Tristan Cleveland's landscape architecture portfolio

TRISTAN ADELE CLEVELAND portfolio

TRISTAN ADELE CLEVELAND tcleveland5013@gmail.com 443.974.3839

PROJECTS 12 | Urban Environmental Education Center Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

18 | Vecchio Statione Piazza Viale Trastevere, Rome

12 | Alice in Wonderland Children’s Garden Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania

14 | Conservation Greenway Management Plan Spring Creek Canyon, State College, Pennsylvania

18 | ‘Nurturing Land/Nurturing Self’ Campus Plan

Methodist Home for Children, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

22 | AmeriCorps VISTA Service

New River Gorge Regional Development Authority, West Virginia

24 | ‘The Importance of Local Action for Environmental Sustainability’ Writing sample adapted from Tristan Cleveland’s honors thesis

URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA The non-profit organization Education Partnership purchased a new warehouse headquarters facility in West Pittsburgh, PA, and asked that the 2.4 acres of green space behind the building be designed to complement their mission of supporting teachers in low-income Pittsburgh elementary schools.

CONCEPT The site design creates a multi-purpose environmentally regenerative space to offer teachers a restorative location, educate students about the nature in their city, and welcome special events.

The ecologically restored upland forest and wetland provide an elegant backdrop to the event spaces and the fitness loop trail, and doubles as an outdoor classroom for students exploring the canopy walk or riparian observation deck. The entrance plaza celebrates the daylighting of the buried stream with a wind turbine powered fountain, evocative of water even in low flow.

EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP

ENTRANCE PLAZA

SITE ANALYSIS

URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER | 3 HEIGHT

RUNOFF FROM SURROUNDING HILLS RETAINED ON SITE

high

UPLAND FOREST

RIPARIAN FOREST

low

MEADOW

SEASONAL WETLAND

OVERFLOW WATER SENT INTO STORM SEWER SYSTEM

RUNOFF FROM SURROUNDING HILLS RETAINED ON SITE

PROPOSED MASSING

ORCHARD

RIPARIAN OBSERVATION DECK

CANOPY WALK

CELBRATION ENTRY PLAZA

B’

A’

PROPERTY BOUNDARY

1/2 MILE ART WELLNESS LOOP TRAIL

SCULPTURE BY LOCAL ARTISTS

SECONDARY WOODLAND TRAIL SERVICE VEHICLE ACCESS

AMPHITHEATER

E’

RESTORED NATIVE OAK-HICKORY WOODLAND

D’

TERRACED VEGETABLE GARDEN

C’

PARKING LOT, 7 SPACES

PROPOSED ECOLOGIES AND WATERFLOWS

S CORLISS

COMPREHENSIVE SITE PLAN

NIT TANY ST.

E

D

C

B

A

T.

CHARTIERS AVE. PLANTING BUFFER RAINWATER BIOSWALE PARKING LOT, 19 SPACES

3 SEASON SHELTER WATER RUNNEL FOUNTAIN WIND TURBINE, POWERS FOUNTIAN

RECREATED RIPARIAN ZONE, SEASONALLY WET BOARDWALK PLANTEDBERM, BURM, PLANTED ARTISTIC ARTISTIC FENCE AT FENCE AT CREST

EVENT LAWN PATIO STAGE

MEADOW SPRING GROTTO PLAZA

N

STOREHOUSE FOR TEACHERS WAREHOUSE

SCHEMATIC SITE PLAN

4 | URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER

URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER | 5

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50

100

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FEET

ILLUSTRATED SITE PLAN The geometrically undulating berm on the west side of the site and the restored hill forest on the east side of the side creates a buffered space for relaxation, exploration, and entertaining.

6 | URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER

FITNESS TRAIL

PLANTED BERM

ENTRY PLAZA WIND TURBINE

ENTRANCE PLAZA ELEVATION

FITNESS TRAIL

CANOPY WALK

PLANTED BERM RESTORED WETLAND AND BOARDWALK

CANOPY EXPLORATION DECK ELEVATION

URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER | 7

ENTRANCE PLAZA DETAIL PLAN The interaction with the daylighted stream culminates with a turbine powered fountain in the entry plaza that pumps overflow water collected in a cistern before the water returns to the city’s stormwater system.

