The Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) has announced that "Keeping Up: Maintenance and Management of Ecologically Vibrant Landscapes" is the winning proposal of the 2025 Research Grant in Honor of Deb Mitchell.

 
Principal Investigators Brenna Castro Carlson, PLA of Atlas Lab and Haven Kiers, an associate professor at UC Davis, will receive $25,000 for their work surrounding maintenance challenges encountered in large-scale public and institutional landscapes as the managers try to create or increase biodiverse habitats.

The research will focus on examining current long-term maintenance practices and creating practical guidance for landscape professionals.

Emily McCoy, PLA, FASLA, member of the LAF Board of Directors and Research Committee, Principal at Design Workshop, and Associate Professor of Practice at North Carolina State University said this on the LAF announcement: "This much-needed research gets at the heart of the ability of Landscape Architects to deliver biodiversity gains in their work. It may not be the flashiest of topics, but the connection between design and maintenance of biodiverse landscapes is essential, unfortunately understudied, and highly relevant to all Landscape Architects."

LASN reached out to Castro Carlson and Kiers for a comment but had not heard back at the time of publishing.

To see the full LAF announcement, go to: https://www.lafoundation.org/news/2025/03/2025-deb-mitchell-grant-winner?utm_source=Landscape+Architecture+Foundation+Subscribers&utm_campaign=533eccbc56-dmrg-winner-25-04-03&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-533eccbc56-388868191