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Ecological Design 101 American Ecological Engineering Society 2008 Annual Conference, Blacksburg, Virginia June 9-10, 2008 Ecological Design 101 will explore key concepts in the practice of ecological design. What is essential knowledge and experience for ecological designers? What is unique about ecological design and central to doing it well? How can we help designers be better ecologists and ecologists be better designers, and all of us work well together to build better projects? AEES is in the process of developing a program to certify practitioners of Ecological Design. As part of that process, the Society will develop and present workshops to serve those seeking certification. The Ecological Design 101 workshop being offered as a part of the AEES conference in June is a first step toward the development of those workshops. Over the last year, the AEES certification committee has generated extensive discussions around the topic of what the essential, core, or unique aspects of ecological design and engineering might be. Taking this workshop will be a way to participate in and contribute to that discussion. On Monday afternoon we’ll tour local Blacksburg examples of ecological design projects and opportunities. On Tuesday, the workshop will begin with presentations and discussions led by practitioners who are ecologists, engineers, and designers. Given the different backgrounds and values these disciplines have, these discussions will be organized around the theme of "what ecologists wish designers knew about ecology," and visa versa. It should stimulate a lively discussion around the similarities and differences of the disciplines we are trying to merge into a practice of ecological design. These discussions will be followed by a series of presentations of case studies and applications of principles in ecological design, with a special emphasis on how various ecological processes can become the design criteria for specific projects. We'll end the day with a wide ranging panel and audience discussion of the workshop's topics, with an eye toward the next steps AEES should take. 5-19-08 Agenda Monday, June 9, 2008 11:00 Ecological design and AEES’s Certificate in Ecological Design program [Mattlock] 12:00 Box lunch 1:00 Field trip (local Blacksburg examples of ecological design and problem sites where ecological design could provide a solution) Tuesday, June 10 8:30 9:15 Ecology, Engineering, Design—Introduction to the Workshop [Patterson] Ecological processes and an ecologist’s predilections and priorities [Toms] 10:00 Break 10:15 Engineering design process, predilections and priorities [Franks] 11:00 Landscape architect’s design process, predilections and priorities [Kim] 11:45 Lunch 1:00 1:45 2:30 Case studies in designing ecological services (Matlock) Watershed-sensitive site design [Bork] Self-organization [Kangas] 3:15 Break 3:30 Beyond self-design--unit processes in ecological engineering [Horne] Panel discussion: Key concepts and components of ecological design and an ecological design education [workshop participants and all speakers] Adjourn 4:15 5:00 5-19-08 Speaker Bios Dean Bork, MLA, ASLA Associate Professor, Landscape Architecture Virginia Tech University Dean R. Bork is a certified Landscape Architect in the Commonwealth of Virginia (#204 Prof. Bork’s professional practice experience includes planning, design and construction inspection for a variety of park, golf course and residential development projects. Several of the public open space projects integrate flood abatement and stormwater storage and treatment with active recreational uses. Professor Bork teaches a site engineering course specifically focused on the integration of distributed stormwater management practices (LID) in site planning and design as well as design studios focusing on site planning and landscape design. His recent, and ongoing, work with graduate students includes projects focused on daylighting of urban streams, preservation and restoration of urban riparian forests, ecologically sensitive housing development, sustainability standards for open space planning and design, and home owner attitudes toward LID practices. Dean holds a Bachelor of Science degree in landscape architecture from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and a Master of Landscape Architecture degree from Louisiana State University. Paul Frank Associate Engineer CH2MHILL Mr. Frank is an engineer with more than eight years of experience in the research, design, management, and operation of natural treatment systems, primarily constructed wetlands for treatment of a variety of wastewaters. His expertise includes multiple tools for modeling water quality, hydraulics, and hydrology of aquatic ecosystems. In addition, he has experience in the field of fluvial geomorphology and the design of stream and other riparian ecosystem restoration projects. Current assignments include river channel or wetland design projects in his home state of California, as well as in Arizona, Texas, Italy, and Singapore. Alex Horne, PhD Professor Emeritus, Civil and Environmental Engineering University of California, Berkeley Dr. Alex Horne is Professor Emeritus of Ecological Engineering at the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. His teaching and research focuses on aquatic ecosystems ranging from Antarctic oceans to freshwater lakes and reservoirs. 5-19-08 Specific topics have included the in situ measurement of toxic and biostimulatory effects of highly-treated wastewaters and the effects of heavy metals, oil spills, chlorinated wastewaters, and selenium in estuaries, rivers, wetlands, lakes, reservoirs, and oceans. He has written over 225 publications and the popular undergraduate textbook, Limnology. In addition to his research, Dr. Horne has been involved in the design of over 20,000 acres of wetlands combining water treatment, wildlife habitat enhancement, and aesthetics. Patrick Kangas, PhD Associate Professor Department of Environmental Science and Technology University of Maryland, College Park Dr. Patrick Kangas is a systems ecologist with interests in ecological engineering, tropical sustainable development and general ecology. He received his BS from Kent State University in Biology, his MS from the University of Oklahoma in Botany and Ecology and his PhD in Environmental Engineering Sciences from the University of Florida. After graduating from Florida, Dr. Kangas took