• Message from Chapter President Jon Wreschinsky, ASLA

• SD/ASLA Announces Completion of Landscape Beautification Project at North County Shelter

• Landscape Architects Step Up for Landscape Architecture Month

• 2007 ASLA San Diego Design Awards

• 2008 Community Grant Recipient

• 2007 Golf Tournament a Great Success

• Community Outreach

• Calling All Volunteers!

• Executive Board 2007-2008

• L.A.R.E. Review Session




President's Message

By Jon Wreschinsky, ASLA
John Gallup & Associates



Spring Brings Heightened Activity for ASLA San Diego Chapter

As I sit here, listening to the rain, I look forward to the sense of renewal spring will bring us. Then I remember, here in southern California, late fall and winter are essentially our spring. The hills turn green, the streams and rivers come alive, and the circle of life renews itself. I am also reminded that this time of year brings the beginning of the many exciting events our Chapter has to offer.

This year, we are embarking on a new series of events to be co-facilitated with the San Diego Chapter of the California Landscape Contractors Association. The first of these events, tentatively scheduled for March 6, will include a vital discussion of the new statewide water management regulations, on-going storm water management issues, and the new Low Impact Design (LID) standards. This event will offer excellent networking opportunities as well as providing landscape architects the chance to make their concerns known. It will be most advantageous that we work with our allied organization to address these issues in a thoughtful and productive manner. We hope to offer similar meetings to address other issues of mutual interest later in the year.

The Interrobang lecture series begins again in March. This year's program reflects a renewed commitment to providing outstanding speakers who will share their knowledge and experience in addressing many of the important design issues facing us today. I encourage each of you to attend these lectures and take advantage of the excellent professional growth opportunity they provide.

In an effort to facilitate an active role in addressing local, regional and national issues, our Chapter will participate this year in an In-district lobby day. This event provides us the opportunity to meet with our congressional representatives and discuss a number of issues important to our profession, including funding for the Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) and climate change legislation. If you are interested in participating, please contact the Chapter office.

Landscape Architecture Month will again provide many opportunities to become involved in public outreach and demonstrate our commitment to our communities. Scheduled activities will include a fire restoration project at Lake Poway (March 29), our annual Canyon Cleanup Day at Florida Canyon (Balboa Park), and a landscape improvements project for the Center for Community Solutions North County Shelter. Please look for more information in the coming weeks on these important events.

I am also pleased to announce that the Chapter is in the process of creating a working group for those small office practitioners looking for a support network for small businesses, where marketing, design, and productivity knowledge and experience can be shared, and where you will find the type of support to help you succeed.

The Chapter is also organizing a group whose primary focus will be addressing sustainability issues. This is being done in order to respond more effectively to the many calls for participation with our civic organizations and our need to address the future direction of San Diego County. This effort will be built upon a broad set of interests and the need to focus our attention on the ideals of the landscape architecture profession. This effort is in the early stages of development so we especially seek those interested in shaping the future of this group.

I am looking forward to these many opportunities. I only ask that you take the initiative to add your energy and enthusiasm to them. Your participation does make a difference.

Jon Wreschinsky
ASLA San Diego President



SDASLA Announces Completion of Landscape Beautification Project at North County Shelter

Center for Community Solutions (CCS), a non-profit agency that offers a complete range of sexual assault and domestic violence prevention and intervention services, announced the completion of a major landscape renovation project at its North County emergency shelter for survivors of domestic violence and their children. The project, which was spearheaded by SDASLA, encompassed the beautification of the shelter's grounds, including new trees, shrubs, potted plants, upgraded patios and outdoor furniture.

Following a recent renovation of the aging shelter, which was profiled on KGTV/10 News' "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," donations were sought to replace a large tree that once provided much-needed shade in a children's play area, until it was struck by lightning. SDASLA, which provided a $2,500 grant towards the project, also led the beautification effort, aided by community leaders, including Mintz Levin, an international law firm with offices in San Diego; Big Trees Nursery, which specializes in large specimen trees; and the Brickman Group.

According to Chris Gustard, chapter past president and senior project manager for GMP, a groundswell of enthusiasm from local companies and organizations enabled the team to not only replace the fallen tree, but to replace it with a thirty foot tall, 75-year old Quercus agrifolia (Coast Live Oak) from Big Trees Nursery and to completely renovate the grounds with a wide variety of native and drought tolerant trees, plants and shrubs, potted plants and outdoor furniture.

"The local landscape industry and CCS supporters banded together to provide funding, products and services helping to create a welcoming, beautiful outdoor environment that matches the wonderfully refurbished interiors," Gustard said. "Thanks to our generous community donors and ASLA member companies, we were able to contribute and give back to the community landscaped and upgraded grounds at the shelter where families are seeking a fresh start in a nurturing home environment."

