Editorial Board Message

Spring is upon us, and the reemergence of green and awakening of the natural world inspires a desire for exploration. Buds appearing on trees and spring ephemerals popping up through leaf litter provide joy and promise warmer and longer days ahead. These harbingers of spring can also reawaken us to the world around us, reinvigorating our ways of seeing. The season of spring, both in the natural world as well as metaphorically, is one of new growth, new ideas, and new ways of being. We slough off the stillness of winter and burst forth toward the sun.

As we venture outside, we have the opportunity to explore both the outer landscapes around us, as well as the inner landscapes within. For many, the limited travel options afforded to us by the pandemic have provided an opportunity to deepen our relationship with the land closest to us, whether it be neighbourhood parks or our broader Ontario landscapes. Remote work has given many an increased freedom to migrate across the province, or even the country, embracing a less tethered working life and allowing the exploration of new terrain, outside the prescribed one- or two-week vacation. Ilze Andzans discusses her personal journeys as she shares her account of exploring Ontario landscapes throughout the pandemic. There is also the opportunity for exploration at the micro scale as well, as Tara McCarthy reminds us about mushrooms and what they can teach us about natural relationships.

We explore not only physical landscapes in this issue, but changing modes of practice and relationship as land-based practitioners. The Round Table is a poignant discussion between Indigenous landscape architects, artists, and knowledge keepers on the important work of decolonizing our practices, our education, and ultimately ourselves.

Nadja Pausch, OALA, CSLA
Chair, Editorial Board
[email protected]