This talk will be held virtually via Zoom and in-person at 107 Norman Smith Hall, UMaine, Orono.
- Virtual attendance: Complete the registration form for Zoom connection information
Speaker: Charlie Howe, Director of Parklands, Butler Conservation
Nature interaction plays crucial roles in human health, well-being and emotion. Yet the time we spend in the out of doors has diminished in response to cultural and technological trends and changes in methods of production. Once central to daily livelihood, nature interaction is, for many, now limited to recreation and leisure activities. In this talk, Charlie describes the development of new nature-based recreation facilities, considering how siting, design, and program activities can help connect us with the natural environment and create memorable outdoor experiences.
Charlie Howe is a design professional with fifteen years of experience in ecological assessment, mapping, and landscape design. He holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and biology from Allegheny College and a master’s degree in landscape architecture from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. In 2017, Charlie joined Butler Conservation, a charitable foundation that develops large parks focused on family-friendly outdoor recreation. Butler Conservation operates two new large-scale parks in Maine, Penobscot River Trails and the Cobscook Shores Park System, and owns / collaborates on six other parks in New York, South Carolina, Argentina, Uruguay and Chile. In addition to public visitation, these parks host 20,000 students per year for guided outdoor recreation including, hiking, biking, kayaking, snow-shoeing and cross-country skiing.
