Category: Field Notes

Field Notes

Fires Threaten Olmsted & Vaux’s Prospect Park 

As drought conditions grip New York City, Prospect Park Alliance contends with the recent blazes in Brooklyn’s Backyard.
Field Notes

Evolving Landscapes: Author Interview 

In his new book, Design Through Time, author Mark Hough explores how landscapes evolve through generations of stewardship.
Field Notes

Beloved Olmsted scholar’s library finds a new home 

Tony Horwitz’s collection of Olmsted books was recently donated to the University of Virginia’s Center for Cultural Landscapes.
Field Notes

Battered, Biltmore Rises 

As the Asheville, NC, region struggles to recover from the unparalleled devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, America’s largest home offers its neighbors aid.
Field Notes

Olmsted Legacy Shines at ASLA & PGMS Conferences 

Last month, the Olmsted Network attended not one but two partner conferences.
Field Notes

A waterfall flows again in Harlem 

The restoration of a cherished cascade in New York City’s Morningside Park unites city officials, neighbors and Columbia University staff and students.
Field Notes

Olmsted 101: A Class for Adult Learners  

In October 2024, the Olmsted Network hosted a six-week course on the work of Frederick Law Olmsted and the Olmsted firm for older adult learners through Osher Online.
Field Notes

New Land Acquired for Olmsted-Beil House Park

After years of advocacy by Friends of Olmsted-Beil House and the Olmsted Network, the acquisition of an adjacent property restores a portion of Olmsted’s Tosomock Farm, protects against development and more.
Field Notes

Olmsted Linear Park playground gets a new look  

In Atlanta, GA, Springdale Park receives playground and stormwater improvements.
Field Notes

Recap: 2024 Annual Conference

The Olmsted Network recently hosted our 2024 Annual Conference in New York’s Hudson River Valley. Landscape tours included Olana State Historic Site, Downing Park, Vassar College, Hudson River State Hospital and Springside National Historic Landmark.
Field Notes

Students plant roots in Newburgh, NY’s Downing Park 

Made for the Olmsted Network’s 2024 Annual Conference, a video by Timeline Productions celebrates the partnership between the local garden club and sophomores at Newburgh Free Academy-West.
Field Notes

A New Fight for Sunlight

A proposed 14-story building threatens to put the Brooklyn Botanical Garden's plants and greenhouses in the shade.
Field Notes

The Capitol’s Original Olmsted Trees

In this republished blog, the Architect of the Capitol celebrates the history of tree planting and tree preservation at the U.S. Capitol Grounds by highlighting some of the oldest trees on the grounds.
Field Notes

A Farewell to Anderson Park’s Olmsted Oak

In a violent storm, Anderson Park in New Jersey lost its elder statesman— a giant white oak that had been there since before the park opened.
Field Notes

Tornado briefly interrupts progress in Chickasaw Park

As Louisville’s Chickasaw Park recovers from a recent tornado, pledged funding for capital improvements and educational signage soften the blow.