March 2022

Events

Visit the WASLA Event Calendar for more information on events.

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WASLA Board of Directors

President
Duane Dietz, ASLA

President-Elect
Nicholas Zurlini, ASLA

Trustee
Marieke Lacasse, ASLA

Treasurer
Dean Koonts, ASLA

Secretary
Jason Henry, ASLA

Member at Large
Maureen Colaizzi, ASLA

Member at Large, W. WA
Mike Faulkner, ASLA

Member at Large, E. WA
Jonathan Smith, ASLA

Our Sponsors

President's Remarks

I had the opportunity as a University of Washington landscape architecture student to make three trips to the Soviet Union, particularly Uzbekistan and the other central Asia Soviet states (aka The 'Stans), during the late 1980's. This was the new era of Glasnost - when fundamental changes began to occur that would lead to the eventual dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. My third trip was the longest, about 6 months, living with Tashkent's Chief City architect and his family as part of a student exchange between the UW and Tashkent Polytechnic University. Tashkent is located in the Kyzlkum Desert (climate very similar to Albuquerque), and whose mythic history is literally written into the landscape. The Tian Shan Mountains were about an hour's drive away. The high valleys were home to wild apple forests - where all apples can trace their heritage to. Wild apricots, wild pears, and so much more made this a possible location of the garden of Eden.

Tashkent's long history is epic...destroyed by Genghis Khan in the 1200's, rebuilt by Tamerlane in the late 1300's as part of the Silk Road and served as a center for the Uzbek people, Turkic languages, Islamic sciences and architecture until it was conquered by Russia in 1865. Tashkent then became the Soviet Union's cotton capitol, and this thirsty crop diverted all the waters that led to the Aral Sea, once the 4th largest lake in the world.

Our class trip out there in 1989 was surreal. We drove by a series of stakes that marked the annual retreat of the Sea's shoreline. Drove past an abandoned fishing boat leaning next to a dock, then drove nearly 30 miles before we reached the Aral Sea's then-current shoreline.Checking Google Earth today it's more appropriate to call it the Aral Desert.

The question I was most asked when I lived there was "what is it like to live free?" Tashkent, whose population at the time was 90% Uzbek and 5% North Korean (a Stalin relocation legacy), was governed by communist party-connected Russians. None of the City's historic mosques were allowed to operate, religious worship was carried out in shadows. Black markets were a necessary economy. And damaged tanks were coming back from Afghanistan on trains. But oddly, being an American in Tashkent allowed for more freedoms for others. One of the perks was being able to arrange to take my fellow students on a flight to Moscow to ostensibly study post-revolution constructivist architecture in January 1990. In reality, we went to visit the newly opened Canadian-run McDonald's. Ninety-nine registers and still a two-hour wait. Evidence of a real longing for a taste of the west.

Being one of the Americans in Tashkent gave hope a new starting point for so many Uzbeks. And it didn't take long. In June 1990 Uzbekistan was the first to declare its sovereignty from the USSR and has been self-ruled ever since. It was the same in all the former Soviet republics. I had the chance to visit most of them during those trips, with the landscapes of Ukraine and Georgia being among the most beautiful. Given what is happening in Ukraine today, the question of what is it like to live free seems more important than ever.

April is World Landscape Architecture Month and we'll be celebrating with our WASLA Professional Awards on April 14th, from 6-9:30pm at the fantastic Georgetown Ballroom. Mark your calendars, this will be an in-person event. Keep an eye our for an e-mail blast with more details.

Enjoy the spring flowers and we'll see you at the Awards ceremony.

Sincerely,

WASLA President

Shout out to WASLA member Peg Staeheli, FASLA!

Landscape Architects Advocating For Change: Recently, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) released a report to Congress, Moving to a Complete Streets Design Model: A Report to Congress on Opportunities and Challenge, detailing the agency's commitment to advance widespread implementation of the Complete Streets design model to help improve safety and accessibility for all users. The report identifies five overarching opportunity areas that will inform FHWA as it moves ahead with its efforts to increase the proportion of federally funded transportation projects that are routinely planned, designed, built and operated as Complete Streets. ASLA worked with FHWA to include landscape architects Rob Loftis, ASLA, Peg Staeheli, FASLA, David Lustberg, ASLA, David Crawley, ASLA and Ryan Bouma in discussions with the department to identify policy and design barriers to implementing Complete Streets projects. ASLA's contributions are recognized in the report.

