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Dear MD ASLA Community,
We are in the height of summer and while summer is my favorite season this one has me strugggling a bit. This month of July has been hot and dry (meaning no rain, not air quality) and plants everywhere are suffering. I think constantly about the changing climate and how Landscape Architects are equipped (must be equipped) to help bend the current trajectory. It is a challenge that ASLA has stepped up to with the Climate Action Plan released in 2022 and it is a challenge that each chapter must address regionally.
I am proud of our chapter for the Climate Action Plan Challenge that was initiated this year for students within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, but there is so much more that we can do. During a recent ASLA Climate Action Plan Committee meeting I learned of initiatives being adopted in other states. The California / Sierra Chapter has developed their own local plan based on the three goals of the ASLA plan: Practice, Equity, Advocacy. Their aims are very feasible. For example, one objective of the Advocacy goal is to be more sustainably focused during all chapter events (using local purveyors, eliminating waste, shrinking carbon footprints, reusable silverware and plates, planning climate-positive events such as tree plantings and stream cleanups). The Equity goal included better communication and collaboration with local indigenous groups. Practice was self-explanatory: basically, to increase climate-forward approaches in all workplaces and to work harder to educate our clients about alternatives to traditional methods and materials. These are things that we can easily accomplish in Maryland, and I believe that our Chapter should come up with its own Climate Action Vision.
I love our state and its “temperate” climate. We have four seasons, we have coastline, and we have mountains and farmlands. Let’s work together as hard as we possibly can to make sure that we don’t lose this diverse region to climate change.
On a more uplifting note, thank you to everyone who submitted nominations for the 2024-2025 executive board. We have been able to fill all positions, and I am particularly happy to see so much interest from our students and emerging professionals. The election ballots are out, and I hope that you all will take the time to vote and make your voice heard. This ensures the future of the Chapter and suggests the success of our initiatives.
Have a wonderful rest of the month, stay cool, hydrate, and water those plants.
Many thanks,
Sarah Trautvetter, ASLA
2024 MDASLA President
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