MELA Conference Keynote announced

MELA (Midwest Ecological Landscape Alliance) Conference 2014
SITES SIMPLIFIED:
Building a Sustainable Future
Thursday, March 6
The Morton Arboretum, Lisle
Presented by:
Davey Tree Expert Co.
The Care of Trees
Davey Resource Group

Members:  $175     Non-Members:  $265
Register here.

As both morning and afternoon Keynote for this year’s MELA Conference, we have invited landscape architect Heather Venhaus of Regenerative Environmental Design in Austin to guide us through SITES.  Venhaus facilitated and led the development of SITES and is a contributing author to the Sustainable Sites Handbook.  Her morning keynote will provide a behind-the-scenes look at the thought processes that built this initiative, with a simple and easy-to-understand overview.  In the afternoon, Venhaus will discuss design, construction and maintenance practices and provide guidance integrating SITES principals into sustainable landscaping management practices.

Venhaus’ keynotes will provide the dialogue for two panel discussions: “Driving Sustainability in the Public Sector,” featuring policy makers from municipalities around  Chicagoland; and “Driving Sustainability in the Private Sector,” with experienced professionals working with private land owners sitting on the panel.  The Conference will further offer educational breakout sessions following two tracks; Sustainable Design and Sustainable Contracting, along with a segment on edible landscaping and urban farming to address its growing demand in sustainable landscapes. 

The complete agenda and registration are on MELA’s website here.