Call for Jurors for Student Awards!

WASLA is looking for jurors for the annual

student awards programs

Jurors needed for both Local and National.

They will be conducted fully online as follows:

WASLA Local Awards: Four (4) Jurors for each category depending on number of student submissions received

Digital Format

Review: on May 13, Jurors receive work for personal review. On May 20th, juries meet online to review together for honor and merit.
Jury deliberations and decisions due May 27th including written comments for award-winners only.
End of May: Awards announced

Categories for Awards

Introduction/Beginning Studio
Advanced/Intermediate/End Studios
Capstone/Research - switch to internal university
Technical Course - technical construction documentation course from each program
Students will indicate undergraduate or graduate level; individual or group work (and if UG/Grad group) - Jury can determine if they want to provide UG and Grad awards separately or combined

WASLA National Awards

4-5 jurors for BLA and 4-5 jurors for MLA candidates

Digital Format

Review:
- WSU: 2-3 BLA students
- UW: 2 BLA students; 4 MLA students
Jury:
- There will be one jury for MLA and one jury for BLA candidates
- Universities will send access to student work to jurors via Google Drive.
Schedule:
- Online Student presentations/Jury deliberations: BLA and MLA Separate Juries - BLA May 14 and MLA May 21

Please email Carrie Culp and Duane Dietz with your interest and on which specific juries you can participate at [email protected] / [email protected] . Carrie will be out of town starting on 3/16 through 4/12 but will organize the juries and email you with details when she returns.

WALSA Academic Scholarship 2022-23: Congratulations!

2022 WASLA Awards Ceremony & Reception
April 14, 2022, 6:00pm
Georgetown Ballroom
Seattle

Join us for our annual Awards Reception to celebrate the spectacular work of our members!

2022 Sponsors

Platinum Sponsor

Western Hemlock Sponsors

Pacific Rhododendron Sponsors

American Gold Finch Sponsors

Olympic Marmot Sponsor

Lots of Lots: A Discussion of Policies, Trends, and Opportunities for Landscape Architects and Vacant Land Stewardship - 1.0 PDH (LA CES/HSW)

March 29, 2022

01:00PM - 02:00PM

Join us as presenters share insights, research, and findings from the launch of a new online platform: the Vacant Land Stewardship Online Resource Center. This session will range from a discussion of national policies that have created vacant land; the difficulties of defining 'vacant land'; and a reflection on why 'vacant land' grapples with its ecological identity. Together we will explore inspirational and locally nuanced solutions arising from vacant land stewardship projects across the country.

Speaker: Evaine K. Sing, RLA, LEED AP, Founder, EKS Solutions; Janell O'Keefe, Senior Program Officer, Center for Community Progress

Moderator: Erin Kelly, ASLA, PLA, Chair, ASLA Landscape-Land Use Planning PPN

Learn More & Register

Save the Date!
Connections- Rendezvous 2022

It is a new year, and Idaho-Montana ASLA is going to spend 2022 reconnecting with our community.

After a short hiatus, Rendezvous, our bi-annual chapter conference, is back in 2022. In May, we will be gathering with our members, lecturers, sponsors, vendors, and allied professionals for a fun weekend of education and inspiration on the University of Idaho campus in Moscow, Idaho. We hope you will join us as we celebrate the profession and each other. Mark your calendars, additional event details will be provided in March 2022.

Connections - Rendezvous 2022

When: May 19-21, 2022

Where: University of Idaho – Moscow, Idaho

What: CEU Lecture Series, Socials, EXPO/Vendor Booths, Site Tours, Awards Banquet, and more...

Event Schedule:

5.19 Thursday Evening - Arrival Social

5.20 Friday - Lectures and Campus Tours Friday

5.20 Friday Evening - Chapter Awards Reception Friday Evening

5.21 Saturday Morning - Lectures and Chapter Meeting

Registration: Early Bird specials will be available starting March 2022