2023 Bunny Mellon Garden Symposium, Part II: Rethinking Landscape Conservation in Southern Appalachia

with Dwayne Estes

In June 2023 the Southeast Chapter of the ICAA, in collaboration with the North Carolina Chapter, hosted the ICAA Southeast Bunny Mellon Garden Symposium - An Exploration of Southeastern Landscapes: Mountains to Prairies. Designers, students, and enthusiasts gathered for a three-day conference in Lake Toxaway, North Carolina, enjoying tours and lectures by preeminent experts in garden and landscape design.

The Symposium's second lecture was presented by Dwayne Estes, professor of biology at Austin Peay State University and co-founder of the Southeastern Grasslands Institute, a collaboration of leaders in international biodiversity conservation committed to the preservation of the fragile grassland ecosystems in the Southeastern United States. In his lecture, Dwayne first addresses what he calls the "myth of the unbroken forest" - the idea that before white colonists settled North America, the eastern portion of the continent was a vast pristine forest unsullied by humankind. In fact, Dwayne argues, historical evidence proves that much of the Southeastern United States was once dominated by grassy savannahs managed by Native Americans' use of fire and the grazing of bison, before colonists decimated the Native populations and destroyed natural ecosystems. Dwayne demonstrates that in its natural state, the Southeastern savannah exhibits staggering biodiversity and enables hundreds of native species to thrive. He further explains the work that his organization and others are doing to revive Southeastern grasslands - such as restoring savannah ecosystems beneath high-voltage power lines - and encourages a shift in the traditional approach to landscape conservation, to enable the return of the area's natural ecosystems.

Dwayne Estes has been active in building diverse support for Southeastern US grasslands conservation, including bringing together philanthropists, government agencies, non-profits, business partners, private landowners and ranchers, historians, educators, and citizen scientists. He has published 20+ publications and co-authored the Guide to the Vascular Plants of Tennessee published in 2015 by the University of Tennessee Press. He currently is a Professor of Biology and Director of the Herbarium at Austin Peay State University. Estes co-founded the Southeastern Grasslands Institute in 2017 and currently serves as its Executive Director.

Sponsors

Presented as part of the Bunny Mellon Curricula at the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art. The ICAA is very grateful to the Gerard B. Lambert Foundation for its generous support of this program, along with the Bunny Mellon Curricula Sponsors:

Lead Sponsor, Hollander Design Landscape Architects

Garden Symposium Sponsor, Kathryn M. and Ronald J. Herman Charitable Foundation

Garden Design Prize Sponsor, Harrison Design

Continuing Education and Public Programs Sponsor, Charlotte Moss

Film Series Sponsor, Janice Parker Landscape Architects

Additional support provided by ICAA Southeast and North Carolina Chapter Sponsors:

Gold Sponsor:

Liza Bryan Interiors

Silver Sponsors:

Alex Smith Garden Design, LTD

Howard Design Studio

Jacquelynne P. Lanham Designs

Lake Toxaway Company ~ Mo Mitchell & Mish Nichols

Marmi Stone

Pursley Dixon Architecture, Inc.

Friend Sponsors:

Green Visions Landscape

JALA Landscape Architecture

MATERIAL Bespoke Stone +Tile

Sharon K. Hopper Fine Gardening

Summerour Architects

The Outdoor Lights

Wyatt Childs, Inc.

Many thanks to the Southeastern Grasslands Institute:

Dwayne Estes, Ph.D., Co-Founder & Executive Director

In collaboration with the Southern Highlands Reserve:

Betty and Robert Balentine, Founders

Kelly Holdbrooks, Executive Director

Eric Kimbrel, Director of Horticulture

Tags: world of classicism, bunnymellon, sustainability