Thomas Woltz, one of America’s leading landscape architects, spoke at the Westmont College Global Leadership Center on March 12, offering hope and inspiration for community members still reeling from the devastating Thomas Fire and 1/9 Debris Flow. The Garden Club of Santa Barbara offered the free public event so that Woltz, with his thoughtful and creative approaches to resurrecting damaged land, might provide encouragement as the community finds its way forward.
“Healing the land can be symbolic of healing a community,” Woltz emphasized. “A moment of grace occurs when you enter the landscape and discover the stories it has to tell. Ask what is the history, what are the dynamics, who are your people. The stories of who we are and how we got here are under our feet; listen to these stories, they can lead to the future. The more awe and respect we have for these stories, the more resilient our landscapes will become and the greater partnership we will forge.”
Woltz spoke of several damaged landscapes that he and his firm — Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects, based in Virginia — have restored to vitality and balance.