UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The College of Arts and Architecture’s Stuckeman School at Penn State will host its 2025 Research Symposium March 2-3 in Heritage Hall at the HUB-Robeson Center on the University Park campus. The conference will explore the role of animals in design and how natural environments are shaped by their vital presence.
Andy Cole, professor of landscape architecture and ecology and director of Penn State's Ecology Plus Design (E+D) research center, organized the two-day event featuring two keynote speakers who are experts in the field of ecology. It is being jointly supported by E+D and the Department of Landscape Architecture.
“The whole idea of the conference is how we design landscapes not just for humans but for everything else,” Cole said. “When I sent out the request for people to participate, we said, ‘Don't limit yourself to whatever it is. It can be anything.’ And so, we're going to see a wide variety of ideas looking at everything from pests to fish to birds.”
Complimentary registration for the symposium is being offered to Penn State faculty and students until 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 23. Those interested should contact Katrina Kasper, research administrative support coordinator, for the promotional code to complete the registration process.
Doug Tallamy, T.A. Baker Professor of Agriculture in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware and founder of the non-profit association focusing on biodiversity Homegrown National Park, will present the first keynote lecture on the opening day of the conference. His work focuses on biodiversity conservation through native plant restoration and the removal of invasive species.
Tallamy’s lecture, “Nature’s Best Hope,” will explore the decline of insects and birds in North America and how that connects to ineffective landscape design. In his Department of Landscape Architecture Bracken Lecture at 9 a.m. on March 2, he will discuss how landscape architects can help restore biodiversity by selecting appropriate plants for each landscape and having a more collaborative approach to landscapes.
“[Tallamy] is a major figure in looking at vegetation, and especially trees. And you can't restore wildlife habitat, for example, without looking at the vegetation structure,” Cole said.
The second keynote speaker is Nina-Marie Lister, professor in the School of Urban and Regional Planning and director of the Ecological Design Lab at Toronto Metropolitan University. According to Cole, Lister is one of the leading practitioners in landscape architecture and has been named the recipient of the Department of Landscape Architecture’s 2024-25 John R. Bracken Fellowship. Her talk to start the day on March 3 will cover the importance of design activism, advocating for the coexistence of wildlife and people in healthy, connected landscapes.
The conference will also include notable presenters from universities and organizations across the country who will present their research relating to designing landscapes for animals, such as researchers from the University of New Mexico, the Ohio State University, Florida State University, the Wolf Humanities Center at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Texas at Arlington.
Following the first day of the symposium, participants will attend a reception in the Borland Project Space to view the international traveling exhibition “Tres Comunidades, Un Río: Life within Peru’s Urban Amazonian Floodplains.”
The exhibition, organized by Leann Andrews, associate professor of landscape architecture at Penn State, is a research and advocacy project involving Peruvian and U.S. ecologists, photographers, landscape architects, social scientists, biologists and community members.
“Tres Comunidades, Un Río” highlights stories of relocation, biodiversity and deep connections to nature and the importance of One Health, an integrated, collaborative approach to sustainability balance that recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal and environmental health. It is designed to display the resilience of humans, animals and vegetation facing threats in the urbanization of the Amazon rainforest.
“I would hope that when people leave [the conference], they leave with the understanding and the belief that what they're doing is really valuable,” Cole said. “Since we're the ones transforming the surface of the planet, it's our responsibility to look after our fellow creatures. And I don't think we've done a very good job so far. I hope that the folks that come realize that they are on the leading edge of doing the best work that I can think of.”
Penn State is an approved provider for the Landscape Architecture Continuing Education System (LA CES). This learning opportunity qualifies for 10.5 Health, Safety and Welfare (HSW) Professional Development Hours (PDH). Learn more about the symposium here.