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In recent years, Harvard has increased its focus on preserving its historic landscapes and buildings.

Harvard hasnt always been interested in preservation. Midday shadows darken the Franklin Delano Roosevelt suite in the Westmorly Court building of Adams House. I am sitting with Michael D. Weishan 86, an acclaimed landscape architect and designer who oversaw the $300,000 restoration of Roosevelts rooms. Everything, with the exception of my iPhone on the table, is as it was in 1904, when Roosevelt graduated from Harvard. Weishan and his team have painstakingly recreated the original opulence of the room, and the result is staggering. The setup isnt larger than that of other rooms in Westmorly, but the level of artistic care and detail, from the meticulously carved linen-fold wooden doors to the sleek Morris chairs, seems impossibly antiquated to my contemporary and begrudgingly utilitarian architectural eye.

After I take in the surroundings, Weishan asks me about my angle for the story. I stumble through something about gardens at Harvard and then improvise about the increasing significance of landscape preservation here. He perks up at this last point. It sounds like thats where the story is, he says excitedly. Hes right. Over the next hour we explore the spotty history of Harvards relationship with preservation. I leave convinced that theres a phenomenon afoot far larger than the recreation of a presidents college rooms: Harvard is experiencing a landscaping renaissance. New ideologies about aesthetics and homage and an unprecedented appreciation of the past have emerged in tandem with modern technological methods to effectively recreate the grandiosity of the Universitys historic look.

THE JOURNEY TOWARDS PRESERVATION

Weishan is extremely prolific. In addition to his work on Adams, he has hosted Victory Gardens, a weekly gardening show on PBS, and heads his own landscape and design firm. To top it off, he boasts a seemingly encyclopedic knowledge of the architectural and landscaping history of Harvard and can jump cogently and instantaneously between centuries, Yards, and trends. It is clear that he not only is informed about Harvards relationship with preservation but also cares immensely about its significance and the difficulties attendant on it.

Weishan primarily uses buildings to point to the morphing focus towards preservation, but he insists that the trajectory of landscape preservation evolved in tandem. According to Weishan, the initial construction of these buildings was followed by a period of sentimentality for colonial styles in the early 1900s, and then a period of modernism where everything old was suspect. Now, we are in the midst of a period of appreciation, and some would say reverence, for these historic buildings.

Weishan is openly critical of the mid-century modernist period. During that time, the prevalence of the brutalist architectural style (think Mather House) contributed to the replacement of various classical landmarks by concrete behemoths and asphalt pathways. The University actually thought, until fairly recently, that new was also better, Weishan says. We would routinely bulldoze buildings and put new ones upHolyoke Center is a perfect example of that. These were buildings that were considered revolutionary at the time, but now are by and large considered dysfunctional.

Yet the point of Weishans reflections is not solely to show that Harvard has turned a corner or that the present preservationist movement is more novel than it might appear. It also points to the fickle and unpredictable nature of artistic and architectural appreciation. All this criticism Ive been giving to the Holyoke Center and William James Hall. Who knows? In 50 years they may be considered revolutionary, he says. I highly doubt it, though. He becomes more serious and notes that there was a time in the mid-1950s when President Nathan Marsh Pusey publically criticized Memorial Hall and anything with tinges of gaudy Victorian influence.

The imagined objectivity of the present makes the art of preservation all the more challenging. What if we save the wrong things? What if our re-landscaping is just tacky nostalgia? While these questions are impossible to answer in the present, the preservationist movement, particularly in the landscaping world, is somehow finding a tight-rope thin balance in its approach.

THE ARNOLD ARBORETUM

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Rebuilding the Past: Harvard's Beautification Renaissance

Award-winning landscape architectural firm Nelson Byrd Woltz achieves beautification and excellence through ecological revitalization, indigenous design, integrity of historical intent, and stewardship of space hallmarks the Memorial Park Conservancy prioritized for Memorial Parks Long-Range Master Plan. It is precisely this synergy of approach and vision that made Nelson Byrd Woltz the perfect partner for planning Memorial Parks sustainable future.

