Just in time for the supermoon! We are learning about dark skies, nocturnal conservation, and light pollution.

To learn more check out:https://darksky.org/ @darksky_intl

and listen to: https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/news/2022-12-16/red-lighting-could-rewild-night-skies-plagued-by-light-pollution

Stay connected on IG @thelandscapenerd + thelandscapenerd.com

Theme music by

KoffeeSwap Theme v1 - 100bpm by tukyo.eth -- https://freesound.org/s/625533/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 

#landscapearchitecture # landscapenerd #darksky #celestial #landscape #nerd #ohio #observatorypark

Let's find the inspiration to keep going!

Hello Everyone,

On this episode of TLN we are thinking about inspiration and artistic expression. We are joined by artist, designer, and awesome person, Kacey Parrales.

Kacey and I recorded this about a year and half ago when we were both teaching and we talked about her process for communicating creativity to her students and how she stays inspired to be creative outside of work.

Stay in touch with Kacey @kasaparaba and kaceysstore.bigcartel.com

Stay in touch with me, Maci @thelandscapenerd

thelandscapenerd.com

thelandscapenerd@gmail.com

Stay nerdy!

Theme music by:

KoffeeSwap Theme v1 - 100bpm by tukyo.eth -- https://freesound.org/s/625533/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

Wrapping up the Best Book Ever conversation with a reflection on how important stories are to the way we see landscape.

In this episode, we are learning about how the stories we love can impact the way we build our outdoor spaces! This is a collaboration with the Best Book Ever Podcast hosted by Julie Strauss. She interviews me, Maci Nelson, on my favorite book, Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. The book was adapted into a Studio Ghibli animated film- which inspired the way Maci approaches landscape architecture. Enjoy!

Best Book Ever: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/best-book-ever-podcast/id1514465335

Nerd Notes are short episodes between longer episode releases to wrap up the previous topic!
This Note is a quick checklist and guided meditation to help in moments of imposter syndrome.
Enjoy!

In this episode, we are speaking with Myron Nelson, a therapist based in Chicago, Illinois. His work focuses on depression, race, and identity. He is here to discuss imposter syndrome, toxic work culture, and handling big issues in landscape architecture.  This episode is geared toward designers and students, however, anyone struggling with depression could gain insight from this episode, no matter the discipline.

Contact our guest at https://www.blacktietherapy.com/

Read his blog for Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/how-be-burden

Find and more nerdy things on IG @thelandscapenerd and the website thelandscapenerd.com

For the last episode of 2022, we are speaking with Melissa Pompili about her research in creating a public art walking tour for University Circle in Cleveland Ohio. We discuss the motivations to create something that the public can use and how to have fun doing it. Also, we discuss how quickly public art information can disappear and where to look for it!

Contact our guest at melissa.pompili@gmail.com

In today's episode, we are hearing from Monique Allen, the founder of the Garden Continuum and design-build and care company. She would typically be described as a landscaper/ a contractor/ or an installer. I chose to release this episode after the 2022 ASLA conference and the COP27 conference have wrapped because, our dedication to creating a greener world, heavily relies on the people who build the projects we envision. 

In our conversation, we discuss the experience of working in an industry that is historically unbalanced in work/life, masculine/feminine, and in access to education. As landscape architects, it is important to understand how our allied fields perceive us and our work. If you take anything away from today's episode, I hope it is learning how to collaborate in order to create a better future and landscape for us all. 

Monique has dedicated her career to creating an alternative approach and sharing actionable information on how to spread a positive message about how we can all improve our land, our lives, and our professional satisfaction through her book and method titled Life-Scaping and compassionate business building.

www.thegardencontinuum.com

www.thelandscapenerd.com 

In this episode, we are speaking with Chris Landau, the principal of LANDAU Design + Technology. He is an artist who has found himself immersed in the world of landscape architecture. In addition to computational design and visualization, the firm developed an innovative design tool called Land Kit. It is an algorithmic design tool that helps improve landscape designers’ workflows and assist in complex design situations. We discuss integrating technology into the design process, the importance of small risks, and how improving processes gives designers more time to be themselves, which is ultimately great for the profession. The newest version of Land Kit (1.1) is available now! For more information, please check out the links below! https://www.landkit.design/ https://www.landau.design/ https://www.thelandscapenerd.com/

