Photo courtesy of Andrea Doonan.

APLD CA Chapter’s Advocacy Initiatives

Through the Chapter’s Advocacy Committee (previously Advocacy & Sustainability Task Force), APLD members advocate for many important causes that impact our members, profession, environment, and issues with respect to equity and justice. The Committee has been actively working on two identified priorities relative to environment: Fire-resilient Landscape Design and Biodiversity (Native Habitat Garden Design).

The Committee recognizes that increasing wildfire danger throughout the state has made it urgent that California’s design professionals receive comprehensive, standardized, science-based education so that solutions for meeting a resident’s needs and expectations can be melded with strategies that will reduce the very real threat that the landscapes around a home can pose. This education will enable landscape designers to play an important role in helping design fire-resilient landscapes that promote and protect biodiversity.

MANY HANDS = MANY ADVOCATES!

by Cheryl Buckwalter
Advocacy Chair, California Chapter & Sacramento District

Advocacy. To wrangle this enormous topic, in 2021 impassioned Committee members attacked the five fundamental categories as previously reported: Legislation (includes right to practice), Environment, Education, Diversity/Equity/Inclusion (DEI), and Outreach. Based on priorities and fueled by personal interests, the Committee divided into topical working groups. This approach worked well and enabled us to divide and conquer our goals and use our time wisely. We are practicing landscape designers who want to do our part to support and elevate our profession. This doesn’t happen on its own. Please join me in thanking our 2021/2022 Advocacy Committee members:

Bay Area District - Deborah Christman, Lori Cox, Karen Hunt, Tina Roushall, Shireen Zia

Greater Los Angeles District - Francesca Corra

Sacramento District - Martin Carrion, Marcia Scott, Soleil Tranquilli, Kit Veerkamp

San Diego District - Lisa Bellora, Jodie Cook, Steve Harbour

We had many successes in 2021, and our priorities continue in this New Year, so we need more members to get involved. You know the saying: Many hands make light work, so please join us:

Next Advocacy Committee Meeting for APLD CA Members via Zoom
Friday, February 18th, from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m.
Contact Cheryl Buckwalter at advocacy@apldca.org for Zoom link

Read on to learn more about plans for 2022 and to consider which topics pique your interest.

LEGISLATION

One priority this year is to hire a consultant to provide services to the Chapter for the development of a strategic plan focused on our Right to Practice; guide and represent the Chapter; identify which committee(s) in the California legislature have jurisdiction over title and practice act legislation; which state agencies regulate in this area; research licensure efforts by other organizations, professions, states, etc.; provide recommendations for previously unidentified windows of opportunity and collaborations. Have you worked with or know someone who may know of candidates that could be a good fit?

Opportunities for involvement: Monitor introduced legislation and regulations that may impact our profession. Represent our Chapter at meetings such as the Landscape Architects Technical Committee (LATC) and the Department of Water Resources Landscape Stakeholders Advisory Group (LSAG) relative to the Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO).

ENVIRONMENT

The APLD Healthy Pots Healthy Planet (HPHP) Initiative wants individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations to share our passion in reducing plastic use in the horticultural industry. The California Chapter Advocacy Committee’s HPHP Working Group is actively involved with this APLD nation-wide effort. Please sign your name to support this Initiative.

Other roles to fill at HPHP are (1) a Webmaster for the site and (2) a Social Media Coordinator. The Webmaster should be someone who is skilled at website management and willing to devote the time and expertise, pro bono. A tall order! However, we're putting out the word to see if someone has that capability or has a promising connection. The Social Media Coordinator would manage social media for HPHP and guide implementation of social media strategy. For more information, please contact Toni Bailey, the HPHP Committee chair, at toni@gracefullygreen.com.

EDUCATION

The Fire-resilient Landscape Design Symposium in November was a huge success and a valuable, timely free member benefit thanks to the Chapter’s support and ongoing support by our Sponsors.

APLD Regenerative Landscape Design Education

The demand for ecology-based landscapes that address issues of biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and fire-resiliency is dramatically increasing. Our Chapter is developing the first core course for this APLD-branded, science-based curriculum.

Based on the watershed-wise approach, designers will learn how to help reverse the impacts of habitat loss due to development and create regenerative landscapes that enhance biodiversity. Coursework also will provide guidance for designing gardens that emulate natural landscapes that contain connection to the patterns and processes of our indigenous landscapes as well as more traditional gardens, ranging from naturalistic to modern or themed gardens.

Building upon the core course, the next one planned is Fire-resilient Landscape Design. We look forward to collaborating with other APLD chapters, CalFire, state and federal agencies, and other organizations.

DEI

The Bay Area District’s DEI Committee, with the Chapter’s support, organized a special free member-only presentation: Cultural Humility for Anti-Racism by Dr. Mary J. Wardell-Ghirarduzzi. The Committee curated articles, books, videos, resources and more for the new DEI webpage at apldca.org that will be launched soon.

OUTREACH

For the Advocacy website pages, we are proud to reveal the icons that you see in this article that were developed by our graphic designer in collaboration with this working group. Much of the content for the new webpages has been developed and is in the hands of our creative Webmaster. We are ecstatic to announce that it will go live soon!

We plan to highlight our districts and write What’s New blog posts on the website and continue to include articles in the Advocacy Corner of California Landscape Design.

An Advocacy Committee priority is to forge new relationships with other organizations, such as, The Xerces Society, California Native Plant Society (CNPS), ReScape California, California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA), and Pacific Horticulture, and we’re exploring ways to develop mutually beneficial alliances. We are having conversations with Pacific Horticulture to see how we can continue to support each other and we look forward to sharing other alliances in the coming months.

Pacific Horticulture is a non-profit serving the Pacific region that provides science-based, climate-resilient gardening solutions through new media education and community engagement. Pacific Horticulture’s topics will be familiar to APLD members, including wildlife and habitat planting, drought resilience, fire preparedness, urban and watershed ecology, climate-adapted plant selections, and the role of nature in supporting human health.

Each of us became landscape designers for specific, often personal, reasons. What do YOU advocate for? The Advocacy Committee and its working groups give you a chance to make meaningful contributions, to reach dozens and possibly hundreds of people, and to give some of your ideas wings! Please contact me to attend our next Advocacy Zoom meeting on February 18th at 9:00 a.m. and rub virtual elbows with inspirational and motivated people who are committed to making a difference.

- Cheryl Buckwalter
Advocacy Chair
California Chapter & Sacramento District
advocacy@apldca.org
(916) 207-8787