Stefan van Norden - Norden Productions
Stefan’s journey from a gardener to filmmaker to producing a podcast has brought him closer to a deeper understanding of our relationship with nature. It is more than simply being connected or disconnected with the natural world, rather that, We Are Nature, and need to have a healthier and more responsible relationship with nature and our planet. Stefan will tell about his journey, and how we all must accept this more personal connection with the natural world.
Adam Banks
Pine Barrens, while historically shunned for their low conventional agricultural value, are hotspots of biodiversity which boast incredible beauty and ecosystem services. Located in select spots on the Atlantic coastline, one can observe incredibly unique and resilient plant systems that invite us to both marvel and look more closely. This talk will touch on the history of the ecosystem and examine exceptional plant populations of Pine Barrens, particularly those of New Jersey.
Roanne Robbins - Van Berkum Nursery
Roanne shares lessons learned through years of close observation and time spent in relationship with plants and place. Drawing from experience in gardens, nurseries, and the natural world, Roanne reflects on how sustained attention deepens understanding and reveals the resilience, adaptability, and quiet complexity of New England gardens. Rather than offering fixed answers, the presentation highlights the full breadth of what New England gardens can hold and extends an open invitation to explore. Through lessons learned, stories, and examples, the talk encourages curiosity, inclusivity, and respect for place—suggesting that resilient, expressive gardens emerge when we remain attentive, generous, and open to what plants and landscapes have to teach over time.
Marissa Angell - Angell Landscape Architecture
Marissa will offer a window into ALA's body of work, centering on responsive, energetic landscapes that prioritize quality of life, horticultural sensitivity, and ecological stewardship. This presentation will foreground ALA’s landscape design ethos as a process without a decidedly fixed outcome, exploring the opportunities made explicit by the necessity to convey an ever-evolving medium to a diverse audience. Using both built work and process as case studies, this talk will challenge the notion of planting as an isolated and static actor in garden-making, and seeks to clarify how ALA views design as a dialogue with natural materials through the construction and stewardship of the landscapes we set in motion.
