The document summarizes the Master of Arts in Landscape Design program at The Conway School. The 10-month graduate program trains around 18-19 students per year in sustainable landscape planning and design through real-world projects for clients. Students learn through small classes, field trips, and hands-on experience to address issues like food security, resource use, biodiversity, and climate change. Alumni of the program have gone on to careers in municipal planning, land conservation, restoration ecology, and related fields.

1. Applied. Whole systems. Design.
www.csld.edu

2. Two especially expansive definitions
• Landscape: the earth, its systems and
its function
• Design: change with intent

3. Getting beyond appearances…
…to deal profoundly with
ecological and social issues

4. A concentrated 10 months.
Master of Arts in Landscape Design
Accredited by New England Association of Schools & Colleges, Inc.

5. Based on real projects for real clients.

6. Whole systems approach:
projects across scales
1. Residential scale
2. Community scale
3. Regional scale

7. Analy'cal
design
process

8. Small
Classes.
Collabora've
learning.

9. Strong
emphasis
on
presenta'on
skills

10. Individualized classroom instruction.

11. Ecologist-­‐led
field
trips

12. Learn
by
doing.

13. Project reports and plan sets
become a professional portfolio.

14. At the intersection of
three broad fields:

15. Does Franklin County, Massachusetts, have the land resources needed to achieve
residents of the county and of the larger region? These are the questions the
Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG), working with a consortium
address.
1. How much farmland would Franklin County require to meet its residents’
nutritional needs?
2. How much farmland is there currently in Franklin County, and where is it
located?
3.
4. Where is there potential for additional farmland in Franklin County?
5.
The Conway School is the only institution of its kind in North America. Its focus is sustainable
landscape planning and design. Each year, through its accredited, ten-month graduate program
just eighteen to nineteen students from diverse backgrounds are immersed in a range of applied
professional roles in various aspects of landscape planning and design.
FRANKLIN COUNTY
FARMLAND & FOODSHED STUDY
Prepared for the
Franklin Regional Council of Governments
FRANKLIN COUNTY
FARMLAND & FOODSHED STUDY
Prepared for the
Franklin Regional Council of Governments
Laura Elizares | Evelyn Lane The Conway School Winter 2012
Projects address:
• improving food security and farm viability,
Small
farm
management
plan
City-­‐wide
food
security
plan
Regional
farmland
assessment

16. • reducing resource-consumptive
practices,
Condominium
master
plan
Air
base
restora'on
plan
Green
burial
alterna'ves

17. • protecting and enhancing biodiversity,
Connect
remaining
green
corridors
in
a
highly
grazed
landscape
Protect
fragile
places
within
an
ecotourism
des'na'on
Guide
access
to
a
unique
botanical
sanctuary

18. • anticipating, mitigating the impact of
climate change,
rain
garden
porous
pavement
Guidelines
for
regional
stormwater
management
Infiltrate
storm
runoff
and
reduce
heat
island
effect

19. • engaging diverse communities.
Facilita'ng
public
involvement
in
Ajo,
AZ;
Northampton
&
Worcester,
MA;
Adirondack
State
Park
communi'es;
Northeast
HarRord,
CT

20. What
are
recent
alums
doing?
• Municipal
and
regional
planning,
both
public
and
private
sector
• Residen'al
design,
permaculture,
na've
landscapes
• Environmental
protec'on:
local,
state
&
federal
• Land
conserva'on
with
local
and
regional
land
trusts
• Habitat
restora'on,
wetlands
protec'on
• Curriculum
development
and
teaching,
all
levels

21. Ahron Lerman ‘11
Urban Forestry Assistant
MA Department of Conservation & Recreation

22. “I draw on my Conway education every single
day: site design, public interaction, graphic
design, and project management.”

23. Jamie Pottern ‘12
Farm Conservation Program Manager
Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust

24. “Conway taught me how to design landscapes
that work for both the client and within the
natural constraints of the site. I learned what
questions to ask, and where to find answers.”

25. Mary Praus ‘10
Land Use Planner
Franklin Regional Council of Governments

26. “I try to communicate at multiple levels and
have each element of communication—word,
photo, drawing, map—support one another
and tell a story. That’s what I learned at
Conway.”

27. Josiah Simpson ‘10
Regenerative Design Group
Summit Ridge Design

28. “I chose Conway because of its unique design
process—hearing the client’s goals, assessing
land conditions for the project scope,
developing design alternatives—and its hands-
on approach to designing for real places and
real clients.”

29. Dave
Jacke
‘84
Permaculture
Trainer
Author,
Edible
Forest
Gardens
Cynthia
Boener
‘86
Biologist,
Invasive
Species
Control
Silvio
Conte
Wildlife
Refuge,
USF&W
Seth
Wilkinson
‘99
Restora'on
Ecologist
&
Principal
Wilkinson
Ecological
Design

30. Abrah
Dresdale
‘10
Food
Systems
Planner
Coordinator,
GCC’s
Food/Farm
concentra'on
Tom
Sullivan
‘08
Public
Educator/Designer
Pollinators
Welcome
Wendi
Goldsmith
’90
Founder
&
CEO
The
Bioengineering
Group

31. www.csld.edu
The
world
awaits…
Informa'on
sessions:
Saturday,
December
7th
Saturday,
February
1st