Today we explore the interdisciplinary work of Ana Maria Torres of AT Architects! Landscape architects and architects work together very often and can share similar project goals. However, the difference in practice can leave a lot of miscommunication or missed opportunities. In this episode, we explore Ana Maria's approach to architecture and how she embraces other disciplines to inform her work. Please join us as we discuss the culture of design, the importance of travel, and the beauty of working with others. 

www.atarchitectsny.com
www.thelandscapenerd.com

Hello everyone! Are you ready to visit the farm? Today we are joined by Janelle Soja - a multigenerational regenerative farmer based in Northeast Ohio. She was my first stop in trying to understand where agriculture starts and landscape architecture ends- especially in identifying ways to mitigate climate change impacts on the land. Both professions/sciences are curating the ways that people interact with landscapes and I believe that we have a lot that we can learn from one another. I hope that you enjoy this episode and learn as much as we did.

You can find Janelle @royalfarefarm on Instagram
Don't forget to vote for her in the Johnny Apple Seed Invitational @johnnyappleseedorganic starting Sept. 13th.

This episode explores the origins and purposes of botanical illustration. Besides being a well-recognized craft, it is a scientific document that helps us understand the world around us. Please join me in learning about Botanical Illustrations

Let's all talk about advocacy! This episode is a recording from the 2024 New Jersey Chapter ASLA Annual Meeting! The session you will hear today was a panel titled Future Forum: The Journey From Advocacy to Leadership. I've gotten a lot of questions and have had amazing conversations about this topic and I am really glad there was an opportunity to share one of them with you! The panel: Gina Ford, co founder Agency and WxLA. Marc Miller, former president of BlackLAN, and pofessor at Penn State University Su Lin Kotowicz, ASLA President Music  Music by raspberrymusic from Pixabay 

Hello Everyone! This episode continues to explore the topic of landscape music, but this time from the performers' perspective. I was lucky to interview the co-directors of The American Wild Ensemble, Emlyn and Dan. Music in today's episode was provided as a courtesy from AWE, the piece is called Everything Flowing by Aristea Mellos. 

This episode is part one of landscape music! This episode features an interview with Nell Shaw Cohen the founder and director of Landscape Music a network of musical artists and an online publication whose mission is to deepen public appreciation of the natural world by providing a platform for contemporary composers and performers whose music engages with landscape, nature, and place.

Featured Music composed by Nell Shaw Cohen:

1. Retrace
2. Transforming Forest- IV Obscuring
3. Point Reyes from Chimney Point

Today we will learn about David A Williston, the first professionally trained Black landscape architect. His story deserved to be told as a historic leader in the profession and as a  trailblazer for people of color in the field of landscape.

An introduction to the show! 

In this episode, we will discuss evergreens and their ecological, design, and cultural impact. What are some of your favorite evergreen plants and why? 

Hello Everyone! In today's episode, we will look at the debate around the removal of the Horseshoe Lake Dam in Shaker Heights, OH. The dam was built over 170 years ago and the regional sewer district has recommended its removal for safety and stormwater management. The communities of Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights share this feature - and there are community members who oppose the dam removal because it would mean the loss of the beloved Horseshoe Lake. 

This is the final episode of the Hard Work Series

Episode 4: From Michael. This episode is when we get to hear Michaels's own thoughts, about his past, his concerns, his interests, and his plans for the future. This episode is for those who want to see more methods to the madness. You will also hear from me! My own insights into how I put this project together and what lessons I learned along the way.

Thank you all for listening! 

Episode 3 Networking: This episode is about how authenticity and curiosity can forge very strong connections. I would argue that Michael Todoran is an expert in this regard. I recommend a listen for those who struggle with networking or worry about how others see them in professional settings.

