“Cultural and Social Issues with Landscape Design”
with Dr. Gail Hansen
On Monday, June 22, 2015 at 6:00 p.m., the University of Florida (UF) IFAS Extension Martin County Master Gardener Volunteers, in cooperation with the Martin County Library System, will present an educational event at the Blake Library’s John F. Armstrong Wing in Stuart. Dr. Gail Hansen will provide a presentation entitled “Cultural and Social Issues with Landscape Design.” This presentation will focus on the preference we have for certain landscapes and the barriers to changing behavior toward adopting more environmentally-friendly landscapes, such as Florida Friendly yards. Dr. Hansen will discuss and challenge her audience to think about landscapes and about what we like and dislike, and then explore the theories that explain our preferences. She will also discuss the cultural and social norms that influence our landscape decisions, and introduce the concept of “cues-to-care” as a way to overcome barriers and increase acceptance of non-traditional landscapes. Anyone with an interest in moving toward the development of a more sustainable, environmentally-friendly landscape should attend. Light refreshments will be served.
Dr. Gail Hansen is an associate professor at the University of Florida’s Department of Environmental Horticulture as well as an Extension Specialist for Landscape Design for the Center for Landscape Conservation and Ecology. Her teaching and extension programs address sustainable, science-based and art-centered landscape design practices that take into account the social dimension of green urban environments, environmental protection and the quality of life for urban dwellers. She graduated with a masters and doctoral degree in landscape architecture from the University of Florida and worked for a private landscape architecture firm in Gainesville for eight years before joining the UF landscape architecture department. She currently teaches two studio courses in residential landscape design.
The UF/IFAS Extension Martin County administers the Martin County Master Gardener program, training and providing continuing education for horticulture volunteers. These trained Master Gardener volunteers provide residents with environmentally sound, research-based horticultural information. The goals of this program are to increase the availability of horticultural information for the community at large and to improve the quality of life for the residents of Martin County through horticultural volunteer activities.
For more information, visit https://martin.ifas.ufl.edu or call 772-288-5654.