The completion of the project, which honored National Landscape Architecture Month in April as well as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, required the hard work and dedication of community partners, including Big Trees Nursery, Brickman Group, Pardee Tree Nursery, Armstrong Nursery, Coast Recreation, Gillespie Moody Patterson Inc., Horizon Crane Company, John Deere Landscapes, Monrovia Growers, Quick Crete Products Corp., Decorative Stone Solutions, BMLA Landscape Architects and Simplot Partners. Thank you on behalf of SDASLA and the members our chapter serves.

As the only rape crisis center in the City of San Diego and a major provider of sexual assault and domestic violence services throughout the county, CCS helps more than 27,000 local residents each year.

View a pdf copy of the article as published by Center for Community Solutions.

Landscape Architects Step Up for LA Month Activities

We invite you and other professionals to get involved in a great month of activities during Landscape Architecture Month. To volunteer or attend these events, email ASLASD@sbcglobal.net (Interrobang requires online registration). €March 11 ­ Interrobang Lecture has moved to the Neuorsciences Institute, 10640 John Jay Hopkins Drive, SD 92121 ­ 6 pm Registration/Refreshments/ 7 pm Program. Registration ASLA/AIA/ASID/IIDA. Members:$12/$15 At Door, Non-Members: $15/$18 At Door. Register on www.asla-sandiego.org Speakers: Billie Tsien, AIA & Tod Williams, FAIA are known for their background in fine arts and architecture and collaboration with housing of the arts, including design of science and athletic facilities and national art and architecture awards. €March 29 Poway Fire Revegetation ­ Volunteers are needed to revegetate planters ravaged by Œ07 fires at the entryway of Lake Poway on Saturday, March 29. Donations by Monrovia Growers and Walter Anderson Nursery will help ASLA members and volunteers from Cuyamaca College and Poway Girl Scouts to re-plant vegetation. Meet 9 am at the Lake Poway Entryway. €April 3 Liberty Station Landscape Architecture Tour ­ Join Dennis Otsuji, FASLA and Principal of ONA, Inc. and representatives of the Corky McMillin Companies for a tour of the newly refurbished areas of the former Naval Training Center ­ now Liberty Station. After the tour, join us at 5:45 pm for a social hour at Sammy¹s Woodfire Pizza. The tour starts at 4:30 pm at McMillin Compnay headquarters located at 2750 Womble Road, Point Loma. €April 19 - Boy Scout Merit Badge Midway - Join ASLA members and sponsors who will talk to local Boy Scouts about the landscape architecture profession as part of the scouts annual merit badge day. If you'd like to volunteer between 8 am and 4 pm, contact Darren Solano at darren@lightfootpg.com €April 26 ­ I Love A Clean San Diego Creek to Bay Cleanup ­ Roll up your sleeves for our annual cleanup of Florida Canyon. Meet 8 am at the Rose Garden on the east side of Park Blvd across from the Reuben H. Fleet Space Museum For more information on any of these events, contact ASLA at 619.225.8155 or ASLASD@sbcglobal.net.

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A jury was comprised of educators, private sector developers, civic leaders and prominent landscape architects. Among the jurors were Wayne Carlson of San Diego Home and Garden Lifestyles, Kelly Broughton, ASLA, City of San Diego, Gail Nakamura, Marketing Director of Intracorp Development, Alon Kvashny, Department Chair at Texas Tech University and Angela Dye, ASLA, who will serve as the 2009 National President of the American Society of Landscape Architects.

"This year's extremely competitive design awards recognized an outstanding number of talented designers and their work that shape the ever changing community that we live in," said Chris Gustard, ASLA, the Chapters' Past President. "From transportation and environmental planning, public park development and community redevelopment, local landscape architects continue to prove the importance of the profession in our local communities through their creative and artistic designs employed in innovative sustainable ways shaping the beautiful place we live in here in San Diego."

Among the notable park and urban design projects receiving awards were the Fletcher Cove Park in Solana Beach designed by MW Peltz + Associates; Briercrest Park in La Mesa designed by Schmidt Design Group; and Piazza Basilone located in the heart of Little Italy, designed by ENVIRONS. Estrada Land Planning won in the category of Commercial, Institutional and Urban Design for Mission Valley East LRT Extension and SDSU Transit Station, which also won the recent Grand Orchid at the Orchids & Onions Awards held on November 30th at the North Park Theater. Also winning in that category was Intuit's Santa Fe Summit located in Carmel Highlands, designed by Nowell & Associates. KTU+A was recognized for three planning awards including the Kumeyaay Ipai Interpretive Center, Camp Lockett Framework Management Plan and the Rose Creek Watershed Opportunities Assessment.

