Today, there is a growing understanding of the value of wilderness and natural ecological processes to the health of our environment and to the world. The capacity to destroy these precious resources is, however, increasing at a faster rate than current efforts to preserve the environment.
Greenhouse effect, ozone, drought, flooding, waste disposal, depletion and pollution of ground water, desertification, deforestation, and acid rain are becoming household terms. They represent conditions that are either improved or further aggravated, to some degree, by every single land use, site design, or landscape maintenance decision, no matter how large or small.
As a landscape architect, you can have a major role in preserving, restoring, and determining the proper use of large-scale natural areas, such as national state parks, wildlife preserves, and other public lands. Regional planning agencies employ landscape architects to develop land use, transportation and open space master plans, guidelines for protection or restoration, and strategies for acquiring and managing "undeveloped" and rural land.
As a horticulturist, you can make a significant contribution to the evaluation, protection, restoration, and management of the natural landscape. Your efforts would include development of improved plant varieties, management of their propagation and growth, and large-scale revegetation.
Other important environmental needs that could claim your attention are disease and pest control research, and management of native forest, prairie, alpine, wetland, and meadow environments.
By applying the knowledge and skills you gain at Temple, you will help to provide for the land use and landscape needs of people, while achieving an environmentally sound, highly functional, and beautiful environment.
