So you’ve had the soil tested and it’s not good news. Can plants help remediate your site’s contaminants? Cost-effective phytoremediation (phytotechnology) plantings can be effective in mitigating on-site pollutants, but these interactions are complicated. When do they work and when don’t they? What plant species can be used? There is a lot of confusion around what phytotechnology can and cannot accomplish. However, with careful research and planning, integrating this relatively new technology into design work can result in huge financial and environmental benefits. This talk will review the tools to create ‘phyto’ landscapes that enhance environmental conditions. A summary of plant species and example projects will be provided.

Kate Kennen is a landscape architect, and founder of Offshoots, Inc. (www.offshootsinc.com) a Boston, MA design practice focused on productive planting techniques and phytotechnology consulting. Kate earned her undergraduate degree from Cornell University and Master’s Degree in Landscape Architecture with distinction from Harvard University. Kate’s recent book, PHYTO: Principles and Resources for Site Remediation and Landscape Design has received national awards and was named one of the top 10 new landscape books by ASLA in 2015.

This program is part of our Seeing Stories: Visualizing Sustainable Citizenship series, co-curated by Temple Contemporary, Temple University’s Office of Sustainability, and Temple University Libraries, along with faculty and graduate students from the Tyler School of Art, the College of Liberal Arts, and the Center for the Cinematic and Performing Arts.

This program is also co-sponsored by the Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture, Ambler Campus and is made possible through the use of GAF funds.