National Association for Olmsted Parks National Conference:
Our Olmsted Legacy: Learning from the Past, Inspiring the Future
South Lake Union Center, April 30th - May 4th, 2003
Join the Friends of Seattle's Olmsted Parks, Seattle Parks and Recreation and the National Association for Olmsted Parks for a national conference exploring the contemporary challenges facing historic parks, park and open space design and planning, and greenspace preservation in Seattle and across the country.

All conference lectures, workshops and tours are open to the public and your participation is encouraged! Registration options include full conference registration, single-day registration and student and membership discounts. Detailed information about the NAOP annual conference can be found by clicking on the "Conference" link at the left, or, just click here

VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED: If you would like to attend the conference but don't have the resources to make this happen, we need volunteers! In return for a few hours of your time, you will receive free registration for some or all of the conference. For a complete description of volunteer opportunities please see the 'Conference' website at the left or call Kari at 332-9915.

The Seattle Parks Foundation has spearheaded the fundraising effort to restore the Lily Ponds in Capitol Hill's Volunteer Park, the gem of Seattle's Olmsted park system. After securing a generous donation from the Tateuchi Foundation as well as additional grants and donations, the Seattle Parks Foundation and Seattle Parks and Recreation will now begin the restoration process. The pools, which have deteriorated over the past several decades and now lie damaged and empty, will be repaired and returned to the beauty and grandeur the Olmsteds intended for them. This project demonstrates the importance Seattle places upon stewardship to its Olmsted Parks, through the ongoing restoration, maintenance, and extension of the Olmsted vision. The Seattle Parks Foundation will host a groundbreaking ceremony for the restoration project as part of the conference closing program. The ceremony will include a proclamation by the National Association for Olmsted Parks in recognition of Seattle's Olmsted Park System, and in particular Volunteer Park, as significant landscapes designed by the Olmsted Brothers.
Hosted by the Seattle Parks Foundation

The permanent Olmsted Interpretive Exhibit is located at the top of the historic water tower in Volunteer Park. Participants will also have the opportunity to visit the exhibit and enjoy the territorial views of Mt. Rainier, the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges, downtown Seattle, Lake Union and the Space Needle.

For questions and more details, please contact the Seattle Parks Foundation
phone: 206-322-9900
web:    www.seattleparksfoundation.org
email:  hilary@seattleparksfoundation.org

A Guided Tour of The Uplands and Victoria B.C.
Sunday, May 4th, 8:00 am - 8:30 pm

Retrace the steps of John Charles Olmsted in Western Canada. In addition to his work in and around Seattle and Portland, John Charles Olmsted designed residential landscapes and subdivisions throughout Puget Sound and in Western Canada. The tour begins with a very scenic 3-hour boat trip across Puget Sound aboard the Victoria Clipper. The highlight of the trip is a guided tour of The Uplands subdivision, led by Larry McCann, professor of Geography at the University of Victoria and author of an upcoming book on the Olmsteds' work in Western Canada. After retracing the footsteps of J. C. Olmsted and stopping for lunch in Victoria the tour will return to Seattle aboard the Clipper.

The Uplands in Victoria is John Olmsted's self-acclaimed masterpiece of residential design - a picturesque, 465-acre residential park of gracefully curving streets and large properties. The tour will recreate the famous landscape architect's first visit to Victoria in 1907, traveling from the Canadian Pacific docks on the Inner Harbour to suburban Oak Bay where the Uplands is located. Along the way, brief stops will take place in historic areas such as Victoria's Old Town, the prestigious Rockland neighbourhood, and the Beach Drive waterfront. Arriving at the Uplands, we will walk through parts of the subdivision to consider various design elements, historical architecture, and current issues affecting the ongoing development and preservation of this unique landscape. Because the Uplands influenced the development of other Victoria neighbourhoods, the tour will conclude by passing through several subdivisions that were greatly inspired by the design and planning of the Uplands.

For more information, click on the 'Conference' link at the left or call Kari at 332-9915
or, just click here

Youth in Focus Exhibit at the Convention Center: Democracy in Action (ongoing through June, 2003)

Location: Washington State Convention & Trade Center - Galleria Level Two

As part of the Olmsted Centennial, Friends of Seattle’s Olmsted Parks commissioned Youth in Focus and four of its students to photograph people enjoying our Olmsted parks: Megan Fredette, Gabino Mabalay, Tiffany Renfro, Thuy Van. Friends of Seattle’s Olmsted Parks was established to help preserve Seattle’s unique Olmsted landscape heritage and to raise awareness of the Olmsted philosophy of providing open space for all people. In this centennial year, FSOP feels fortunate to work with Youth in Focus to produce photographs that honor and exemplify this philosophy.

An Olmsted Centennial Exhibit Sponsored by Friends of Seattle’s Olmsted Parks and The Norcliffe Foundation

Meet at the Graham Visitors Center

Join hosts Seattle Parks Foundation for a tour of this marvelous 230 acre expanse of green space. This Olmsted-designed park is home to one of our nation’s largest collections of oaks, conifers, camellias, Japanese maples and hollies. Tour leaders will include members of Friends of Seattle’s Olmsted Parks, Seattle Parks and Recreation, and Arboretum Director John Wott. The tour will focus on Olmsted-designed Azalea Way, which should be in full bloom at this time of year, as well as other Olmsted-designed features of the park.

For questions and more details, please contact the Seattle Parks Foundation
phone: 206-322-9900
web:    www.seattleparksfoundation.org
email:  hilary@seattleparksfoundation.org

This year streetside gardeners throughout the city will compete for
trophies in seven categories. Streetside gardening has particular
challenges and plant height requirements. Awards are presented in
September. Take a tour of the nominees in your neighborhood and pick
your favorite. All locations will be listed on the SDOT web site at:
http://www.cityofseattle.net/transportation/trafficcircles.htm

For further information, please call SDOT Urban Forestry 684-5008