DESIGN PROCESS ITERATION

VECCHIO STATIONE PIAZZA VIALE TRASTEVERE, ROME Viale Trastevere has always been a major travel route into Rome, but is now isolated from the lushness of Gianicolo Hill and the Tiber River by tall buildings. Redeveloping Vecchio Statione Piazza along Viale Trastevere to link the road with its flanking features will connect travelers and residents to the city and the Tiber (Tevere)River.

Through sight lines and development of two distinct spaces, Piazza dello Gianicolo and Piazza dello Tevere within Vecchio Statione Piazza gives people a space to rest and reconnect.

This project balances tradition and innovation in a design that acknowledges Rome’s rich history and develops fresh movement. Emblematic elements of travertine and Sycamore trees connect to Rome’s traditional design, while weathering steel and interactive fountains animate the spaces in a contemporary dimension.

GIANICOLO HILL

INTERSECTING ACTIVITIES PIAZZA FOCAL CENTER

PIAZZA FOCAL CENTER

TIBER RIVER

CONCEPT DIAGRAM

VECCHIO STATIONE PIAZZA, DIGITAL MODEL birds eye view showing Piazza dello Gianicolo above Piazza dello Tevere

VECCHIO STATIONE PIAZZA | 9

CHARACTER OF OF VIALE TRASTEVERE CHARACTER CHARACTER OF VIALE VIALE TRASTEVERE TRASTEVERE CENTRAL ROME CENTRAL CENTRAL ROMEROME large buildings, planned large buildings, planned large buildings, planned streets streetsstreets

CENTRAL ROME CENTRAL CENTRAL ROMEROME renaissance and baroque, renaissance and baroque, renaissance and baroque, dignified dignified dignified

MEDIEVAL MEDIEVAL MEDIEVAL twisty streets twistytwisty streetsstreets

MEDIEVAL MEDIEVAL MEDIEVAL small town small feel town feel smallfeel town

GIANICOLO HILL HILL HILL GIANICOLO GIANICOLO residential residential residential

GIANICOLO HILL HILL HILL GIANICOLO GIANICOLO upper income upper income upper income

WAREHOUSE WAREHOUSE WAREHOUSE private private compounds private compounds compounds

STATION STATION STATION modernmodern apartments apartments modern apartments

SITE

SITE SITE

ADJACENCY: ADJACENCY: ADJACENCY: residential comresidential residential com- community,munity, giani-munity, giani- gianicolo hill colo hill colo hill WAREHOUSE WAREHOUSE WAREHOUSE ADJACENCY: ADJACENCY: ADJACENCY: lively porta lively portese porta portese livelyportese porta porta portese porta portese porta portese market marketmarket market,market, tiber market, tiber tiber river river river

STATION STATION STATION facelessfaceless buildings faceless buildings buildings with flat facades with flat with facades flat facades

CHARACTER OF BUILDING PATTERN CHARACTER OF BUILDING STYLE CHARACTER CHARACTER OF BUILDING OF BUILDING PATTERN PATTERN CHARACTER CHARACTER OF BUILDING OF BUILDING STYLE STYLE

CHARACTER OF PIAZZA CHARACTER CHARACTER OF PIAZZA OF SITE PIAZZA SITESITE

CHARACTER BUILDING PATTERN CHARACTER OF BUILDING STYLE CHARACTER PIAZZA SITE The urban distinct sectors along sectors Viale Experienced from a from pedestrian’s one canone tellcan that located in the Station region of Viale The fabric urban ThOF e and urban fabric fabric and distinct and distinct sectors alongTrastevere along Viale Trastevere Viale Trastevere Experienced Experienced afrom pedestrian’s aperspective, pedestrian’s perspective, perspective, one tellcan that tell thatThis piazza This ispiazza Th is piazza is located is located in OF the in Station the Station region region ofTrasteViale of TrasteViale Traste-

can be can seenbe when analayzing theanalayzing building pattern.

