One of the key themes from the LI Greener Recovery Festival related to the profession and working collaboratively; the need to involve everyone from the start of projects and communication, communication!
Nothing new on that front - communicating effectively is just becoming ever more important if we are going to successfully deliver on all the climate and biodiversity related mitigation issues that are needed.
Elizabeth summarised:
"This is all about communication: between professions and developers and the community and local authorities. Communication and listening is the key to any successful change."
At 2B, we are big believers in the cumulative effect of small actions, and 'Practice what you preach' (see previous blog posts on 2B's house and office and Green Roofs), so we loved the prevailing sentiment that we can all help. Whether that is as Landscape Professionals, through our relationships with other consultants and external communications, or physically through landscape interventions; even if it is only on an individual level, starting with a window box and thinking about what, why and how we plant it up.
Elizabeth mused:
"I am looking at my front lawn which is starting to glow with purple and yellow from the violets and celandines that have started to flower in a different way... they are not just pretty but they are biodiversity in action! I am so pleased I have protected them all these years - more because I love them than for biodiversity reasons but, now, for biodiversity reasons too!"
Rose Perkins from Cornus Landscape Planning and Design (one of our lucky ticket giveaway winners) said on the topic of landscape professionals driving opportunities:
"As landscape professionals I love that we can drive forward opportunities for increasing experiences of nature, educating communities and increasing access to nature and green infrastructure by bringing nature into cities, with a multi-layered approach….. integrating not only biodiversity enhancements but natural water management, opportunities for imaginative and exciting play and recreation, and increased connections and green corridors to provide a wider and more connected landscape.
At a larger scale, we really need to have a more joined up, collaborative and co-ordinated approach to drive these ambitions and inequalities to deal with the climate change and biodiversity crisis."
Nicola Phillips, from Nicola Jayne Landscape Design Ltd. said:
“Thankyou 2B Landscape Consultancy Ltd, the Greener Recovery Festival is so important.
As Landscape Architects we are the artists and social scientists who can address the climate and biodiversity emergencies.
The festival has highlighted many amazing projects, products and brought the landscape industry together, virtually”
We first ran the blog above as a series of posts on our social media channels – follow us to be the first to get updates in future!
The whole conference is now available on LI Campus at https://campus.landscapeinstitute.org/event/li-cpd-greener-recovery-festival/