Need for a Master Design Plan for Memorial Park evolved naturally from collective concerns by the City of Houston, The Uptown Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) #16, the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, along with the Memorial Park Conservancy. Issues ranged from reforestation, traffic, accessibility, and ecological decline to a need for a way to address growth, improve facilities, and achieve balance for the park as a recreational and environmental asset.

It is very exciting to have Thomas Woltz design the blueprint for the future of Memorial Park, said Mayor Annise D. Parker. His vision, innovation, and influence will render a healthier, more bountiful public amenity for Houstonians near term, and provide a rich, lasting legacy for future generations. Equally as exciting, we hope every Houstonian will be engaged in the process.

The Memorial Park Conservancy secured approval from the Houston Parks and Recreation Department in 2012 to lay the groundwork and embarked on a lengthy research and interview process for the selection of a landscape architect to develop the Long-Range Master Plan. In May 2013, the Uptown TIRZ boundary was expanded to include Memorial Park, which provided much needed financial support.

The selection of Nelson Byrd Woltz not only ensures a healthy, sustainable future for Memorial Park, but also through ecological and landscape transformation, designed with robust public input, can exponentially elevate its asset significance for generations to come.

In 2011, as we began developing a long-term forestry management plan for Memorial Park we experienced a historic drought, said Joe Turner, director, Houston Parks and Recreation Department. This drought was the driving force behind the need for a new master plan for the park. We look forward to a plan that will steward one of Houstons most beloved parks while it addresses the changing environmental conditions and the needs of the daily users.

Already Houstons largest urban-center park and a sentimental favorite for millions of Houstonians, Memorial Park encompasses 1,500 acres that attracts 4 million residents each year. Some 10,000 visitors use the parks Seymour Leiberman Exer-Trail daily, the premier running facility in the city. A highly regarded 18-hole golf course, active tennis, swimming, cycling, bird watching, and fitness facilities are accentuated by the parks wooded character, which has been devastatingly damaged by drought and human interaction.

Nelson Byrd Woltz has the extensive experience in ecological restoration we desire, explained Memorial Park Conservancy chair Jim Porter. The sheer beauty of their work masterfully triggers a cascade of positive ecological benefits, where depleted landscapes are brought back to life using native plants and the resurgence of local animals. This expertise is precisely what Memorial Park needs and deserves.

Firm owner Thomas L. Woltz is widely considered the rising star in landscape architecture. The New York School of Interior Design recently awarded him the inaugural Thomas N. Armstrong III Award in Landscape Design. In 2011, he was invested into the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Council of Fellows, one of the highest honors achieved in the profession. Woltz creates models of biodiversity and sustainability, replete with beauty, form, and function, recognized by more than 80 national, regional, and international awards.

This is a rare opportunity to set Memorial Park on a more resilient course; to ensure its longevity for the thousands of people using it every day; to create a rich and varied ecosystem further enhancing the experience of the park for its many users; and to envision and articulate the critical balance between intense and active use and preservation, said Thomas L. Woltz, owner of Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects. It is time to celebrate and embrace the unique ecology of southeast Texas and the natural and cultural history of the park. With the help of Houstonians we can create a beautiful and enduring park for tomorrow and for future generations.

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Nelson Byrd Woltz firm creating Memorial Park Master Plan; open house is April 16

15995 Jane Street, King
Stunning Renovation/Transformation Both Interior Exterior. Top Of The Line Quality Finishes,Loaded All The Bells Whistles On Private Natural Forested 1 A...

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Published: Monday, April 14, 2014 at 12:43 p.m. Last Modified: Monday, April 14, 2014 at 12:43 p.m.

Food festivals are nothing new. Historians have found celebrations based around harvest season dating back thousands of years ago. We have more than a few in our own back yard, with tributes to oysters, strawberries, peanuts, yams and more.

But a "culinary arts" festival that's a different beast altogether.

The Wilmington Wine & Food Festival, which returns for its sophomore year May 2-4, joins a much newer tradition of rallying behind the collective creative energies that shape a region's culinary landscape. And, it's doubled in size since its debut last year, moving to the historic Bellamy Mansion Museum to accommodate the growing crowd.

This breed of bash is big business, too. Taste of Cincinnati, founded in 1979, is reported to be the nation's longest running food festival, ballooning from 5,000 to 500,000 attendees. Economic impact numbers from the Charleston Wine + Food Festival held in March were published last week, showing a nearly $10 million boon attributed to the four-day affair.

