Glenstone Tour and Networking
at Downtown Crown in Gaithersburg, MD

November 16, 2021, 2:00 pm

Glenstone
12100 Glen Road
Potomac, Maryland 20854

Join LCA for a deep dive tour of Glenstone and learn how the organic approach to landscaping has evolved over the past 11 years. Glenstone caretakers work to identify gentle alternatives to harsh chemicals to maintain a healthy environment for visitors and native wildlife. There are nearly 300 acres of landscape fully integrated with the architecture and art with paths, trails, streams, meadows, forests, and outdoor sculptures throughout the grounds.

After the keynote address by Paul Tukey, director of environmental stewardship, participants can join one of the Glenstone specialists in four breakout sessions. Light refreshments will be provided at Glenstone followed by happy hour networking on your own at Downtown Crown in Gaithersburg. Details provided on site.

Presenters:
Paul Tukey, Director of Environmental Stewardship 
Matt Partain, Grounds Superintendent 
Michael Burke, Staff Arborist
Trevor Garbow, Deputy Landscape Superintendent
Jon Sander, Aquatic Specialist

Program Agenda

2:00 pm
Guests arrive at Glenstone main guest entrance at 12100 Glen Road, park, and walk to Environmental Center.

2:10 pm
Paul Tukey, Director of Environmental Stewardship
Glenstone Introduction and Overview

Paul will offer a general overview of all aspects of Glenstone’s site management program, including how the team worked with landscape architects, building architects, the Visitor Experience Team, the founders, and the management team to achieve a fully integrated achievement of the organization’s mission: to seamlessly blend art, architecture, and nature into a serene and contemplative environment.

2:40 pm
Guests Select Breakout Sessions

3:00 pm 
Breakout Field Sessions I

Organic Lawn Care — Paul Tukey will lead an in-field session on how Glenstone transitioned the property from four to six applications of synthetic chemicals per year to an all-organic lawn protocol 11 years ago.

Natural Aquatic Plant Management — Jon Sander will showcase his hands-on techniques for managing the plants in the Water Court, the centerpiece of Glenstone’s highly honored building known as The Pavilions.

Native Meadow Installation and Maintenance — Matt Partain will lead an in-field session on how Glenstone established native meadows from seed and plugs, and also on bare soil vs. an existing farm field.

Native Tree Care — Arborist Mike Burke will detail how he manages a primarily native tree canopy with only natural, organic tools and techniques—and how in certain situations it’s necessary to break that protocol. 

Understory and Weed Management — With nearly 300 acres to manage, Trevor Garbow will demonstrate how visitor-centric areas of the landscape are managed to a higher level of detail than “back-of-house” areas. He’ll also showcase some emerging new tools of the trade.

4:00 pm
Breakout Field Sessions II

Natural Stream and Watershed Restoration — Paul Tukey will discuss the fundamentals of stream and watershed restoration sharing how Glenstone founder's question, “How do we turn an eyesore into an asset with our steams?” is addressed. Paul discovered Dr. David Rosgen in 2014. A walk through the watershed will reveal the natural restoration of the most extensive projects of its kind in Maryland.

Native Meadow Installation and Maintenance — Matt Partain will lead an in-field session on how Glenstone established native meadows from seed and plugs, and also on bare soil vs. an existing farm field.

Native Tree Care — Arborist Mike Burke will detail how he manages a primarily native tree canopy with only natural, organic tools and techniques—and how in certain situations it’s necessary to break that protocol.

Irrigation and Water Conservation - Trevor Garbow will showcase the practices used around Glenstone to optimize opportunities and maximize water usage throughout the property.

5:00 - 5:45 pm
Staff Q&A at Environmental Center

5:45 pm
Adjourn to optional Happy Hour at Downtown Crown in Gaithersburg

6:00 pm all visitors have departed

About Our Presenters

Michael Burke, Staff Arborist — Michael oversees all aspects of tree care on the nearly 300-acre campus at Glenstone, the vast majority of which is conducted in an all-organic manner. He also oversees an ongoing tree inventory database management project. He earned his AAS in horticulture at the Pennsylvania College of Technology and worked for Bartlett Tree Experts as a climber, foreman, plant health care technician, arborist representative, and inventory specialist. Breakout Session: Natural Tree Care

Trevor Garbow, Deputy Landscape Superintendent — A longtime golf course superintendent at Washington Golf & Country Club and Spring Creek Golf Club prior to joining Glenstone in September of 2020, Trevor helps manage all aspects of Glenstone’s grounds operation and is also a key member of Glentone’s Green Team that oversees all aspects of sustainability at the organization. He holds a B.S. from the University of Maryland. 
Breakout Sessions: Understory and Weed Management; Cistern and Irrigation Management 

Matt Partain, Grounds Superintendent — Only the second grounds superintendent in Glenstone’s history, Matt has nearly a quarter century of diverse leadership experience at Walt Disney World, The Biltmore, The Greenbrier, and Berea College. He has embraced a natural, organic approach to grounds management and has been personally responsible for the oversight of the 45-acre native meadow. He holds a B.S. in Landscape Management from Georgia. 
Breakout Sessions: Native Meadow Management; Staff Development and Retention

Jon Sander, Aquatic Specialist — With more than 30 years in aquatic horticulture, including 26 at Lilypons Water Gardens as operations manager, Jon is an often-published industry leader in temperate plants that thrive in water. Since 2017, when Glenstone’s Water Court was first planted, Jon has utilized only natural techniques to deal with weeds, algae, insects, and any other challenges at one of the most highly visible aspects of the visitor experience. He holds a B.S. from Frostburg State University. 
Breakout Session: Natural Management of Aquatic Plants

Paul Tukey, Director of Environmental Stewardship — Brought to Glenstone in 2010 to develop organic protocols for grounds management at the request of the founders, Paul is considered a pioneer in sustainable landscape management. In 2007, he authored the book, “The Organic Lawn Care Manual.” In 2014, he launched a seven-year project at Glenstone to restore nearly three miles of streams and tributaries. His degrees are from the University of Maine in journalism and photojournalism. 
Breakout Sessions: Organic Lawn Care; Natural Stream Restoration