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title: Admissions September 2026 News
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Also: In-person Gatherings, an Online Info Session, and a Talk with J. Drew Lanham ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­    ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­  

| View in browser     NEWS FROM THE CONWAY SCHOOL   “The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal is our only hope.” -Wendell Berry (1934-2026)   Illustration from a Spring 2017 student project by Oystein Kristiansen and Tim Tensen, adapted from MA Audubon seasonal newsletters (2014).  Full Circle   In the dominant culture in which many of us find ourselves ensconced, time is most often described as being linear, a progression from one point to the next, visualized as an arrow moving in a singular direction. We speak of timelines and trajectories, and sci-fi movies are endlessly moving forward or backward through time as though it were a series of subway stops.   As students of ecology, we know that lines can mislead as much as they inform. "What goes around comes around" is a refrain of the natural world, be it seasons, growth cycles, atmospheric currents, or migratory patterns. Some of us have even explored the spiraling concept of deep time, where the longer-than-human-sized stretches of existence are charted.   The academic world is no stranger to circular time, and we find ourselves here again: Another group of alums moving out into the world, and a new class joining us for the year.   Congratulations to the Class of 2026  The Class of 2026 graduated at the end of June. We capped off the year with a student-created song and dance medley, an inspiring address from commencement speaker Rebecca McMackin, and plenty of laughter, tears, and hugs.   Rebecca's talk was a wonderful reminder of why we do what we do at Conway. She encouraged the graduates to keep learning, nurture what they know, and share it with others—and reminded them that they're not just growing plants, but “an entire movement as well as a very old and very new way of relating to the earth.”   We're delighted to welcome this talented group to the Conway alum community, and we can't wait to see what they do next.   Read more about graduation and watch Rebecca McMackin’s inspiring commencement address → In the blink of an eye, the summer flew by, and... Welcome, Class of 2027  The studio is full again. We're thrilled to welcome the Conway School Class of 2027! This year's cohort brings together artists, gardeners, designers, and community organizers from across the country, each with a unique story and a shared passion for resilient landscapes.   Among them: a certified mushroom forager who supplies local restaurants, a documentary photographer-turned-landscape designer who loves camping with her family, a regenerative gardener who mentors others and builds urban meadows, a writer and editor with a knack for ecological garden design, and a product designer focused on climate solutions.   Drawn by Conway's project-based, interdisciplinary approach, these students are eager to learn from each other and the land. We can't wait to see the creativity, dedication, and heart they'll bring to our community and the landscapes they'll help shape. Parenchyma, growth-defense tradeoff, and other interesting concepts  ELA2026: Navigating Uncertainty Dr. Evelyn Beaury of the New York Botanical Garden breaks down the data on the benefits of native species.   Have you ever heard the word parenchyma or know what it means? How about growth-defense tradeoff?  We didn't know either of these before attending the annual Ecological Landscape Alliance Conference this year. Two keynote speakers and a bunch of topic sessions later and we were brimming with new information. Though the conference title was "Navigating Uncertainty," we discovered an enormous amount of hope and excitement for the future among attendees and presenters, among whom were quite a few Conway alums. You can read more about both the above concepts at our blog below, and we highly recommend joining ELA, a fantastic resource for ecological designers. Visit our blog \*\*NEXT UP\*\* Two options to meet up in person! 1: Are you local or planning to be in the area next Friday? Stop by our Open House! Chat with students, faculty, and alums, and meet some of our former clients and community partners. We hope you can make it! Count me in! 2: Treehouse Gathering on October 15th Peak foliage season, peak pizza, peak beer? That is, as the kids say, "PEAK!" Join us for another informal gathering at Treehouse Brewing Company in South Deerfield, MA. Everyone's invited! Pizza and snacks are on us from 5-7pm, but the conversation will last as long as you want. Please RSVP (so we know how much pizza to order) Can't do the in-person events?  Here are some virtual options:   Online Information Session 10/19 7-8:30pm ET on Zoom We are accepting applications and our Early Action Deadline is November 9th!    Sign up for our next Admissions Online Information Session on Monday, October 19th at 7pm ET.  Faculty and staff will be available via Zoom to discuss Conway's program and curriculum in detail and answer any questions you have.   Our alum guest speaker will be Boris Kerzner '20. He began his career as a software engineer, but later dove into the study of herbal medicine and the practice of gardening.  With a deeper understanding of natural systems and an enhanced toolkit, he launched Grow Our Food in 2022, and has since designed and installed edible landscapes across Greater Philadelphia.   Register   Schedule a visit to our campus Seeing our learning environment in person and talking to faculty and current students can give you a great sense of the Conway experience. Email admissions@csld.edu to set up a time.   Apply If you've already decided to apply, we encourage you to do it early. Early applicants have the opportunity to apply for several external scholarships whose deadlines fall before our regular application deadline in January. Apply An evening with J. Drew Lanham Thursday, November 5, 7:00–8:30 p.m. \| Online J. Drew Lanham is a writer, naturalist, birder, educator, and wildlife ecologist whose work explores the intersections of nature, race, place, and belonging. He's the author of The Home Place, Sparrow Envy, and Joy is the Justice We Give Ourselves.   Learn more and register → Save the Date: WIPs are around the corner! Fall Work in Progress Student Project Presentations November 13-14   The Class of 2027 is only in its second week, but we're already planning ahead to their fall Work in Progress student project presentations.  (What can we say? We're planners! 😄)  Students will present their projects to their clients as well as our panel of guest reviewers, friends, family...  and hopefully you!  We'll be opening registration for the event (both online and in-person options) soon, so mark your calendars to join us for one or both days. Well, it appears that this newsletter has come to the end of the line. Or has it come full circle? Either way, we are looking forward to this phase of the seasonal rotation, and look forward to bringing you more fun opportunities for temporal exploration next time!          “But people have no idea what time is. They think it’s a line, spinning out from three seconds behind them, then vanishing just as fast into the three seconds of fog just ahead. They can’t see that time is one spreading ring wrapped around another, outward and outward until the thinnest skin of Now depends for its being on the enormous mass of everything that has already died. "  ― Richard Powers, The Overstory Apply Learn about student projects Donate The Conway School, 88 Village Hill Road, Northampton, MA 01060, USA, (413) 369-4044 Unsubscribe Manage preferences |
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