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I’d gladly come to your office and help you get your system (process) dialed in for $150/hr. Your question is just too obtuse to easily answer in this forum. There are many ways to skin a cat but the simplest is always the best. The least number of steps required to get to the prize wins. If you don’t have a standard process for doing standard…[Read more]

As far as I know this is practiced by all ASLA chapters.  And in terms of national, anyone who serves on the ASLA awards advisory committee has their firm ineligible for all awards while they serve, including public agencies.

PS – If you are a member of ASLA, you are also a member of IFLA.
 

Echoing others-
Bold idea: Get involved.
 
Either local or national, it doesn’t matter.  Try to get elected to your state ASLA executive committee, or work on one of the local sub-committees if you have some time, but not the name recognition to get elected.  Pick a committee you think will address some of your issues, and… well… address th…[Read more]

I’m somewhat involved with my state chapter and they have done quite a bit of good.  They got Alaska the stamp, work hard to market the profession, and collaborate well to promote our shared interests.
 
I would just as soon dump the national ASLA, though.  LAM is alright, but it isn’t worth hundreds of dollars per year.  My state dues are 1/10…[Read more]

sorry – that was the Designed Landscape Forum conference, the first one of which was in San Francisco in Nov. 1996 – were any of you there?

earthworker<
 
I agree with you sentiments.
BTW-There is an international organization:
http://www.iflaonline.org/

Jason and Tanya,
 
I really appreciate your “get involved” spirit.  I will probably avoid the ASLA, but I’ll definitely consider forming my own group here in Boston.

and p.s. of the trustees / executive committee – 13 of 63 are women, and that includes the executive secretary and CEO who are honorary members – 20%. read it and weep. Only 6 of the state chapter trustees are women. 6! sick.

Great thread Christopher – and very enlightening responses from ASLA….cold, self important, insular, disinterested, we’re doing just fine without you here in DC responses. I would have thought that ASLA would want as members every landscape architect in the country. Guess not.
It would be interesting to hear from people who are very active in…[Read more]

Thanks for that info, Jason.  I hope it is that way for every chapter.  Maybe you could fill me in on something as well……  I am disturbed by the recent trend of ASLA to hand out honor awards to non-American firms/entities in regards to landscape architecture.  It’s not that I am against foreign-designed works. It’s just a little confusing tha…[Read more]

The trustees are elected by their chapters, and the executives are elected by national ballot (you should have just received yours) You do have to run to be elected. Its a tough job…you have to go to a lot meeting/webinars…you have to read a ton, and there is the meeting @ the convention when everybody else is out whoopin’ it up.It takes a…[Read more]

I don’t believe Terence to be a landscape architect.  I could be wrong in that assumption.  A quick web search seems to indicate that he is a career non-profit staff member.
 
On a different note, if one looks at the Board of Trustees for the ASLA it is decidedly an aged group of people.  There are few young professionals.  This begs the quest…[Read more]

Sounds like it really doesn’t matter what people think because membership is steady and the checks are coming in right?
 
Here is more of the correspondence:
Good afternoon Terrance. Thanks for the response.  I am trying to read through the lines of what you have written.  It’s a very politically savy response, but I think it demonstrates why tho…[Read more]

Here is the response from ASLA:
 
Your note was forwarded to me, and I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your time and interest. We routinely monitor Land8 but don’t think it is effective or even appropriate for ASLA to step into such conversations among members and nonmembers. We are, however, noting the comments, separating fact from fi…[Read more]

So I recently e-mailed the executive committee of the ASLA and said “Hey…Land8Lounge has a decent cross section of the profession.  You may want to check it out to get an idea of what landscape architects and designers are saying about the profession and about the ASLA.”  Many of us see ways the ASLA and the profession can be improved.  Many of…[Read more]

Put simply if there were no licensure society would have lower standards of safety and handicap access.  Licensure is meant to ensure health, safety and welfare.  It is not meant to validate ego, confirm artistic design ability or come free with the purchase of a degree.
 
As a side benefit licensure provides our clients with a reasurance that…[Read more]

As an Arborist, I unfortunately deal with “crape murder” on a routine basis. I doubt this will pose a safety hazard in Crape Myrtles like it would in other species. However, it is aesthetically damaging and unnecessary. Crape Myrtles can be managed to almost any size with proper pruning. The fine does seem a bit severe for an ornamental tree. The…[Read more]

If it were not for the license, would you have gone to school for a B(S)LA? I’m not sure that I would have. That being said, I am quite confident that the degree has changed what I do and how I do it. I’m doubtful that I would have gone back to school 12 years later at 33 without the licensing incentive. I was a landsape contractor in the late…[Read more]

A lot of thoughtful posts. Somehow it ties into the other questions about the value of being licensed or how far out of field to take work. I’m sure many of those who labored hard to get licensing enacted hoped that it would enhance the profession, but it took shape in a different economic environment. And it is the licensing requirements (the…[Read more]