Cape Verde, school field trips includ- for Space, Form, and Meaning class. “I
ed hiking in the mountains and enjoying nature. His improved so much during the course of this
teachers and family instilled in him a love of nature project. I also love the simplicity of the design
and a desire to protect it. and the deeper meaning.”
As a child who was raised in nature, and later
moved to an urban environment, Marco has come
to appreciate both ways of life. As a UConn Class
of 2023 landscape architecture student, he would
now like to find a way to merge nature and urban
planning through design, giving urban children a
way to connect to nature and have new experiences.
Concerned about the current state of the environ-
ment, Marco desires to incorporate sustainable
materials into his designs. His goal is to focus on
how his choice of plants and materials will affect the
environment.
Left: Site visit to Dividend Park in Rocky Hill, CT. “I didn’t even know it was possible for locations that look like a desert
with pink sand to be possible in Connecticut. It opened my eyes to the great locations you can find here when you
take the time to explore.” Center: The parking lot at Dividend Park needed a redesign to make it accommodating for
more people and ADA-compliant. I added new signage, perennial flowers, permeable paving, and added street trees
between the parking lot and street to create an edge. Right: Site visit to Roseland Cottage, built in 1846 in the Gothic
Revival style. “While working on designs we had to learn to respect and complement the current and historic character.
Roseland Cottage has a great garden designed by Andrew Jackson Downing that shows the relationship of landscape
and architecture.”
FALL 2022 | 27
KAREN ANN SHOPIS-FOX MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Caroline Klumac | University of Vermont
C aroline Klumac is going into her sophomore Planting lettuce plugs at Fairgate Farm.
year at the University of Vermont, where she is
studying Forestry and Environmental Studies and
is working towards a concentration in landscape
design. Through this path of study, she is learning
how to integrate agroecological principles into the
design of multifunctional landscapes. She hopes to
be able to design neighborhoods centered around
parks and community gardens, in order to benefit all
residents.
Growing up in Stamford, Connecticut, Caroline
often found time to get away from the city and into
nature through hikes in the woods, camping with
her family and friends, and most influential of all, vol-
unteering at a nature center and community garden.
It was through these experiences that she found out
how important it is to consider natural ecology when
designing landscapes. This past summer, Caroline
worked at Horsford’s Nursery and Garden Center,
where she is gaining experience in areas such as
permaculture and plant care.
Measuring a plot in a woodland area. Taking diameter measurements of white pine trees.
28 | CONNECTICUT LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
KAREN ANN SHOPIS-FOX MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Dan Meyer | Cornell University
D an Meyer grew up in Wilton, Connecticut, and graduated from
Williams College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and
French literature. He worked as a book editor in New York before
pursuing his master’s degree in landscape architecture at Cornell. He has
served as a teaching assistant for planting and site engineering courses,
and he interned at Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates. As a recipient
of the 2021 Frederick Dreer Award he performed independent research
on urban forestry practices in Sweden and France. In his final year at
Cornell, Dan will continue investigating innovative methods for how plant
materials shape the spatial experience of a landscape and how dynamic
management strategies can extend the design process in time.
Key soil-vegetation relationships
along the Erie Canal corridor
and design possibilities for a
regenerative and interactive
muck soil landscape.
FALL 2022 | 29
KAREN ANN SHOPIS-FOX MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Amanda Nackowski | SUNY ESF
A manda Nackowski is an avid plant lover from
Middletown, Connecticut. She attends SUNY
College of Environmental Science and Forestry and
will graduate Class of 2025 from the Department
of Landscape Architecture. Amanda has honed her
skills in gardening for years and is always seeking
out new knowledge. In preparation for her design
classes, she has spent her time developing new
skills in art, experimenting with different mediums,
and learning about current environmental issues.
She hopes that her experience will help her create
innovative designs, with an emphasis on eco-friend-
liness and accessibility.
Examples of the materials
and art forms that Amanda
has been experimenting with,
including charcoal, pencil
sketches, and 3D models.
30 | CONNECTICUT LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
KAREN ANN SHOPIS-FOX MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Abigail Varga | University of Connecticut
A bigail Varga is a Class of 2024 UConn
landscape architecture student from
Newtown, Connecticut. She chose to study
landscape architecture because it includes
design and horticulture, two things she is
very passionate about. Abigail has loved
horticulture since studying the subject
in high school for four years, and wants
to make plants a large part of her future
design work. Her current interests within
landscape architecture include creating
unique and modern designs, interactive
gardens, and the use of native plant spe-
cies to benefit pollinators. Abigail’s future
career goal is to work in residential land-
scape architecture, as she wants to create
one-of-a-kind spaces that fit the needs of
the client but also provide a peaceful set-
ting that people can enjoy.
These works are from multiple projects throughout Abigail’s
sophomore year, each showing different skills learned during
her first year in the program. “These are some of my favorite
pieces I’ve done. I have found that I enjoy designing and using
analysis and graphics to support my designs.”