Thepattern.

Staone moves regions of Rome the building and is region has character.

Character can seenbe when seen when analayzing the building the building pattern.

The StaThe Staone between moves one moves between between regions regions of by Rome of Rome by theby building the building and and vere. Th vere.

Th vere. is region Thlittle is region hasinherent little hasinherent little inherent character. character.

Character Character tion region has large, buildings thatbuildings create intimate street character.

Thcharacter. e Station region’s buildings are buildings tooare large developed bydeveloped incorporating adjacencies ofadjacencies Gianition region tion region hasblocky large, has blocky large, blocky buildings that no create that create no intimate no intimate street character. street The Station The Station region’s region’s buildings tooare large too large could be could could be developed be by incorporating by incorporating adjacencies of Gianiof Gianipiazzaspiazzas or public space. for the for human scale, and there isthere little human interaction with colo Hill and Tiber River piazzas or public or public space. space. thefor human the human scale, and scale, and isthere littleishuman little human interaction interaction with with colo Hill colo and Hill Tiber and Tiber River River the facade the facade the facade

CHARACTER OF VIALE TRASTEVERE

10 | VECCHIO STATIONE PIAZZA TIBER

RIVER

GIA

PIAZZA DELLO GIANICOLO

current

PIAZZA DELLO TEVERE photosimulation facing the river

PIAZZA DELLO TEVERE

NIC O HIL LO L

PIAZZAS GIANICOLO AND TEVERE

VECCHIO STATIONE PIAZZA | 11

CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS FOR PIAZZA DELLO TEVERE

College, Pennsylvania BIG-LITTLEStateGARDEN

Alice in Wonderland Garden in relation to the surrounding space

The Arboretum at Penn State State College, Pennsylvania

ALICE IN WONDERLAND CHILDREN’S GARDEN

Little - Woodland Garden Alice’s House, living willow structure Little - Woodland Garden

Alice’s House, living willow structure

Big - Sun Garden Rest of the Garden

PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY, PENNSYLVANIA

Big - Sun Garden

Caterpillar Herb G

Lt Fg

Pond

Va

Caterpillar Herb Garden

Queen of Hea

Lt Cr

Fg

The goal of this project was to design a thematic children’s garden as part of Penn State University’s Arboretum. The concept of Alice in Wonderland provides a framework for learning about native wildlife, biodiversity, and celestial movements in a series of sub-gardens.

Pond

Va

Fg Rc

Cr

Cr

Oc

Fg

Fg

White Rabbit Clock, a human sundial

Cr

Rc

0

Fg

Rc

Cr

A’

Cr

Oc

0

Rc Fg

Pp

Pp Fg

Va

Va

The Big-Little Gardens play with the experience of scale and encourages children to explore how they relate to their surroundings. The Little Garden dwarfs visitors with its high canopy of tulip poplars, and narrow paths through native shrubs. In contrast, the Big Garden has an open character, and interest is cultivated on the ground plane with geometric plantings of finely textured ground covers.

Lt

B’