Episode 2: The power of divergent conversations: If you are like me, you may struggle to think in a linear fashion. However, this nonlinear thinking is able to embrace a variety of subjects and perspectives that may have never come up before. These divergent conversations really open up your mind to open ideas, I recommend this episode for anyone feeling stuck or in a design rut.

Episode 1: The transition from Artist to Designer. This is about a transition from being a fine artist to a designer, we hear from a former classmate and long-time friend, and a former professor! I highly recommend this episode for current students. 

*This episode does include some playful cursing*

It feels good to be back!

Hello everyone and hello 2024!

This year we are focusing on how to bring out your uniqueness in the profession. I know we do that already, but it is nice to say it again!

Today we are speaking with someone who knows you all fairly well,but maybe you did not know about them.

Jenny Frenkel (she/her) is the founder of Intuitive PR, public relations firm (I am luck to have her as a publicist), and she is the Brand Manager of Anova Furnishings

We are discussing how this unconventional collaboration has helped us and we are hoping it can help you!

Please enjoy this very nerdy conversation between friends and business collaborators about finding out voices within Landscape Architecture.

Contact

Jenny: intuitiverelationspr@gmail.com

@theintuitivepr

Maci: thelandscapenerd@gmail.com

@thelandscapenerd

Music by Rasberry Music "Lo-fi Summer Background"

Hello Everyone! This mini-series that I am sharing is about a very familiar person. Michael Todoran of the Landscape Architecture Podcast. His story, like many of ours, is complex and filled with ups and downs. However, I would argue that the most important aspect of a story is the moral or the takeaways. You can view this project as a deep dive into the takeaways people have gotten from Michael Todoran, the impression, and the impact he is making with every connection.

Micheal has previously opened up about a lot of his life, he has already given a biography of himself. He has opened himself up to the world and now we are building on that. Please listen to his talk that he gave at Cal Poly Pamona where he shares his story:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adT_S-kkaF4

Hello to the Landscape Nerds! This episode is about Thai gardens. This episode is very personal to me and I was fortunate enough to pull from my own experiences to discuss this garden style.

I hope that you enjoy what I have to say here- and maybe you will fall in love with Thai Gardens too

Intro and outro music by Wanderlust by Scott Buckley | scottbuckley.com.au
Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Today’s episode is the second installment of the Interdisciplinary segment of The Landscape Nerd Podcast. Today we are talking to poet Amanda Stovicek and learning about how landscape influences her work and gain some insight into how we can incorporate poetry into our design work and narratives.

Nature by MaxKoMusic | https://maxkomusic.com/

Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com

Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_US

Today we will explore Maximalist design/ maximalism in the landscape! 

Today’s episode explored the interdisciplinary aspect of Landscape Architecture. I am speaking with Zach Nemec, an aquatic ecologist to discuss how our fields interact with one another. We explore thoughts on collaboration and pushing the boundaries of the research and design of ecologically safe practices. This episode seeks to showcase how intuitively interdisciplinary the field of landscape architecture is.

The topic of today is the Memorial Garden of Lake View School Fire of Collinwood Ohio. It is also known as the Collinwood  Fire. This school fire occurred on March 4th, 1908, which means that the anniversary has just passed.

* Trigger warning, this episode will discuss the deaths of children and adults and the impacts of fire. While I will not go into great detail about these topics, they will be addressed.  If you find this subject matter troubling, listen with caution.

**Also** There were some technical issues with recording and there are some glitchy-sounding moments.

Today's episode will focus on the mythology, stories, and legends of landscape. There are many lessons to learn in these tales that have survived generations. They tell us about real events through the eyes of others, but also they share a conversation that we had with the land/earth itself. 

Dentro de este episodio final de la primera temporada en el Podcast Valiente Curioso, echaremos un vistazo a nuestros episodios pasados donde hemos explorado el robo, la recuperación y la redefinición, y la protección de espacios públicos y privados. En nuestros episodios anteriores y dentro de la introducción a la serie, habíamos declarado que queríamos una "llamada a la acción" basada en todo lo que habíamos aprendido hasta ahora. Así que, para este episodio, hemos decidido utilizar las ideas de diseño y soluciones que se trajeron para ver cómo podíamos implementarlas en un espacio existente.

