April is Earth Month and always a busy 30 days for Earth-centric ideas, ideals, and actions and April 2022 even more so. The resilience of nature and nature-based solutions are extremely powerful.

Green infrastructure goes hand in hand with living architecture and both will help heal our planet.

How to say Happy Earth Day? #InvestInOurPlanet

Nature’s sprouting on Cedar Trail beneath Mt. Fromme in North Vancouver, British Columbia. Image: Christine Thuring

Let’s start by continuing to practice environmental design and get involved to: battle climate change & reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions; advocate for climate justice & social equity; protect public lands, wildlife & biodiversity, and our old-growth and mature forests; promote urban forests & rewilding efforts; ensure clean air & water for all; save our seas & coral reefs; preserve our cultural landscapes; end plastic pollution; demand sustainable development…

“When 20 million people took to the streets for the first Earth Day celebration in 1970, they shifted the course of history, helping create the EPA, the Clean Air and Water Act, and more. Today, we once again need to change the course of history to protect the planet on which we all depend. This is the moment for bold action to move our country forward and end the climate crisis.” ~ Sierra Club

For the past 50 years, Earth Day has been celebrated by billions of people around the globe, annually every April 22, to join together in promoting awareness for the health of our environment. #WhatWillYouDo – the list is endless! But in other words, let’s fight for a healthy, regenerative and livable planet.

EARTHDAY.ORG, together with their partners, will present the Earth Day Climate Action Summit today. Join their “Earth Day Livestream – April 22nd – Nature in the Race to Zero” – learn more.

Even the Peanuts’ cartoon gang is celebrating Earth Day this year with a new Peanuts special debuting on Apple TV+. Celebrating the environment, it highlights that even tiny changes can help the Earth.

For Charlie Brown’s little sister Sally, every day is Earth Day ~ watch “It’s the Small Things, Charlie Brown” trailer on YouTube:

April is World Landscape Architecture Month #WLAM2022

Image: ASLA

The American Society of Landscape Architecture’s core vision statement is “healthy, beautiful, and resilient places for all.” As the celebration’s founder, ASLA promotes the profession with World Landscape Architecture Month (WLAM), an international celebration of landscape architecture and designed public and private spaces.

“Landscape architects design spaces where community, change, diversity, and life grow.” ~ ASLA

For #WLAM2022, ASLA explores: What is landscape architecture? What does landscape architecture mean to you? Learn more at ASLA.

Frederick Law Olmsted’s 200th Birthday #CelebrateOlmsted

Portrait of Frederick Law Olmsted, 1893 Public Domain

Landscape architects, landscape designers, and ASLA & IFLA members around the world are celebrating the 200th birthday of the founder of landscape architecture, Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903). His 200th birthday will be honored on April 26, 2022 in New York City and throughout the year in numerous other cities. Many of us will reflect on his living legacy of sensitive, sweeping, beautiful park designs which have become cultural icons and celebrated landmarks.

“Born in Hartford, Connecticut in 1822, he studied engineering, chemistry and farming before settling on a career in landscape architecture. In addition to his design career, Olmsted was an author and social critic, believing that aesthetic beauty was the remedy to many of the social ills he observed around him.” ~ Chicago Architecture Center

Sheep Meadow in Central Park. Image: Central Park Conservancy

Olmsted believed nature has a positive effect on human behavior and well-planned parks and environments can help improve city dwellers’ sense of well-being. He certainly explored the concept of biophilia well!

In 1863 partners Olmsted and Vaux adopted the term ‘landscape architect’ as a professional title and used it to describe their work for the planning of urban park systems. Although the partnership later dissolved, the team is responsible for numerous iconic park landscapes including, of course, Central Park in New York. In a career spanning half a century, Frederick Law Olmsted had over 500 commissions and greatly contributed to the fields of public health, conservation, urban planning and landscape design.

Learn more at ASLA and Olmsted200.org.

Harmony with Nature Today & Always

Happy April and I hope you find your own voice to best celebrate and contribute to a more sustainable Planet Earth!

Image: Seattle U, Logo by Gabriela Batinich (Environmental Studies ’23), winner of the 2022 Earth Month® Logo Competition

Happy Earth Day & Love the Earth, Plant a Roof (or Wall)!

By Linda S. Velazquez, ASLA, LEED AP, GRP
Greenroofs.com Publisher & Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summits Host