Chrissy Bonney, president of the non-profit Bacchus's Brood board that stages the Wilmington Wine & Food Festival, has more modest goals as far as numbers go. She said the event would be capped at 400 tickets for the main Saturday and Sunday happenings. Managing festival growth in a way that assures a good time for all is paramount, she said.

"If you grow too quickly, you can't keep ahead of yourself," Bonney said. "We want this to be a permanent fixture in the Wilmington food and wine scene."

The festival was founded with the objective of highlighting the Port City's dining diversity through tastings and wine pairings. About 15 restaurants and 25 wine and beer vendors will be represented, including well-known players like Rx, YoSake and The Basics joined by area newcomers MegaMaki, Canap and others. Lauded vintners Jessica and Ryan Carr of Carr Vineyards in Santa Barbara, Calif., will be among the better-known wine producers offering pours.

The Corks & Forks Grand Tasting on Saturday will be the headlining act, a $45 ticket buying access to bites and sips both inside the mansion and in a tent outside. Sunday's Bubbles, Brews & Street Eats ($10 for five samples) goes more casual, showcasing beers and food trucks in the Bellamy's parking lot.

The weekend launches with the Bourbon & BBQ Derby Cocktail Party sponsored by Trey Herring's Carolina Bourbon. The Kentucky Derby-themed party will feature custom cocktails made with the respected distiller's spirits and a "mix-off" competition between some of the area's top bartenders.

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Bites & Sips - Festival showcases culinary landscape

The first time I saw Camden's Harrison Avenue landfill, it had been closed for years. It was also on fire.

I'd been dispatched by an editor to check on a report that the grass atop the toxic tundra of buried trash was ablaze again. And so it was, on a hot afternoon in the late 1970s.

Last week, I returned to Harrison Avenue to tour the $68 million Salvation Army Kroc Center, which is on schedule for an Oct. 4 ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The project's cost includes $21 million for 34 acres of site remediation work by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Of the $59 million provided by the estate of Ray and Joan Kroc, of McDonald's fame, $27 million has been set aside to endow the center and help pay operating costs.

But clichs are boring. Besides, if I had a buck for every Camden project I've heard proclaimed as a game-changer for the city, I'd have enough cash to change my own game, and then some.

"The hardest thing has been to get people to believe it's happening," says Salvation Army Maj. Paul Cain, the center's administrator.

Nevertheless, many have come to believe: Campbell Soup, Subaru, Wells Fargo, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and New Jersey American Water have helped raise $9.2 million, and counting, of the $10 million local match required by the Krocs.

The water company alone has contributed $1.2 million, including, just last week, a $175,000 advance on a future refund of connection fees.

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In Camden, salvation sprouts in unlikely location

Land Clearing Kubota SVL 90-2, Bradco Ground Shark
Light Clearing in Central Texas with a Kubota SVL 90-2 and a Bradco Ground Shark forestry cutter.

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Updated: Sunday, April 13 2014, 08:55 PM MDT

By: Stacey Welsh

EL PASO, Texas -- About 400 acres of land where Asarco used to stand are up for grabs a year after demolition. The Texas Custodial Trust owns the land and is looking for a buyer.

As KFOX14 previously reported, crews are clearing out any contamination from the land that could have traces of arsenic and lead. There are also plans to collect the waste in a giant waste cell and close it off from the public.

"[The University of Texas at El Paso] does have an environmental engineering department and they could use those components as kind of a living laboratory for the students," site trustee Roberto Puga said.

Puga said UTEP could be an ideal buyer for the land, and the university confirmed it is interested in buying the land closest to campus.

Students told KFOX14 studying the former Asarco site could help UTEP become one of the best research universities in the country.

"They would gain more accessibility to maybe research or grants," UTEP senior Taylor Harmon said.

Harmon studies biochemistry and said new labs could motivate more students to study science.

"The more recruitment of students to these labs is going to guarantee more innovation in the future as far as research science and innovation along the border," Harmon said.

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Possible buyers show interest in former Asarco site

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Origins Interior Designer #39;s Design

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