Learn the Latest in Sustainable Landscaping with our Organic Land Care Symposium

Building on last year’s success, the Atlanta BeltLine is hosting our second annual Organic Land Care Symposium this coming Monday, March 5, 2012 at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. From backyard maintenance to the management of public spaces, attendees will learn about a variety of techniques and best practices that will create a cost-effective and sustainable landscape. Throughout the day, local and national experts will describe the benefits of an organic approach to managing open spaces. This Symposium is open to the public and everyone from beginner gardeners to landscape professionals are encouraged to attend! The cost is $65 for standard admission and $15 for students. Registration is open on the Atlanta BeltLine’s website through noon on Friday, walk ins on the day of are welcome.

Organic land care is a guiding principle of sustainability in the landscape architecture of the Atlanta BeltLine. This is one more way that we are embracing the latest cutting-edge techniques while developing this visionary project.

— Kevin Burke, Senior Landscape Architect for Atlanta BeltLine, Inc.


Topics of discussion for the Symposium include:

  • Steps towards sustainability via plant selection
  • Buying and applying compost tea: all compost tea is not created equal
  • All you ever wanted to know about Mycorrhizal fungi but were afraid to ask
  • Mainstreaming of natives and navitars: observations of the native plant market
  • All compost is not created equal
  • The how and why of organic lawn, turf, and land care: making it work
  • Creating, building, and maintaining public spaces organically
  • Creating organic, sustainable meadows
  • Techniques and solutions to sustain living soils
Compost tea at the Organic Land Care Symposium
Compost tea is just one of the myriad of topics that will be covered at the Organic Land Care Symposium.

The keynote speaker for this year’s annual event is Jeff Lowenfels, author of the longest-running newspaper garden column in the United States. All attendees will receive a complimentary copy of Lowefells’ book, “Teaming with Microbes.” Books will also be for sale by conference speakers Catherine Zimmerman and Dr. Alan Armitage. Cash or check only for book purchases.

Included in admission are a continental breakfast, two snacks and lunch for attendees. This event will be followed by a social gathering at the end of the day.

Additionally, attendees can sign up for a free tour of the new Historic Fourth Ward Park at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 4!  This tour will discuss the Atlanta BeltLine’s beta organic land care practices, the innovative storm water solutions, the largest institutional installation of LED site lighting in Georgia, and the use of solar photovoltaic panels for offsetting electrical costs. The tour will include officials from Atlanta BeltLine and the City of Atlanta, the designers, and maintenance contractors.

Last year, Kevin Burke led the initiative to bring this event to life for the first time with great results. This year he and our team are doing it again with the support of great sponsors and partners. We are grateful for their leadership, hard work and support in this area of innovation.

— Brian Leary, President and CEO of Atlanta BeltLine, Inc.


This event is made possible thanks to the generous support of the following donors:
Ed Castro Landscape, Atlanta Botanical Garden, Reeves Contracting Company, Georgia Organics, Arborguard Tree Specialists, Turner Foundation, Pond, and Perkins+Will.

Registration info available on the Atlanta BeltLine’s website!

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