Catherine Oranchak / Landscape Architect
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City Plans That Never Materialized

12/5/2018

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Fascinating Boston Globe Magazine article. If you are familiar with our wonderful City, all the more interesting. Click the link and take a look when you get an opportunity!
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joe runci/globe staff/FILE
Boston would have had a mini Interstate 95 if William Callahan’s 1948 Master Highway Plan had been realized.
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General Heath Square Apartments Jamaica Plain, MA

6/6/2018

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We participated in a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday May 31, 2018 for this very important project! Affordable housing, community engagement, civic responsibility.
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America's Rivers

2/12/2018

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Very informative story shedding light on America's rivers- history, use, climate change or so much more. Take a listen!

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Spring Field Trip to Alewife Reservation

6/8/2017

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The goal of the constructed wetland of the Alewife Reservation in Cambridge, MA, completed in 2013, is to clean storm water before it enters Boston Harbor. For more information see City of Cambridge Public Works, The Friends of Alewife Reservation Brochure and The Friends of Alewife Reservation Website.
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Two Year Drought in Massachusetts is Over!

5/12/2017

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Good news! According to yesterday's Boston Globe, the two year drought is over for us thanks to a cool and wet spring. See the article here.



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Source: National Drought Mitigation Center, http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/MapsAndData/MapArchive.aspx
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It's Maple Sugaring Time!

3/31/2017

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Resilient Landscapes

2/4/2016

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The term “resilience” is bantered about a lot these days. But what does it mean in terms of landscape architecture? Due to climate change, the earth’s water levels are rising putting many communities at risk of flooding. Resilient landscapes aim to anticipate future water levels- preparing communities for the worst. That means incorporating green infrastructure so that storm water is absorbed into the ground instead of sent to potentially overcapacity piping systems or raising sensitive equipment above anticipated flood levels. I have been practicing this technique for many waterfront park projects in my work with the US Army Corps of Engineers for decades, designing public open spaces in Indiana and Ohio with annual flooding in mind. Recently, the EPA has begun to encourage planning for resiliency by way of the first National Disaster Resilience Competition, see the link for more specific detail and to learn about the cities and states that are benefiting from this innovative program.  

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May 2015:  Spraying for Winter Moth

6/11/2015

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March 2015: BSLA Design Award Jury

3/24/2015

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I spent Friday March 20th at the Boston Architectural College as one of many jury members for the Boston Society of Landscape Architects annual awards submittal review. It was a great day of viewing an array or projects both near and far, reconnecting with colleagues spanning my entire career and meeting all manner of heretofore unknown professionals. It was an exhilarating yet humbling experience. I am grateful to have had the opportunity!
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October 2014:  Marketing Neighborhood Parks

10/22/2014

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Grant Park, as shown on the Marketplace.org website
On October 16th American Public Media's radio program "Marketplace" ran a piece on the marketing of parks- getting people outside and away from their digital devices. Take a listen!
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    Inspiration comes from the world around us; color, texture, pattern- all components of the ever changing landscape. The camera captures these moments for further reflection. This blog will feature monthly musings centered on the landscape.

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