Pp

Rc

Fg Rc

Rc

Oc

Cr

Lt

Sv Va Cr Sv Cr

D

Cr

Va

Kl Oc

Pp

D

Cr

Pp

Cr

Fg Va

Va

B

Fg Fg Va

Va

B

Fg

Oc

Rc

Oc

Rc Ar, Fog

Pp

Pp

C

Va Oc

Ar, Fog

Lt

C

Lt

Lt

Oc

Pk Sae, Sa, Ss, Sp

Lt

Pp

Ar, Fog

Ap

Ap

Cr

Cr

Lt

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Ar, Fog

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Fg

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Lt Va Kl

Cr

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Rc Oc Lt

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Rc

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CONCEPT

White Rabbit Clock, a human sundial

Queen of Hearts Garden

Pnn

Va

Pk Sae, Sa, Ss, Sp

Sae, Sa, Pnn Ss, Sp

Sae, Sa, Ss, Sp

‘little’ woodland garden

Pk

PLANTING LEGEND

Pk

Little - Woodland Garden

Hg

PLANTING LEGEND Ap

alice’s willow house

Hg

Sae, Sa, Ss, Sp

Cl Ap Ac, Ana

Cl

‘big’ sun garden

Sae, Sa, Ss, Sp

caterpillar herb garden

Ps, Rf

Lt - Liriodendron tulipifera, Tulip Poplar

Kl--Fagus Kalmia latifolia, Fg grandifolia, MountainBeech Laurel Amercian

- Cornus rugosa, SvCr - Salix verminalis, Roundleaf Basket willowdogwood

Oc -

Fg - Fagus grandifolia, Amercian Beech

Va - Viburnum acerifolium, Sv -Mapleleaf Salix verminalis, Viburnum Basket willow

RcOc - Rhododendron carolinianum, - Osmunda cinnamonea, Carolina Rhododendron Cinnamon Fern

Pp -

Va - Viburnum acerifolium, Mapleleaf Viburnum

white rabbit sundial

0

4

8

12

4

8

Carolina Rhododendron Ap - Acer palmatum ‘Tamukeyama’, Japanese Maple

Pp - Podophyllum peltatum, Mayapple Cl - Coreopsis lanceolata ‘Goldfink’, Tickseed

Ps -

12

Feet

Feet

BIG-LITTLE GARDENS PLANTING PLAN

Rf -

Cl - Coreopsis lanceolata ‘Goldfink’, Tickseed Ar - Ajuga reptans, Ajuga. 70% Fog - Festuca ovina glauca, Blue fescue. 30%

Ps - Phlox subulata, Phlox. 60% Pnn nana, Rf -- Potentilla Rudbeckianeumaniana fulgida ‘Little Suzy’, ‘Creeping Black-eyedCinquefoil’ Susan. 40%

Ac -

Ar - Ajuga reptans, Ajuga. 70% Fog - Festuca ovina glauca, Blue fescue. 30%

Pnn - Potentilla neumaniana nana, ‘Creeping Cinquefoil’ Pk - Paronychia kapela, ‘Witlowwort’

Ac - Aquilegia canadensis var. ‘nana’, Wild Columbine. 60% Hg - Hernia glabra ‘Green Carpet’, Ana - Aster novae angiliana ‘Purple Pixie’, Hernia New England Aster

Sac

Pk - Paronychia kapela, ‘Witlowwort’

0

Big - SunRc Garden - Rhododendron carolinianum,

Ap - Acer palmatum ‘Tamukeyama’, Japanese Maple

A

queen of hearts rose garden

GARDEN MASTER PLAN

Cr -

Big - Sun Garden

A

Ps, Rf

Kl - Kalmia latifolia, Mountain Laurel

Pnn

Pnn

Ac, Ana

Lt - Liriodendron tulipifera, Tulip Poplar

Little - Woodland Garden

Hg - Hernia glabra ‘Green Carpet’, Hernia

Ana

Sa -

Ss Sac - Sedum album chloroticum, ‘Baby tears’. 25% Sp Sa - Sedum acre ‘Goldmoss Stonecrop’, Stonecrop. 25% Ss - Sedum spurium ‘John Creech’, John Creech sedum. 25% Sp - Sedum pachyclados ‘White Diamond’, White diamond sedum. 25%Tristan Cleveland

Tristan Cleveland

LArch 332

25 February 2009

rom shady to sunny, beginning with a native woodland garden at the north and progressing to a sunny whimsy garden at the south. The or specific education lessons, but are also appealing to children exploring on their own. There are multiple paths between the spaces, but m on area to the next. This replicates the sensation Alice had of never knowing what would happen next in Wonderland.

B View C. Looking into the Little Garden fron the path along the site

VIEWView FROM C. WILLOW HOUSE TO SUN GARDEN

Looking View D. into the Little Garden fron the path along the site Looking from the living willow structure at a sitting child’s hight out into the Big Garden

A

Caterpillar’ Herb Garden

Section AA’. Scale 1/4”=1’

Big Garden

ALICE IN WONDERLAND CHILDREN’S GARDEN | 13

mounded bed and curbs to protect plantings

B’

Central Clearing

Section BB’. Scale 1/4”=1’ BThe Little Garden, looking backmounded through the bed and curbs willow house to the rest of the garden. to protect plantings

B’

Central Clearing

Section BB’. Scale 1/4”=1’ The Little Garden, looking back through the willow house to the rest of the garden.

Alice’s House

A’

Little Garden Tristan Cleveland

LArch 332

25 February 2009

CONSERVATION GREENWAY MANAGEMENT PLAN SPRING CREEK CANYON, STATE COLLEGE, PENNSYLVANIA The 1,800 acre undeveloped Spring Creek Canyon parcel in central Pennsylvania is adjacent to the quickly urbanizing municipalities of Bellefonte, State College, and Penn State University. The parcel faces a management transition, and comprehensive analysis and sensitive planning is necessary to preserve the rare biohabitats on site while integrating the diverse needs of the surrounding stakeholders into the parcel’s long term future.

Based upon a series of county, watershed, and parcel scale documentary and suitability analyses, the proposed master plan for the Spring Creek Canyon outlines development and sustainable long-term management of the parcel.

Spring Creek

Overall, the site is envisioned as a greenway for conservation, restoration, and recreation. Programs and management of the site will promote long-term sustainability and continued support of surrounding stakeholders.

CENTRE COUNTY, PA Spring Creek Canyon encompasses regionally rare limestone cliffs , but habitat quality is under threat from urbanization within the watershed.

PROGRAMS AND MANAGEMENT OF SPRING CREEK CANYON CONSERVATION/RESTORATION • on site plant nursery to grow plants for restoration • riparian buffer plantings • locate active use zones away from sensitive areas • restoring an abandoned fish hatchery into wetland

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT • network of diverse trail types through site • tree fostering programs at the on site nursery • nature education through an expanded visitors center and guided walks • county historical society will excavate and document archeological sites

ECONOMIC STABILITY • organic agriculture research farm and market with Penn State University • single management of parcel by PA Game Commission, with other concerned groups to form an advisory committee • discontiguous parcels along a major highway to be sold to generate funds for maintenance

CONSERVATION GREENWAY MANAGEMENT PLAN | 15

TOPOGRAPHY

GEOLOGIC FORMATION

HYDROLOGIC CLASSIFICATION

PARENT MATERIAL OF SOIL

WATERSHED ANALYSIS maps of Spring Creek watershed with conservation area highlighted

AGRICULTURAL SUITABILITY

BUILDING SUITABILITY

ACTIVE USE SUITABILITY

ECOSYSTEM SENSITIVITY

FOREST HABITAT

WATER QUALITY

CONSERVATION / RESTORATION SUITABILITY

LAND USE SUITABILITY ANALYSIS Stakeholders wish to use the site for competing activites: agriculture, development, conservation, and recreation. A series of maps analyze soil, slope, habitat, and environmental quality, quantifying suitability data. Overlaying the active use and conservation sutiability maps reveals unconflicting use areas, and informs the master plan for the site.

CONSERVATION GREENWAY MANAGEMENT PLAN | 17

SPRING CREEK CANYON CONSERVATION MASTERPLAN

‘NURTURING LAND/NURTURING SELF’ CAMPUS PLAN METHODIST HOME FOR CHILDREN, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA The Methodist Home for Children is a non-profit agency serving at-risk women, mothers, and children through transitional housing programs and after-school care. The directors of the agency seek increased economic viability by developing the site as a productive niche farm. The campus masterplan creates a highly productive landscape using the theory of permaculture, offering niche agriculture production and regenerative spaces for residents and staff.

CONCEPT The core tenants of permaculture - ‘care of the earth’ and ‘care of the people’ - are achieved on the campus by a system of relationships that nourishes each element as energy cycles through. Residents and staff gain access to quality food and contemplative spaces, while the land flourishes from biointensive farming practices and water biofiltration and infiltration. The highly productive landscape is appropriate for the small scale agricultural techniques of intensively growing crops in orchards and fields, and casually growing crops on trellis fences that run alongside the paths that loop the campus.

INTENT To heal and grow people through interaction with nature • re-connect with the food production cycle • walking meditation (labyrinth, nature trail) • contemplative space To heal and grow the land through responsive design • biointensive farming • reduce usage and infiltrate all water on site • habitat creation

TRELLIS FENCE a modular fencing system planted with edible crops

PATH NETWORK provides direct access as well as experience of entire site

VEGETATION retain existing trees and add new plant communities to connect habitat to adjacent park PUBLIC GATHERING SPACE event and recreational spaces

STORMWATER COLLECTION rain gardens and cisterns reduce and resuse runoff

AGRICULTURE • bed crops • hoop houses • orchard/chicken tractor • cut flower production • residents’ garden BASE PLAN, BUILDINGS, PARKING

SITE PROGRAMING

HABITAT RESTORATION

QUALITY OF LIFE

AGRICULTURE

1

rain garden

4

children’s free play area

10 hoop houses and bed crops

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bioinfiltration basin and native meadow

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outdoor classroom

11 cut flower fields

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meadow, with room for future expansion

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infant play

12 chicken tractor orchard

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contemplative garden

13 berry crops

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residential courtyard

14 ag work station

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walking trail network

15 residents’ communal garden 16 children’s vegetable garden 17 espalier trees on south side of buildings

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CAMPUS MASTERPLAN

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20 | CAMPUS PLAN

DREN’S FREE PLAY REN’S FREE PLAY

POOL

CHILDREN’S FREE PLAY CHILDREN’S FREE PLAY

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HARD PLAY COURT

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POOL HOUSE

ORCHARD

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ORCHARD HARD PLAY COURT

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TRELLIS FENCE FIELD 233

TRELLIS FENCE FIELD

SITE LOCATOR

TRELLIS FENCE ARCHWAYS

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+ HP 233.75

TRELLIS FENCE ARCHWAYS

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GRASSY MOUND

+ HP 233.75

GRASSY MOUND

LIVING WILLOW TUNNEL LIVING WILLOW TUNNEL

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LIVING WILLOW TUNNEL

BOULDER FIELD BOULDER FIELD

PATIO DAY CARE CENTER

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PATIO

PATH

HARD PLAY COURT ORCHARD

D ELLIS FENCE ARCHWAYS HARD COURT SECTION D: TRELLIS AND FENCE ARCHWAYS AND HARD COURT

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20

PATH

POOL

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SCALE 1/8”=1’

ORCHARD POOL

ORCHARD

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FEET

SCALE 1/8”=1’ FFE 231.75

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2 4

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PLAN: CHILDREN FREE PLAYFEET AREA

SCALE 1/8”=1’

PATH TRELLIS FENCE ARCHWAYS HARD PLAY COURT BOULDER FIELD TRELLIS FENCE ARCHWAYS ORCHARD WILLOW TUNNEL

2 4

FFE 231.75

DAY CARE CENTER

LOW TUNNEL

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W TUNNEL

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POOL HOUSE

PLAN: CHILDREN FREE PLAY AREA

TRELLIS FENCE PATH

TRELLIS FENCE PATH TRELLIS FENCE TRELLIS FIELD FENCE FIELD GRASSY MOUND GRASSY MOUND E D’ ARCHWAYS ARCHWAYSORCHARD ORCHARD E’ E E’ SECTION FENCE ARCHWAYS AND GRASSAND MOUND SCALE 1/8”=1’ SECTION E: TRELLIS FENCE ARCHWAYS GRASS MOUND SCALE 1/8”=1’ SCALE 1/8”=1’ E: TRELLIS

CHILDREN’S FREE PLAY GARDEN

CAMPUS PLAN | 21

SITE SECTIONS

view of hoop houses and bed crops from orchard meadow OVERFLOW DRAIN

A

PATH

GRAVEL RETENTION

SECTION B: AGRICULTURE

RIPARIAN MEADOW

BIOINFILTRATION WETLAND

SECTION A: BIOINFILTRATION WETLAND

ORCHARD WITH CHICKEN TRACTORS

PATH

PLANTING SOIL

MEADOW RIPARIAN MEADOW

B

NATIVE PLANTS

PATH

MEADOW

SCALE 1/8”=1’

CUT FLOWER PRODUCTION

AG OUTPOST

PATH

TRELLIS FENCE

A’

GRASS ACCESS ROAD

F RAIN GARDEN SECTION F: RIPARIAN WALK

HOOP HOUSE AND AG FIELDS

PATH

NATIVE WILDFLOW

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SCALE 1/8”=1’

AGRICULTURE PRODUCTION ZONE

AMERICORPS VISTA SERVICE

2012-2013

NEW RIVER GORGE REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, WEST VIRGINIA The New River Gorge Regional Development Authority (NRGRDA) facilitates and promotes economic and community development in southern West Virginia (Summers, Fayette, Raleigh, and Nicholas counties).

Fayette County is the home of the new permanent Boy Scout Jamboree high adventure camp, the Summit Bechtel Reserve, opening with the July 2013 Jamboree. As an AmeriCorps VISTA serving impoverished communities, I work with the NRGRDA assisting Fayette County communies devlop economic and social infrastructure.

The creation of the Summit Bechtel Reserve camp and the growing tourism industry brings attention to the region and offers opprotunities for growth. I work with local governments, non-profits, community groups, and volunteers to facilitate this development. The following projects are examples of this work.

MOUNTAIN PRIDE LITTER SWEEP Organized two county-wide roadside litter sweep volunteer events and one focused community cleanup in preparation for Jamboree visitors. In one 12 month period 500 volunteers collected 46.7 tons of trash and 13,000 tires from Fayette County. In the three years of this program, NRGRDA facilitated the cleanup of 440 tons of trash and 21,400 tires out of southern West Virginia.

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1. painting fire hydrant for town festival 2. local disaster relief food drive 3. community presentation 4. Incident Command Center during Boy Scout Jamboree

AMERICORPS VISTA SERVICE | 23

NATIVE GARDEN DESIGN AND INSTALLATION Worked with the non-profit Paint Creek Scenic Trail Association to design and install native plant gardens around two roadside intepretive signs using a $500 grant from the Fayette County Commission. The summer blooms welcome travelers and establish a precedent for future plantings.

COMMUNITY BEAUTIFICATION TOOLKIT Designed a handbook and rack card to disseminate a Beautification Toolkit developed by the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority. Led community visioning workshops using the Beautification Toolkit as an inspriation for local projects.

“THE IMPORTANCE OF LOCAL ACTION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY” WRITING SAMPLE ADAPTED FROM TRISTAN CLEVELAND’S UNDERGRADUATE HONORS THESIS, 2011 LOCAL EFFORTS AFFECT NATIONAL CHANGE Concern is rising about the environment’s health. Government environmental and conservation regulations address some of the issues, but many issues slip through the cracks. As citizens become more aware of humanity’s impact on the environment, they want more done to reduce that impact. But people do not have to wait for a larger organization to enact changes; collectively, they have the power to change the nation.

Throughout US history, local efforts have affected national change.

• During WWII, encouraged by slogans like, “our food is fighting”, Americans planted more than 20 million victory gardens. These vegetable, fruit, and herb gardens provided up to 40 percent of all produce consumed nationally, and decreased the cost of the vegetables consumed by the soldiers. (Victory Gardens n.d.)

• Arbor Day began in 1872 with one man planting trees on his Nebraska farm. Today it has grown to millions of people in all 50 states planting 8 million trees annually. (Arbor Day Foundation 2011) Our country is again in need of the community-level action that accomplished these past feats. America, and the world, is facing an environmental crisis. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has documented weather patterns becoming more extreme, sea levels rising, and global temperatures increasing. (2007) This affects the US by increasing the range of pests and diseases, increasing the level of tropical cyclone activity, and decreasing the amount of drinking water available from snowmelt. (IPCC 2007) The time for action is now. And the American people are rising to the call.

Across America, individuals and communities are making independent contributions to improve the environment.

