Our commitment to a land ethic (below) guides all our efforts. We believe that cooperation, not domination or control is the best environment for growth.
We are convinced that the beautiful and healthy landscapes we help to create are made so not just by decades of hands-on design experience and a high level of ecological literacy, but also by satisfying the objectives of: increasing biodiversity, conserving energy and resources, enhancing the educational potential of the landscape and helping others to make strong and lasting connections to the natural world.
Ron Nowicki, a landscape architect (B.A. University of Illinois 1972) brings a unique blend of design and construction skills to our team. He has, for many years, acted as crew leader in the construction of his own designs. This experience has fostered a comprehensive understanding of design, materials, techniques, efficiency and safety not only on the drafting board but also in our clients' landscapes. A sophisticated design sense, a spirited imagination, careful attention to the details that make a design come alive and a thirst for knowledge are just some of the qualities that make working with Ron a pleasant and rewarding experience.
Vicki Nowicki, a garden designer, author and educator (B.A. Environmental Studies - George Williams College 1984 and
M.S. Environmental Education and Museum Studies - Aurora University 1986) brings a carefully cultivated sense of art and beauty to all of her efforts at The Land Office. This trait has its roots in her early life immersion in the arts and blossoms today in the skillfully crafted gardens that stir the senses of all who see, hear, smell and feel them. The success of The Land Office depends to a large extent on her contagious enthusiasm and spiritual counsel.
“All ethics so far evolved rest upon a single premise: that the individual is a member of a community of interdependent parts. His instincts prompt him to compete for a place in that community, but his ethics prompt him also to cooperate (perhaps in order that there may be a place to compete for).
The land ethic simply enlarges the boundaries of the community to include soils, waters, plants, and animals or collectively: the land….
In short, a land ethic changes the role of ‘Homo Sapiens’ from conqueror of the land-community to plain member and citizen of it. It implies respect for his fellow members, and respect for the community as such."
The land ethic simply enlarges the boundaries of the community to include soils, waters, plants, and animals or collectively: the land….
In short, a land ethic changes the role of ‘Homo Sapiens’ from conqueror of the land-community to plain member and citizen of it. It implies respect for his fellow members, and respect for the community as such."
-Aldo Loepold-
