ASLA UTAH AUGUST 2023 NEWSLETTER

UPCOMING EVENTS

**PIKUS TOUR - Lunch & Learn 1 CEU Approved - 3-D Poly Grout** Thursday, October 5th, 2:30pm - 4:30pm Pikus 3D Lab - 9573 S 6400 W., West Jordan **REGISTER HERE** **(Space limited to 18)**

**2023 ASLA UT Annual Awards Event** Friday, October 6th, 6:00pm - 8:00pm **The Shop,** ***350 E 400 S, (3rd Floor), Salt Lake*** **REGISTER HERE**

**Play Space Designs - Lunch & Learn** Thursday, October 20th, 12:00pm ASLA UT Office - 270 S 400 W, SLC **REGISTER HERE**

**ASLA 2023 National Conference** October 27th-30th - Minneapolis, MN **REGISTER HERE**

**LuckyDog Recreations - Lunch & Learn w/ virtual option.** Monday, November 13th, 12:00pm ASLA UT Office - 270 S 400 W, SLC **REGISTER HERE**

**2023 Southern Utah Green Conference** Wednesday, November 1st, 8:30am – 4:20pm Dixie Convention Center, St. George. **REGISTER HERE**

Leadership Express

Jake Powell, ASLA Utah President

One of my favorite parts of teaching is the excitement that comes with a new semester. Students arrive with so much enthusiasm for the coming year that the energy is palpable, invigorating, and inspiring.

Thinking back on my own experiences, I remember being excited to see old classmates and teachers and see what each new class was going to entail. Unfortunately, amid all the excitement there was also the stress of finding new classrooms, new roommates, and adapting to new teachers, subjects, and assignments.

While teaching a group of new landscape architecture students about the evolution of the profession of landscape architecture I was reminded of just how relatively young the professional title of landscape architect really is. The professor I was teaching with shared with the students that early in their career they had worked for one of the figures we were discussing, and related how their work had been influenced by the mentorship of this person. The effort to understand your professional “DNA” will likely only require tracing back a few generations of training, philosophy, and ethics.

I believe some of the professional DNA we inherited from as far back as the Olmstedian era is to quietly do great work and then let the work speak for itself. Although I subscribe to the quiet nobility of this humble approach, the “narrative” the work all too often tells forgets to acknowledge the role of the designer, and has unfortunately relegated many great projects, people, and their positive impacts in the preverbal shadows. The shadows are where we will remain under-valued, under-appreciated, and perhaps forgotten.

I believe that ASLA is in the business of building a brighter future for the profession of landscape architecture. Part of that is shining a bright light on the work of landscape architecture and articulating its positive impacts. Here in Utah, that awareness is going to require our collective efforts to share our work with our neighbors, friends, and on an immediate basis, elected officials.

We cannot continue as a profession that is actively envisioning and literally building the spaces for a better world with no one knowing about it. Just like Central Park was not a relic of nature preserved in the middle of a growing city, like many mistakenly believe, the work you are doing is not creating great places by happenstance.

I think underscoring a portion of the excitement for landscape architecture students is knowing they with each class they are growing skills and developing themselves further into the professionals they admire and hope to become. Those people they hope to become are you! Just like the people that inspired, mentored, and built you into the person you are today, you can have that same impact on the emerging professionals of tomorrow. The excited students I watch each day need to know the profession of landscape architecture is getting better, more recognized, and healthier with each generation. Please help put your work on the pedestal it deserves, tell the story of your work, learn to relate the social, cultural, environmental, and economic impacts, show it off. We won’t judge you for being too brazen, we need the positive spotlight!

**Virtual Summit- Thursday, September 21, 1:00pm- 5:00pm**

Climate Summit Article — This month we have an opportunity to participate in the first of its kind, Intermountain West Climate Summit. This summit has been in the works for some time. The Utah and Idaho/Montana chapter leaders have been talking for some time about how we can heighten the awareness of regional issues within our regional membership. Our colleagues in the Idaho/Montana chapter invited our chapter to get involved and they have been leading the effort to put this on.

The profession of landscape architecture is well tooled to engage in creating holistic solutions to the climate challenges we are bound to face. Unfortunately, well tooled does not automatically mean capable. We must educate ourselves and put the profession in the forefront through what the profession knows, and what the profession does.

An opportunity to begin that education is happening on September 21, 2023 from 1:00- 5:00 Mountain Time at the Intermountain ASLA Chapter Climate Summit. The summit is virtual and is free to attend. Attendance will qualify you for LA/CES PDH hours and will feature presenters from across the region talking about climate related issues and solutions.

Please take a minute block your calendar and plan on engaging and growing yourself and the profession on how a changing climate will affect our region. Registration information will be coming soon, look for a forthcoming email with that information.

2023 ASLA Utah Executive Committee WINNERS

Thank you all for your willingness to give your time and talents to help ASLA Utah Chapter excel! The new Executive Committee Members will take office November 2023.

Lars Erickson - President Elect

Josh Quigley - VP of Visibility

Tanner Snow - VP of Profess. Development

Thomas Eddington - VP of Advocacy

Adam Castor - Treasurer

PARK(ING) DAY 2023 - POLLINATOR PLACES!

Aaron Johnson, VP of Visibility & Social Media

Date: September 15th

Location: approx. 300 S Main St (more details to come!)

Its that time of the year! With colder weather and fall just around the corner, Utah ASLA is excited to highlight the green spaces that bring us so much joy and advocate for more creative and contextually relevant open space opportunities. Every year on the 3 rd Friday of September Utah ASLA embraces the movement called PARK(ING) DAY! This global event repurposes two parking stalls into a mini park for the day, providing a much needed contrast from the harsh reality of our parking lots and how much space of our public realm they consume!

This year we are teaming with National ASLA to highlight the importance of pollinators and their critical role in our environment and their lasting impact. This years parking day theme will show how we can make a difference by providing small/manageable opportunities for our amazing pollinators.

We are very excited for this upcoming event and want invite everyone to think about how you can make an impact in your own way AND to come celebrate with us at PARK(ING) DAY!!!

Look out on social media for more information!!!

Platinum Sponsor Article

Come see for yourself!

PIKUS TOUR - Lunch & Learn 1 CEU Approved - 3-D Poly Grout Thursday, October 5th, 2:30pm - 4:30pm Pikus 3D Lab - 9573 S 6400 W, West Jordan REGISTER HERE (Space limited to 18)

Special Thanks to ASLA Utah 2023 Sponsors & Corporate Partners for their Support!

Click here to become a 2024 ASLA Utah Sponsor or Partner!

Platinum Sponsors
BioGrass | Great Western Recreation l Pikus | Rain Bird | Victor Stanley

Corporate Partners
MHTN | Io LandArch | SGLA Technical Training

ASLA UTAH AUGUST NEWSLETTER