Collectively these contributions add up to national change.

• Greensburg, Kansas: After their town was nearly destroyed by a tornado in May 2007, the residents took the initiative to transform a disaster into a triumph: they decided to rebuild entirely “green”.

All city buildings will meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED platinum rating for top-level environment-friendly construction.

(Letson 2010) • Davis, California: Declares itself to be “the most bicycle friendly town in the world”, with more bikes than cars and 17% of trips are by bike. (Davis CA 2011) • National: The percentage of waste that is recycled has risen from 6.4% in 1960 to 33.8% in 2009. (EPA 2011) People are accomplishing these environmental feats to make positive, immediate impacts on their own lives. People and the environment are linked, affected by the actions and characteristics of the other. A sustainable relationship is a stable relationship that will perpetuate itself to the benefit of all parties. This relationship needs to be improved, and American citizens are ready to implement that change.

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND THE BENEFITS The focus of this research is environmental sustainability. Environmental sustainability is one of three spheres of sustainable development defined by the UN 2005 World Summit. These spheres are social-, economic-, and environmental sustainability. Sustainability is a multifaceted concept which causes action in a single sphere to ripple benefits into all of the other spheres of sustainability.

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A sustainable relationship with the environment acknowledges that people and the environment are community members of the same system, and the success of each is dependent upon the cooperation of both. This abstract concept translates into substantial assets for the community, generating ecological services, improving human health, and stimulating the local economy. So then what does sustainable development look like?

The standard definition of sustainable development was formulated by the World Commission on Environment and Development (Brundtland Commission) in 1987. It defines sustainable development as “development that meets the needs of the present without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

This requirement is vague enough that nearly any project may be defined as ‘sustainable’. A more tangible requirement is given in Brundtland Commission’s backing statement that “at a minimum, sustainable development must not endanger the natural systems that support life on Earth” (1987). However, it is difficult to determine if a specific project compromises this requirement, because negative effects are globally cumulative rather than locally discreet. To judge sustainability, we need to examine global indicators. High species extinction rates, atmospheric carbon increase, and sea temperature change are all indicators that current human development is harming natural systems. (IPCC 2007) Action must be taken to preserve the life support systems of Earth by increasing the sustainability of new development and improving existing development. Current town developments may serve our needs and respond to environmental conditions now, but how will our towns and suburban landscapes look in fifty years? In one hundred? What will the environment be like? What changes must we make to our towns today to make our towns livable tomorrow?

MAKING A CHANGE IN THE COMMUNITY There are many individuals and institutions working to discover the form of a sustainable future, but to achieve that future, we need people to build the form of a sustainable present. Timothy Beatley, professor of Sustainable Communities at the University of Virginia’s School of Architecture, believes that “any real solution to our current environmental and sustainability challenges will be by necessity local [sic]”. (2004, xiii) Local action by local residents uses local expertise and knowledge of the region to build designs that serve the residents, strengthen the uniqueness of that place, and respect the ecological processes of that region. When local residents design their own communities, they learn more about their region, increasing their respect and care for the environmental system that surrounds them.

Residents of towns all across America are taking the empowering step forward and committing to environmental sustainability. Individual towns are ahead of Congress and the White House on climate commitments. Towns first began committing to Kyoto Protocol goals, which are to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, in 2005, through the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement.

Now, more than one thousand towns in the United States and Puerto Rico have signed on. (Lohan 2010) There is rising interest from residents on how to make their communities more environmentally sustainable, but few have access to the resources of professional planners who could design a management plan.

To serve this need, I have created a handbook entitled “Ecological Sustainability for Small Town Pennsylvania” as my thesis project. The handbook will empower townspeople to take achievable steps towards environmental sustainability in their own communities. If the current global sustainability challenges are to be resolved, actions must be local. Local environmentally sustainable design will reverse negative trends and bring a future that is sustainable into a sustainable present.

Sustainable design far surpasses the Brundtland Commission’s definition of sustainable development as “meeting the needs of the present without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (1987). Sustainable design builds a world in which future generations will have greater resources than generations past.