a position in the Biology Department of Eastern Michigan University and taught there for 11 years. In 1990 he moved to the University of Maryland where he is an Associate Professor in the Environmental Science and Technology Department. He has published more than 50 papers, book chapters and contract reports on a variety of environmental subjects, including the text Ecological Engineering: Principles and Practices. Mentai Kim Associate Professor, Landscape Architecture Virginia Tech University Dr. Kim is an associate professor of Landscape Architecture in the School of Architecture + Design at Virginia Tech. He received Master of Landscape Architecture and Ph.D. in Environmental Planning from the University of California at Berkeley. He studied ecological design extensively while at Berkeley. His current teaching and research interests include healing space design, sustainable design and planning, and ecological design and planning. He is a LEED Accredited Professional. Marty Matlock, PhD, PE Associate Professor Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department University of Arkansas 5-19-08 Dr. Marty Matlock is an associate professor in the Ecological Engineering Group of the Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department at the University of Arkansas. He is a Certified Senior Ecologist with the Ecological Society of America, and a Registered Professional Engineer. Matlock is also Director of the Center for Agricultural and Rural Sustainability. He works with municipal, state, and federal agencies, as well as non-profit organizations to better understand and manage ecological services in Arkansas and the region. Matlock's partnership with the UA Community Design Center has resulted in more than a dozen national and international design awards for eco-sensitive community design. Matlock serves as technical advisor on three national sustainability committees, has published more than 20 peerreviewed manuscripts, eight book chapters, and numerous articles on measuring and designing sustainable systems. Steve Patterson, PhD Restoration Ecologist Bio x Design Dr. Steve Patterson is a restoration ecologist who has been conducting and managing biological studies for over 25 years. His company, Bio by Design, specializes in ecological restoration and ecosystem design. Steve's recent work applies his understanding of natural ecological processes to the development of ecologically-engineered cultured ecologies for the improvement of water quality and ecosystem function. Throughout his career, Dr. Patterson has had a special interest in the integration of ecology and design, and has organized workshops and charrettes on that topic in a variety of venues. Christina Toms Wetlands and Water Resources Christina Toms is an Ecological Engineer in San Rafael, CA. She has over 8 years of professional and educational experience in the management, enhancement, and restoration of a wide variety of aquatic ecosystems, from tidal marshes to coastal lagoons to mountain streams. She also specializes in treatment wetland design and providing CEQA/NEPA support for projects that enhance coastal environments. Ms. Toms' research experience includes analyses of eutrophic drinking water reservoirs, stormwater and wastewater treatment wetlands, and restored river channels throughout California. She has a BS in Biological Resources Engineering from the University of Maryland-College Park and an MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of California-Berkeley. She is very proud to be an AEES member almost since the group's inception. 5-19-08 Field Trip Site Information The Village at Tom's Creek This is a subdivision in Blacksburg that was designed to promote a "village" feel (Parcel ID: 080659). There is a range of housing size/cost and the buildings are clustered. Roughly half of the ~100-ac site was left untouched as green space. The buildings are mostly on the hilltops and the riparian areas were left as untouched as possible. There are walking and biking trails throughout the development. Curb and gutter are minimal. Given the clay subsoils and the steep slopes, the engineering firm (Gay and Neel, then Gay and Keessee) did the best they could to incorporate LID practices and principles into the design. Information about the development is available at the following web sites: http://www.villageattomscreek.com/area.html http://www.progressstreet.com/village.htm http://www.gayandneel.com/village.asp Shadow Lake Village Shadow Lake Village is a co-housing community not far from the Village at TC (Parcel ID: 080125). This development was also clustered and most of the site was left untouched. The site is 33 acres and only 5 acres are developed. All parking is on the outside of the neighborhood, there are no manicured lawns, and the landscaping is pretty minimal. Wetlands Restoration at Heritage Park Formerly the Brown Farm, Heritage Park is a large tract of land owned by the Town of Blacksburg (Parcel ID: 002563 - site on north end of property). Lee Daniels, a soil scientist at VT who will be leading the wetland mitigation workshop, will be taking his group and we will meet with him there. Lee has used this site for his wetland soils class and has helped out with some restoration efforts. Monitored LID practices Two LID stormwater retrofits in Blacksburg (Parcel ID: 070030) are being monitored by Tess Wynne. One is standard bioretention and the other is an infiltration trench with "structural soil". Structural soil was designed by the horticulture folks at Cornell to provide rooting space for urban trees under pavement. It is basically uniform gravel with topsoil "glued" to it using a polyacrylamide gel. The idea is 5-19-08 that the material can be compacted and used for subgrade (2 ft deep as opposed to 6 inches) while still allowing root penetration and nutrient and water storage.We're still monitoring the bioretention cell, but we have stopped at the infiltration trench, for a host of reasons. Wong Park Wong Park is also a town park (Parcel ID: 021250). It has a good example of a poor stormwater management practice (dry detention pond with really ugly outflow structure) and LID practices (permeable pavement, bioretention). The town engineer will meet us here to talk about the site. Blacksburg has a good online GIS system with aerial photos (once you zoom in enough). If you use the parcel numbers above, you can locate all of these sites: http://arcims2.webgis.net/blacksburg/default.asp 5-19-08