Nevada ASLA Chapter

Report by Amie Wojtech, ASLA, LEED-AP, Chapter President 2010

NASLA’s annual Pink Flamingo Reception and Landscape Architecture Awards is not until Dec. 3, which is too late for this edition, but last year’s awards garnered 44 submissions, the most yet. The Arizona ASLA chapter will provide the judging for this year’s awards. Pictured is the Fianna’s Healing Garden at Renown Regional Medical Center, landscape architecture by CFA, Reno, Nev. The project won a NASLA 2009 Merit Award in the institutional/corporate category.

Although the Nevada Chapter (NASLA) has been affected by the economy with lower membership numbers (we moved from a medium sized chapter to a small), we remain an active chapter and have been able to continue with regularly scheduled events.

Education
Our monthly luncheons continue offering thought provoking educational speakers with topics such as blending architecture and landscape architecture through art, water resource management, permeable concrete, desert restoration, and discussion on our local fossil beds. Next year promises to provide more outstanding speakers.

We continued offering LARE workshops for those preparing for the exam with Section E offered in both the spring and fall.

We also continued providing student scholarships to our northern and southern section college students.

This year was the first year NASLA participated in PARK(ing) Day. NASLA and representatives from the student chapter at UNLV “greened” up a parking space at the infamous “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign. It was a great event and even received television coverage!

National Landscape Architecture Month
We had another successful year providing the ever popular “30 Days of Landscape Architecture” with emails sent each day during the month of April containing inspirational quotes geared towards landscape architecture and including wonderful photos provided by our membership to compliment the quotes.

Our chapter also gave back to our community by helping clean up the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

More Events
The annual golf tournament was a rousing success in large part to the sponsors and participants. The tournament was held at the Arroyo Golf Course.

Once again, our chapter partnered with the Southern Nevada Water Authority and helped judge the SNWA Landscape Awards. Several of our members won awards this year as well.

This year was the first year NASLA participated in PARK(ing) Day. The Chapter along with representatives from the student chapter at UNLV “greened” up a parking space at the infamous “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign. It was a great event which even received television coverage!

The chapter managed a booth at the local National Trails Day celebration that took place October 9. It was a beautiful day with many who stopped by the booth to learn more about landscape architecture.

NASLA annually sponsors the Desert Green Conference and during that event each year we give an Award of Appreciation to an individual who advocates for the profession of landscape architecture without being a landscape architect. This year the award went to Helen Stone who recently retired from her 20+ years of service to our chapter.

NASLA managed a booth at the local National Trails Day celebration on October 9. It was a beautiful day with many who stopped by the booth to learn more about landscape architecture.

Still to Come
Our Third Annual Art Auction took place on November 5 and “popped.” Instead of pairing the art auction with wine tasting we will be sampled different types of soda along with tasting “throwback” candy. Artwork was donated by
our members.

The annual Pink Flamingo Reception and Landscape Architecture Awards is our end-of-the-year event (December 3) providing time to connect with our peers and celebrate the past year of landscape architecture with the announcement of the Awards’ winners. Last year’s awards had 44 submissions, our most yet! We are expecting about the same number this year with the Arizona Chapter providing judging.

To view more reports from the 2010 ASLA Chapter Reports click here.