MEET THE SPEAKER
Christopher Szymberski
BSc. (Hort,), MLArch | Co-Owner and Landscape Designer
Seed and Sparrow Design
Christopher Szymberski holds a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture and a Master’s in Landscape Architecture. He has over 15 years of experience in the fields of landscape management, urban tree care, landscape design, and land restoration. His work focuses on providing design solutions and expertise for expanding the ecological and aesthetic value of public and private gardens and landscapes. He also provides expert on-site support for live construction sites, monitoring, managing, and mitigating the potential impacts of such activities on valuable ecological features and existing trees. His work focuses exclusively on the Okanagan Valley as a local area specialist, having done work for the City of Kelowna, Okanagan College, and private clients.
SESSION DESCRIPTION
Growing Climate-Resilient Meadows in BC’s Semi-Arid Interior
As a small landscape design firm, Seed and Sparrow Design (SSD) has taken on the challenge of designing Climate Resilient Landscapes in the Okanagan Valley. Based on ecological principles, the landscapes that they design and build are self-regulating and function as a system. By layering complementary land management strategies and best practices, SSD creates landscapes that are dynamic, adaptive, and diverse. One component of this approach is the naturalized meadow - a dense and diverse matrix of both native and regionally appropriate plants that work in harmony to achieve a rich aesthetic experience requiring less inputs and resources over time when compared to conventional landscapes. SSD’s presentation will highlight the design, construction, and initial establishment period of a semi-arid meadow project. They will share the challenges, risks, and rewards of implementing a process-driven landscape that is not well understood in the Canadian context - and even less so in the semi-arid climate of the Okanagan Valley.