Taking the Chapters' highest award was San Diego's newest residential community, Del Sur at Black Mountain Ranch by the design team of Wimmer Yamada and Caughey and VITA Planning and Landscape Architecture. "This prestigious award is the result of an almost twenty year effort in developing the landscape theme for Black Mountain Ranch and Del Sur," said Pat Caughey, principal of Wimmer Yamada Caughey. "We would like to thank our client Fred Maas and his staff for selecting Wimmer Yamada and Caughey and Vita Design to create the vision and implement a truly sustainable landscape design."

A special part of the awards ceremony this year included the recognition of prominent local and nationally renowned landscape architect, Martin Poirier, of Spurlock-Poirier Landscape Architects. In October, Martin was one of a select few landscape architects inducted into the ASLA Council of Fellows. Poirier's dedication and work with the planning and design of low-income housing communities was among the many reasons for his recognition by the national association with their highest honor.

Founded in 1899, the American Society of Landscape Architects is the national, professional association representing landscape architects in the United States. The ASLA works to increase the public's awareness of and appreciation for the profession of landscape architecture. It is an active advocate for the profession at the local, state and national levels on public policy issues including licensure, livable communities, green roof design, surface transportation, the environment, historic preservation, small business issues, and more.

• 2007 SD/ASLA Design Awards Recipients listing (pdf)
• Printable version of this press release (pdf)
  

Each summer, SD/ASLA distributes a call for grant entries throughout San Diego County to encourage community-based organizations to apply for up to $5,000 in grant funds to assist with projects in our communities. Past grant recipients include:

• 2007 San Ysidro Business Improvement District
• 2006 Point Loma High School and Alumni Foundation
• 2005 Scripps Park Project
• 2004 Azalea Park Neighborhood Assoc.
• 2003 Casa Familiar Casitas de las Forecitas
• 2002 Euclid Avenue Revitalization Committee

We need ASLA members to assist our Chapter in identifying groups in the community who would be outstanding recipients for future grants. If you know of a deserving organization, send us the group's name, contact person and email or phone information. Help us help the community by forwarding potential grant recipient information to Tracy at ASLASD@sbcglobal.net. Thank you!

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• Am-Sod, Inc
• Anonymous
• Arizona Tile
• Kelly Broughton, ASLA
• CalSense
• Cavignac & Associates
• Coast Recreation
• D.L. Cunningham, Inc
• Dave Bang Associates, Inc
• Ewing Irrigation
• Goodwin International
• Green Product Sales
• Gro-Power, Inc.
• GroWest Nurseries
• Hallmark Pools & Spas
• Hydro-Plant, Inc
• Hydro-Scape Products
• Hydro-Scape Technical Svcs.
• John Deere Landscapes
• John Deere Landscapes/ Green Tech Division
• KOMPAN, Inc
• KRC Rock, Inc
• Mark Schroeder & Company
• OCB Reprographics
• O'Connor Sales
• Orco Block, Inc
• Pardee Tree Nursery
• Quick Crete Products, Corp
• Rick Engineering
• RCP Block & Brick
• Sierra Building Products
• T.B. Penick & Sons
• The Concrete Group
• The Wakefield Company
• Thompson Building Materials
• Tri-C Enterprises, LLC
• Unique Lighting
• Village Nurseries
• V.I.T. Products, Inc.
• West Coast Turf

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• The Friends of the Mission Valley Preserve
• ASLA Community Design Workshop
• Community Grant

If you would like to become involved in any of these projects, please contact Jim Taylor (VP Community Outreach 2006-2007) at (760) 692-1924 or jim@lightfootpg.com.

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Contact Kelly Fore Dixon at (619) 298-2268 or kelly@residelandscape.com.

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• President: Jon S. Wreschinsky, ASLA
• President-Elect: David McCullough, ASLA
• Past President: Chris Gustard, ASLA
• Vice-President, Programs/Education: John H. McGee, Jr., ASLA
• Vice-President, Programs/Social Activities: Navid Mostatabi, ASLA
• Vice President, Membership: Cheryl Fields, ASLA
• Vice President, Chapter Visibility/Public Relations: vacant
• Vice President, Community Outreach: Jim Taylor, ASLA
• Secretary: Darren Solano, ASLA
• Treasurer: David Preciado, ASLA
• Chapter Trustee: Glen Schmidt, ASLA
• CC/ASLA Representative: David Allan Taylor, ASLA
• Association Executive: Tracy Morgan Hollingworth

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L.A.R.E. Application Process: Candidates need to apply to the Landscape Architects Technical Committee (LATC) in order to become eligible for licensure in the state of California. The web site address for the LATC is: http://www.latc.dca.ca.gov

Once approved, candidates will register for the graphic sections through the LATC (application forms are available at the website listed above and the multiple-choice sections through the CLARB website at www.clarb.org.

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