Within this final episode of season one on the Bravely Curious Podcast, we will look back to our past episodes, where we have explored theft, reclaiming and redefining, and the protecting of public and private spaces. In our previous episodes and within the introduction to the series, we had stated that we wanted a “call to action” based upon everything that we had learned so far. So, for this episode, we have decided to take advantage of the design ideas and solutions to answer the question of “how we could implement them into an existing space”.

Nos buscaremos en un tema del que raramente se habla, el tema delicado de DACA. Hoy estamos explorando las circunstancias en torno al programa DACA, que es un acrónimo de Acción Diferida para los Llegados en la infancia. Realizaremos un viaje que la mayoría de nosotros nunca experimentaremos personalmente. Tenemos el privilegio de escuchar un viaje personal de un “DACAmentado”.

Hello Nerds!

Today, we are discussing what it means to be a person of color in outdoor spaces. We can’t cover everything but we sure give it a try! Please join me in speaking with Kimberly Young and Bronlynn Thurman, the creators of Black Women Explore a community in Akron, Ohio promoting women and femme-identifying people of color to enjoy outdoor spaces together. 

Please rate and/or leave a review, it helps the show a lot! 

Also, Thank you to Prigidia for the awesome song “Picture Frames”. You’ll hear a bit throughout the episode.

If you wish to learn more about BWE you can send them an email:Blackwomenexplore@gmail.com

Find them on IG @blackwomenexplore 

Articles Mentioned in the episode- not formatted:1. Nature Gap: Why Outdoor Spaces Lack Diversity and Inclusion https://cnr.ncsu.edu/news/2020/12/nature-gap-why-outdoor-spaces-lack-diversity-and-inclusion/#:~:text=At%20NC%20State's%20College%20of,agencies%2C%20organizations%20and%20advisory%20boards. 

2. Outdoor Recreation has historically excluded people of color. That’s beginning to change by Leah Asmelash, CNN

https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/14/us/national-parks-history-racism-wellness-cec/index.html

3.US Forest Service on Benefits of Being Outdoors

(https://www.fs.usda.gov/features/wellness-benefits-great-outdoors#:~:text=Studies%20also%20show%20that%20being,risk%20factors%20for%20cardiovascular%20disease.) 

4. Out of California Statue University San Bernadino, There was a social work dissertation that looked at the impacts that outdoor rec had on self-esteem in adolescent girls of color- spoiler, so far, it seemed positive. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd/1673/ 

5. The Urban Mobility & Equity Center out of Morgan State University Investigated the walking and biking activities of low-income African Americans https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/66721 

6. The International Journal of Mental Health Nursing is calling for more access to something called Nature Nursing! https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/inm.13109 

7. And lastly, the book I mentioned is To Stand And Stare: How to Garden While Doing Next to Nothing by Andrew Timothy O'Brien

We’ll dive into a topic that is rarely talked about, the sensitive subject of DACA. Today we are exploring the circumstances around the DACA program which is an acronym for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. We will be taking a journey that most of us will never experience personally. We have the privilege to hear a personal “DACAmented” journey.

En este episodio, nos enfocaremos en la importancia de proteger y preservar nuestro paisaje. Pero primero, debemos definir las diferencias entre Preservar y Proteger en el paisaje. Preservar es proteger, cuidar, y defender, mientras que proteger es mantener a salvo, defender, custodiar; contra las actividades humanas nocivas que han alterado la cultura, el clima y la biodiversidad de las plantas y  los animales. Con eso en mente, hemos dividido nuestra discusión en tres partes. El primer tema cubrirá las culturas indígenas, el segundo tema sera sobre la biodiversidad de animales, plantas y el medio ambiente. Y por último, el tema que abla acerca del cambio climático en el paisaje.