FALL 2022 | 31
KAREN ANN SHOPIS-FOX MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Oliver Zych | California Polytechnic State University
Oliver Zych is a fourth-year student at California Polytechnic State
University in San Luis Obispo, California. After visiting design-
build construction sites and conversing with those professionals,
Oliver feels that design-build is the work environment that would
be best for him. Oliver is passionate about sustainable design and
construction, which is why his main goal as a practicing landscape
architect after graduation is to ensure that designed landscapes are
sustainably constructed. He feels strongly that when the designer
is also the builder, they have a far better understanding of how the
landscape is supposed to function and take pride in constructing it
properly. In the future, he hopes to enhance the health, safety, and
wellbeing of the public through sustainable design-build strategies.
Right: Chavez Center perspectives. Below:
Planting and Hydrozone Plan for Righetti Ranch
Community Linear Park, San Luis Obispo, CA.
32 | CONNECTICUT LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
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Programs
Grace Farms, New Canaan
(Photo: Bill Cone)
FALL 2022 | 37
Grace Farms Earth Equity and Design
for Freedom | Landscapes Forum
May 26, 2022
Julien Jarry Cynthia Reynolds
In partnership with Grace Farms Foundation,
ASLA Connecticut hosted a full day of edu-
cational panels, tours, guided walks, and
breakout discussions on May 26th as part
of the Grace Farms Design for Freedom
Movement. The event was attended by over 250
area landscape architects and allied professionals.
Chelsea Thatcher of the Grace Farms Founda-
tion, Edwina von Gal of the Perfect Earth Project,
and Louis Fusco, PLA, of ASLA Connecticut worked
together to develop a unique day designed to inte-
grate the landscape into Grace Farms’s Design for
Freedom mission. In addition to experiencing the
incredible grounds and facilities at Grace Farms,
participants were introduced to biodiversity-pos-
itive, nature-based solutions in our landscapes,
installed with sustainable materials free of forced
labor.
38 | CONNECTICUT LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
The day began with a keynote address by Sahar Coston Hardy
Karenna Gore, founder and executive director of
the Center for Earth Ethics, along with the reading Jacek Dolata
of an original poem and reflections by Joy Harjo,
the 2019 United States Poet Laureate, our first Sahar Coston Hardy
Native American to hold this position.
Following the keynote and a description of the
Design for Freedom movement by Grace Farms
CEO and founder Sharon Prince, Louis moderated
a panel of esteemed colleagues on “The Ethical
Role of Landscape Architecture and Landscape
Design Professionals.” Richard Roark of OLIN,
Sierra Bainbridge of MASS Design, Tamar Warburg
of SASAKI, and Jennifer Reut of Landscape Archi-
tecture Magazine, all welcomed Louis’s inciteful
questioning, resulting in a panel discussion that left
the audience excited for more.
Next on the day’s schedule was a panel on
“The Material Choices We Make,” moderated by
Chelsea Thatcher. Highlighting our responsibility
to inquire and research the origin of the prod-
ucts we specify, panelists from various suppliers
shared their knowledge and experience in moving
towards ethically sourced, sustainable materials.
The lunch break included guided tours by
Grace Farms maintenance staff, meadow
landscape consultants Pennington Grey, and
original site designers from OLIN. The second
Top: Karenna Gore, founder and executive director
of the Center for Earth Ethics, gives the keynote
address. Center: Edwina von Gal (left), of the
Perfect Earth Project, leads a panel discussion.
Bottom: Louis Fusco moderates a discussion on
the ethical role of design professionals.
FALL 2022 | 39
Julien Jarry
Jacek Dolata
In addition to experiencing the incredible grounds and
facilities at Grace Farms, participants were introduced
to biodiversity-positive, nature-based solutions in our
landscapes, installed with sustainable materials free of
forced labor.
40 | CONNECTICUT LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
half of the day began with a
panel on “The Role of Public
Gardens, Managers, Landscape
Contractors, and Gardeners.”
Representatives from Brooklyn
Bridge Park, The Battery
Conservancy, Glenstone
Museum, and Pennington
Grey provided practical hands-
on maintenance and design
recommendations.
The day wrapped up with
breakout audience participation
sessions, highlighting both the
Design for Freedom and the
Earth Equity Toolkits.
As a result of the event’s
success and both ASLA Con-
necticut’s and Grace Farms’s
passion for the mission, a
follow-up Landscape Forum is
already in the works. So, mark
your calendar for Wednesday,
May 10, 2023.
n The Design for Freedom
movement seeks to create a
radical paradigm shift in the
built environment, illuminating
issues of forced labor and high-
lighting material transparency.
The movement encourages each
one of us to take action for a
more ethical and sustainable
world.
n The Earth Equity movement
seeks ethical, social, and en-
vironmental equity for human
and non-human lives, and the
systems that support them. It
offers a framework for pursuing
these outcomes on an individual
and organizational scale.
Cynthia Reynolds FALL 2022 | 41
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