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ELA President’s Farewell Message

by Rie Macchiarolo

I first learned of the Ecological Landscape Alliance while studying at the Conway School of Landscape Design. After I graduated I was eager to learn more about native plants. Who am I kidding, I wanted to learn everything related to ecological landcare. I used my ELA membership to absorb anything and everything I could from other professionals in the ELA community. I enrolled in webinars and eco-tours. I went to conferences and workshops. I bought books that were featured in the ELA newsletter. I gathered answers to so many questions that were accumulating, seemingly faster than I could answer them. What kinds of native plants grow well in shady gardens? What factors should be considered in designing a good rain garden? What have plant people learned over their years of experience ahead of me? What does the prevalence of a specific fungus mean for a tree? How do plants behave when planted next to each other, and which plants are better neighbors? What are marginalized voices saying about climate change and ecological landcare? How is the knowledge we have now a recreation or mirror of indigenous knowledge that has been passed down through generations of relationships with the land? But it wasn’t just the content that I found so compelling about ELA. I had found my people! – curious to learn more regardless of their years in the field, and dedicated to taking action to improve the environment.

When I joined the board in 2016, ELA had around 300 members. A small but mighty and well-connected community. Over the last nine years I have watched ELA grow in a number of exciting ways. We saw big increases in our membership, especially into the early covid years. The ELA community has expanded farther south and west while still maintaining the feeling of connection. We now have representation from eight states on our board which increases our local connections to resources, speakers, and regionally relevant content. Regional member meet-ups have generated collaboration among local landcare professionals. We’ve strengthened our committee work, welcoming many ELA members to help shape programming, membership engagement, and our publications.

In 2024, the ELA entered a whole new chapter. The partnership between ELA and NEBG (New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill) and BGCI-US (Botanic Gardens Conservation international – US) ushered in a new wave of collaboration for ELA. These relationships have helped streamline our business operations and opened a path ahead for strengthening the mutually beneficial relationships with our collective work. Through this partnership ELA’s mission of educating, inspiring, and empowering people to value biodiverse landscapes and employ ecological practices has never seemed more attainable.

I’m so proud of who ELA is. I am excited about our future. I am honored to be a part of ELA’s history, joining a group of countless volunteers who have dedicated their time, energy, expertise, and resources to the shared vision. We will continue to seek answers to our questions, and when those answers are even more questions, we’ll keep looking and asking. We’ll stay curious in our knowledge and be discerning in our analysis of cultural and scientific knowledge.  

Editor’s Note:
Thank you, Rie Macchiarolo, for your curiosity, your wisdom and your guidance through the years. You were one of the first people I met when I first presented to ELA in 2020. You are wise and thoughtful, you have been an amazing, steady guide in my journey with ELA. Thank you for all your dedication and the fantastic work you have done.