Environment

There are some things in the world we can’t change—gravity, entropy, the speed of light, and our biological nature that requires clean air, clean water, clean soil, clean energy and biodiversity for our health and well being. Protecting the biosphere should be our highest priority.
— David Suzuki

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As designers, we are the ones that create the connections between our clients and the outdoor world. We also create the connection between past, present, and future in the landscape. Designers can look to the past to see what was done by the original inhabitants who cared so deeply about the Earth and ask ourselves whether we can incorporate any of that to heal what is happening in the present. We look toward to the future and design responsibly so that our landscapes can endure and thrive with the changing climate.

What is “sustainability” exactly? If we define the term as living today without degrading tomorrow, what can we, as landscape professionals, do about it? “Regenerative” takes that even one step further by reminding us that there is healing to be done. How do we incorporate these concepts into our projects? In California—a resource-rich state that has nevertheless historically had a “fraught” relationship with water—one of the ways we can do so is by making it a goal to incorporate the “watershed” approach in our designs.

This short, informative video demonstrates what APLD CA members have to say about landscape design with the watershed in mind. This project was made possible, in part, through a grant awarded by APLD National.

The Advocacy Committee’s Education Working Group is focused on two priorities relative to the environment: Regenerative and Fire-resilient Landscape Design.

Sacramento District presents the Show the Flow Video Tour—an educational video tour showing watershed stewardship in action.

This series of video shorts, held on October 13, 2022, spotlights large- and small-scale watersheds to raise awareness, inform, inspire, and demonstrate how landscape communities can protect and improve the health and water quality of local creeks, streams, and rivers, and prevent storm water pollution.

We ask that you watch and use these video clips! Share them widely to get a conversation rolling about how every person, every family, every business, and every institution is connected to water—and what we do with water in our daily lives makes a difference in our communities and our environment.

Watch the video →

Sustainability at APLD.org

Sustainable Landscape Design is the design, installation and management of landscapes and landscape features which:

Encourages, creates, and maintains a healthy and thriving environment, including providing habitat and ecosystem services, both within and outside the particular landscape; and
Uses energy and material resources appropriately and efficiently, and contributes to conservation so that future generations will have options for the use of those resources.

Learn more at National’s Sustainability page.

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Resources

Here are a few of the publications, provided by the National organization, that members can use to guide them in designing their sustainable landscapes.