Ecological Design & Land Use Planning
Winooski, VErmont
About Me
Hello! My name is Dorothy Kinney-Landis. I grew up in Southern Vermont, surrounded by a mosaic of farmland and forests. My passion for the environment is rooted in experiences in these landscapes and has directed my educational and professional pursuits. I received a B.S. in Environmental Studies from the University of Vermont, where I concentrated on sustainable agricultural and food systems. While working on diversified vegetable farms in Vermont, I became increasingly conscious of the ways in which cultivated landscapes impact ecological processes and human health, for better and for worse. My passion for working in food systems and creating sustainable, productive landscapes that support humans and non-human ecosystems directed me towards landscape design and planning.
In 2022 I received a M.S. in Ecological Design from the Conway School of Landscape Design. This program strengthened my skills in site analysis and design, building upon my Permaculture Design Certification and previous design work completed at the University of Vermont. My work at the Conway School included creating a landscape design for a small public library, collaborating on a food system study for the town of Great Barrington, MA, and collaborating on site analysis and design recommendations on a 230-acre farm in Connecticut. My ongoing design and planning work aims to support ecosystem function and positive human interactions with and within outdoor environments.
Outside of landscape design, I am passionate about farming, gardening, and foraging. I love cooking and preserving the abundance from the growing season. To the bemusement of my fiancé, I am often water-bath canning on the hottest days of the year, steaming up my apartment just to ensure I have canned tomatoes in the winter!
Credentials
Selected Coursework:
Ecological Design & Living Technologies
Advanced Ecological Design
Landscape Design for Pollinators
Agroecology of Vegetable Crops
Ecological Foundations of Agroecology
Small Farm Planning
Landscape Design Fundamentals
Land & Food Justice Movements
Complexity in Food Systems
Advanced Agroecology
M.S. in Ecological Design
Conway School of Landscape Design
B.S. in Environmental Studies
Concentration in Food, Land, & Community
University of Vermont, Rubenstein School of the Environment and Natural Resources
Areas of Focus
Diversified Agricultural Systems & Food Production
Stormwater Management, Water Quality & Riparian Buffers
Passive Energy
Pollinator & Wildlife Habitat
Outdoor Living & Gathering Space
Edible Landscapes
Accessibility & Circulation
Adaptations to Climate Change
Creating Community Space: Reimagining the Landscape at Belding Memorial Library
By Dorothy Kinney-Landis
Sample Design & Planning Projects
(Click to view complete project)
Seeding Community at Randall Farm
By Rachel Tanzer & Dorothy Kinney-Landis
Growing Better Great Barrington: Toward A Regional Food Economy in the Southern Berkshires
By Genevieve Goldleaf, Carlin Roland, and Dorothy Kinney-Landis
Services
On-Site Consultation
If you are seeking advice on how to manage your existing landscape, looking for new garden inspiration and plant suggestions, or are looking for a second opinion on landscaping ideas without committing to a full landscape design, an on-site consultation may be a suitable option. These consultations include visiting your landscape for a few hours and discussing your landscape goals and desires, and generating loose landscaping ideas and management plans that may be suitable for you to explore and pursue further.
Site Analysis & Design
Looking to understand your landscape more fully and create a comprehensive plan for future landscaping changes and ongoing management? Creating in-depth site analysis, design, and management plans is crucial. Site analysis is essential to creating well-informed and appropriate landscape designs and management plans. Whether it's understanding the drainage, soils, microclimates, existing flora, or the many other aspects of your landscape, site analysis can help you understand what is happening on your landscape, why, what impacts changes to the landscape may have.
Site analysis can then inform design proposals to the landscape. Whether its design work focused on one-corner of a backyard, or over multiple acres and ecosystems, my design work will incorporate understanding of the landscape and ecosystems to create resilient designs that support your goals.
Let's Work Together
Looking for landscape design and site analysis services? Please fill out the attached questionnaire to let me know about your site and goals. I will follow up to schedule a site visit and meeting We can discuss your needs, goals, and budget to help you meet your landscape goals.
dorothykinneylandis@gmail.com
If you have any other questions, or would like to collaborate, please send an email to: