What were you doing before you applied to the Conway School?
I had an undergraduate degree in Studio Art and Psychology, professional experience in graphic design and conservation/trail work, and I was working at a plant nursery when I decided to pursue landscape design.
What brought you to Conway?
I wanted an impactful and sustainable career that played to my creative and analytical strengths.
How did you first learn about Conway?
I actually discovered Conway through a late night Google search mid-Covid-lockdown, and once it was on my radar it felt like connections were popping up everywhere. The more Conway Alumni I met, the more it solidified the strength and impact of the program.
Imagine we just met, and recognized we had common interests. How would you describe Conway to me?
Conway doesn’t teach you what to think, it teaches you how to think. There are so many variables in landscape design and planning that it’s impossible for one person to hold all the answers in their head to apply to any situation. Conway produces great designers because they never approach a problem as if they have all the answers. It teaches designers how to never run out of questions.
What advice do you have for someone just starting out in the field?
Be confident! Humility and confidence can (and should) coexist. You will never be wrong by asking more questions. Also, volunteer, make connections, and get involved with projects as soon as you can. This field is small, and networking goes a long way. Volunteers are critical to executing the most important and innovative projects, so it’s a great way to connect in a meaningful way with established designers.
What are you doing right now, and what do you love about it?
I’m currently working as a landscape designer at a small LA firm that was founded in my city in 1967. I love being able to walk around town and see projects that were designed by our firm 40, even 50 years ago. I also love that the job is a good balance between technical, large-scale work and more creative, community-scale work.
List one or more books that you find influential in the field of ecological design and/or planning.
Any designer working in the Northeast should know Wetlands, Woodlands, Wildlands. It really is the only source that reliably answers the questions I keep asking again and again in my designs.
What book changed your life?
Dune! It illustrated how human influence will echo for eons beyond what our brains can even comprehend—yet the story of politics, power, and philosophy remain the same. I love that this is true not only within the timeline of the story, but also within the context of the series’ existence (it’s still so relevant even though it was written in the sixties.
What is your favorite tool? E.g., a type of gardening tool, digital tool, etc.
Clamps: because when you know how to use them, you’ll never wish you had three hands.
Levers: because superhuman strength is at your fingertips, through physics!
How do you think ecological design and planning can help make positive change?
The quietest resources suffer the most at the hands of the loudest of our driving factors. Ecological design gives a voice to these quiet resources on a platform that holds up in a capitalistic society.
Which aspects of your Conway education do you use in your current work? Which aspects do you use to address urgent challenges related to climate change, environmental justice, etc.?
It’s easy to get stuck when designing because there are so many variables to consider. I can always rely on going back to simple analyses to keep me moving forward. I’ve also been able to push more for native and diverse plantings even in commercial, urban contexts, because I can convince my clients that they are more reliable than traditional methods and can save them money in the long run. I’ve also guided our firm towards more projects related to erosion control, bioengineering, and water quality, something that has been increasingly more urgent as Vermont gets hit with repeated catastrophic flooding.
What blogs or podcasts do you recommend? Particular posts or episodes?
I’ll always recommend 99% Invisible to designers. For plant-oriented people, I recommend Cultivating Place (wonderful conversations with horticulturists and landscape professionals). Finally, for people in Vermont especially, I cannot say enough good things about Rumble Strip. Erica Heilman has some of the best interviewing skills I’ve ever heard, and the podcast really embodies the spirit of Vermont communities.