Thomas L. Woltz
TACF’s 34th Annual Fall Meeting in early October will take place in the charming New England town of South Portland, Maine, just in time for cooler temperatures and fall colors. There are many enticing reasons to attend: a restoration tour of local orchards, a variety of educational sessions, and the Friday night Dinner & Awards Program featuring keynote speaker, Thomas L. Woltz, to name a few.
Woltz, owner of Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects, was named the Design Innovator of the Year by the Wall Street Journal Magazine in 2013. In 2011, he was invested into the American Society of Landscape Architects Council of Fellows, among the highest honors achieved in the profession.
Over the past two decades, Woltz has forged a body of work that integrates the beauty and function of built forms with an understanding of complex biological systems and restoration ecology. The firm has worked in 25 U.S. states and 9 foreign countries.
Lunch on Friday will feature Dr. George L. Jacobson, Professor Emeritus of Biology, Ecology, and Climate Change at the University of Maine. His scientific research has focused on long-term climate variability and specifically on forest responses to climate changes during the past 60,000 years. Dr. Jacobson’s talk is titled “Post-glacial Distribution of the American Chestnut in Relation to Other Tree Taxa (and Climate).”
A number of concurrent educational sessions will take place Friday afternoon, focusing on Orchard Management: Best Management Practices, Chestnut Ecology, and Genomics & Breeding. Click here to read details about the variety of 35-minute sessions to choose from.
Be sure to register for the Chestnut Restoration Tour on Saturday, October 7. Seating is limited so sign up soon! This bus tour will travel through the cities of Vienna, Winthrop, and Readfield ME, stopping at chestnut orchards where experts will discuss disease resistance, cold tolerance, and germplasm conservation. The end of the tour will highlight a large surviving American chestnut tree. Tickets are $50 per person and a box lunch is included in the ticket price.
Remember that the drawing for this unique hand-crafted American chestnut violin will take place during the Friday night Dinner & Awards Program. The violin was donated by West Virginia Chapter member Lou Babich. Tickets can still be purchased online at $10 each. For a chance to the win this priceless work of art, purchase your ticket(s) today!
Book your room soon at the DoubleTree by Hilton Portland Hotel – they’re filling fast! To receive special conference pricing and ensure that TACF meets our room commitment, click on our registration page, scroll to the bottom, then click on the booking link. (Room reservation deadline is September 11.) For further information, call the national office at 828-281-0047.