In this episode, we will be immersing ourselves into the importance of protecting and preserving our public and private landscape. But first, we must define the differences between Preservation and Protection in the landscape. To preserve is to protect, to keep, to maintain the condition of; while to protect is to keep safe, to defend, to guard; against harmful human activities that have disrupted culture, climate, and biodiversity of plant and animals. With that in mind, we have separated our discussion into three parts. The first topic will cover indigenous cultures, followed by the second topic on the biodiversity of animals, plants, and the environment. And lastly, the topic of addressing the issues of climate change within the landscape.

Anteriormente, Maci definío el robo para nosotros como un acto de tomar ilegalmente o sin permiso. También habló sobre la necesidad de que hablemos, confrontemos y revelemos la verdad detrás de las fallas e injusticias del pasado de nuestra nación. Que ya no podemos escondernos detrás de temas tan sensibles o controversial, ya no podemos preocuparnos por el miedo al enfrentamiento y la apropiación de nuestras faltas. Estamos aquí simplemente para presentar estos problemas, ponerlos sobre la mesa y decir, “esto es lo que estamos tratando, así es como esto sigue siendo un problema hoy, y esto es lo que podemos hacer como arquitectos paisajistas para reconocer y resolver estos asuntos."

Previously, Maci defined stealing for us as theft, to take unlawfully or without permission. She also discussed the need for us to talk about, confront, and unveil the truth behind the flaws and injustices of our nation’s past. That we can no longer hide behind such topics that are sensitive or controversial, we can no longer worry ourselves with the fear of confrontation and ownership of our faults. We are here to simply present these issues, lie them on the table and say, “here is what we are dealing with, here is how this is still a problem today, and this is what we can do as landscape architects to acknowledge and resolve these issues.”

Bienvenidos a la primera serie de The Bravely Curious Podcast, compuesta de seis partes y producida en esfuerzo conjunto entre el Departamento de Arquitectura Paisajista de Cal Poly Pomona, 'The Landscape Architecture Podcast' y 'The Landscape Nerd' Podcast cual es presentado por Maci Nelson.

En esfuerzo para que estas historias lleguen a una audiencia lo más amplia posible, compartiremos todos los capítulos de esta serie en tres plataformas distintas, sera disponible en Ingles y en Español. Esperamos poder compartir lo que hemos aprendido con usted.

La información sobre este tema no está completa de ninguna manera, hay mucha historia que cubrir, es casi imposible, pero puedes pensar en este episodio como una preparación. Primero identificaremos el problema y exploraremos algunas de las fuentes de injusticia que vemos en el entorno construido.

Hello everyone! Welcome to the first series of The Bravely Curious Podcast, a six-part series produced as a joint effort between Cal Poly Pomona's Department of Landscape Architecture, 'The Landscape Architecture Podcast' and 'The Landscape Nerd' Podcast.

In an effort for these stories to reach as wide of an audience as possible, not only will every episode of this series be available on three different platforms, the episode will be available in English AND Spanish. We look forward to sharing what we have learned with you.

So let’s begin.

This episode will discuss examples of injustice we see in the built environment and understanding how our history and stories shape our view of public space. 

This episode is the second episode in the Representing Landscape Series. We will be discussing how collage as a technique can convey emotion and put pieces together for imagining landscapes of the past and landscapes to come.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

This episode explores the history and impact of Christmas Trees! This episode was written by Adrianne Kartachak and performed/ edited by Maci Nelson. 

Hello Everyone, This episode explores the leaf changing magic of this season. Think about what this season means to you and how you explore that in the landscape. 

We are enjoying the retelling of a Chinese folklore story called The Blue Rose.

I hope this story inspires you to find the people who make your dreams a reality.

www.thelandscapenerd.com

Hello Everyone!
Today is the very first Nevada episode and we will talk about one of my favorite areas here in Reno.
We will also talk about Ecogreif and how we can look to resilient landscapes for encouragement and education.

Today's episode topic was chosen by the listeners! We will be exploring moss and learning how to design with them in mind. 

You asked, I answered

Today we will take an audio visit to the Rockefeller Park Greenhouse in Cleveland, Ohio. It is a community-centered botanical garden that grew out of a nursery and small garden. A community gem that deserves some love right now.