INASLA Call for Nominations: 2010-2011 Executive Committee

Dear INASLA Members,
Please allow me to take this opportunity to invite you to submit nominations for the 2011 INASLA Executive Committee. The honor to select your professional representatives is bestowed upon every single member of the chapter and is the vital link to ensuring the continued vitality of our important organization.

There are few better ways to compliment one of your fellow professionals than to recommend them as a candidate to invest their skills and apply their professional judgment towards making critical decisions on behalf of all INASLA members.

Likewise, there is no better way to give back to your profession than to volunteer your time and talents towards ensuring the continued growth of our profession. Either of these important honors can be accomplished by simply participating in the INASLA Executive Committee nominating process by either nominating somebody else, or yourself.

Please take a few minutes of your time to review the enclosed description of the available positions for the 2011 term and fi lling out the enclosed nominating ballot. You do not have to complete the entire ballot for it to be valid; simply a single name is all that is required. I assure you, your investment will pay dividends in knowing that the future of your professional organization is in capable hands.

If you have any questions about the nominating process please do not hesitate to contact me via e-mail at Indiana.asla@gmail.com.

Thank you for taking the time to help shape the face of the 2011 INASLA Executive Committee and the future of our profession.

You can find the nomination form here.

INASLA Takes a Trip to the Zoo!

On the afternoon of April 23 a small group of INASLA members braved the cold to take a behind the scenes tour of the Indianapolis Zoo and Botanical Gardens. We began by meeting our tour guide Abby McCoy who gave us a brief overview of the botanical garden and zoo setup. Then we began the event by visiting White River Gardens. We were allowed to explore for a few minutes before being introduced to one of the horticulturists that care for the botanical gardens.

We visited the gardens a week late, as many of the spring bulbs had already flowered and had been removed, but we were able to catch a couple of tulip masses while we were there.

As the horticulturist lead us through the gardens she gave us an idea of what her daily routine is like, what her responsibilities are when it comes to design and renovation and some of her favorite plant species. It was really interesting to hear how attached the horticulture staff gets to their plantings!

Another interesting face is that the entire White River Gardens area is taken care of by only two full time people. During the height of summer a few other seasonal employees are on hand, but for the most part there are only two people there day in and day out.

After the seeing the botanical gardens we were lead through the zoo grounds and got a chance to see the different areas of the zoo. We even were lucky enough to see the Cheetah exhibit that hasn't even been open to the public.

Interesting fact #2 that we learned on our tour- many times when the zoo has trees that need to be removed, they simply hitch their elephant to the tree and ask them to walk. So much simpler then renting equipment, cutting it down and then dealing with a stump!

In addition to seeing all of the interesting plant material, and the interesting ways the material is used a true highlight of the trip was being able to see the animals in a way that many people don't get a chance to. The zoo was nearly empty when we there so it was much easier to imagine the animals in their native habitat. The animals must have been at ease too because we happened upon the walrus's during an intimate moment.

The tour was great, and it was very valuable to hear a different viewpoint on design and maintenance. We hope to be able to bring additional tour possibilities to our membership later this year!

INASLA sponsors tree planting in Columbus, IN

On April 30th INASLA assisted the Columbus Parks and Recreation Department in their Arbor Day Tree Planting Ceremony at the Foundation for Youth (FFY). Over 30 children spent time learning about the benefits of trees as well as the profession of landscape architecture. Three cherry trees were planted adjacent to the FFY Garden that supplies a variety of vegetables and flowers to the children throughout the summer. The cherry trees will add to the variety offered. The children tend to the garden throughout the summer with the season culminating with the sale of homeade salsa from the garden produce. The garden and tree planting are wonderful examples of positive ways to encourage children to spend time outdoors! Each child was given a small tree sponsored by ASLA to plant in their yard when they return home.