Let Nature Work

Natural systems provide the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink, protection from extreme weather, and countless other benefits. They enrich our quality of life, shape our sense of place, and bring us connection and joy.

Along the North Carolina coast, these systems face mounting pressure from global change—the cumulative impacts of rapid urbanization, a shifting climate, changing land use, and other human pressures.

This change happens quietly, one lot at a time. My work starts from the conviction that solutions to these challenges are already present in the natural systems around us and can inform the way we plan, design, conserve, and build.

What I Do

Earth Matters Planning & Design is an independent landscape architecture practice in Wilmington, NC, focused on resilience, climate mitigation and adaptation, and ecosystem services. I work across scales, from regional frameworks to site-level design, letting science and natural systems guide the work.

• Research & Analysis
  landscape and site assessment, spatial and systems analysis, literature and precedent review, best-practice research, and regulatory and planning context
• Planning & Design
  master planning and site design from concept through permit and construction documents
• Policy & Program Support
  permitting, regulatory approvals, and identifying and leveraging incentive programs and initiatives
• Visualization & Communication
  ‍translating complex ideas and information into tangible, evocative forms that help people connect and envision what's possible—through visualization, mapping, and storytelling in its many forms
• Engagement & Alignment
  connecting knowledge, priorities, and perspectives across communities, disciplines, and decision-makers to build shared understanding, through workshops, focus groups, charrettes, surveys, community outreach, and cross-sector partnerships

Projects are transdisciplinary by nature, drawing on multiple fields and the knowledge of the people and communities connected to the work. I collaborate across fields to help cultivate the processes and alignment that let stakeholders shape decisions rather than react to them, turning complex ideas into a shared vision of what's possible.

My Story

Growing up in North Carolina, I spent time exploring the state's diverse landscapes—from the mountains to the coast—and developed a deep connection to the natural world. As I watched those places transform amid rapid growth and development, I became interested in how design could help shape communities while protecting the natural systems and landscapes that make them unique. That curiosity, combined with my love of art and design, led me to pursue landscape architecture.

I began my career in 2005 at a multidisciplinary commercial design firm, gaining experience in master planning, site design, permitting, construction documents, and community engagement. Working within a development-driven practice gave me valuable insight into the economic and practical realities that influence land use decisions and how thoughtful design can help align competing priorities. Alongside my professional work, I advanced sustainability and resilience through volunteer leadership, building partnerships and leading education, outreach, and community initiatives.

Moving to coastal North Carolina in 2014 brought the realities of climate change into sharper focus and reinforced my desire to reconnect my practice with the environmental challenges that first drew me to landscape architecture. In 2018, I returned to NC State University to pursue graduate studies and prepare for that transition before joining an international planning and design firm as a project manager for municipal park and master planning projects. In 2024, I founded Earth Matters Planning & Design to focus on transdisciplinary projects that advance resilient communities, healthy ecosystems, and thoughtful stewardship of our landscapes.

Qualifications

Select Programs & Events

Professional service through volunteer leadership with the North Carolina Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (NCASLA) and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), focused on partnership synergies that advance sustainability in the built environment, community resilience, and the profession of landscape architecture across North Carolina.

Introduction to Sustainable SITES

Statewide Series, NCASLA · 2018

Role: Conceived and orchestrated the series; lead organizer for 3 of 5 sections

Sweeping across North Carolina from the mountains to the coast over the course of a week, each of NCASLA's five sections hosted an event featuring the Sustainable SITES® Rating System. Additional topics ranged from biomimicry and ecosystem services to landscape performance and metrics, highlighting innovation and partnerships across the state. The series connected a transdisciplinary audience through collaborative expert presentations and exemplary site tours.

350+ participants · 5 statewide sections · 3 host universities · Professional CEUs
‍‍Partners: NC State · NC A&T · UNCW

Wake County Public Schools Design Blitz

NCASLA · 2019

Role: Co-conceived & co-led

A day-long environmental design charrette bringing 130+ STEAM students from nine high schools together with professional design mentors to develop creative sustainable site design concepts for Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh. Resulting student work was exhibited as part of a pop-up event at CAM Raleigh art museum during World Landscape Architecture Month.

130+ STEAM students · 9 Wake County high schools · Art exhibit
Partners: Wake County Public Schools · City of Raleigh · CAM Raleigh

Living Shorelines Workshop & Tour

USGBC · 2016

Role: Conceived & led

A full-day workshop on living shoreline design, coastal resiliency, FEMA flood mapping, and native planting, with presentations from coastal scientists, engineers, and ecologists, paired with a tour of the Morris Landing living shoreline and its five demonstration applications.

Morris Landing tour of 5 living shoreline applications · 4.5 CEU hours
Partners: NC Coastal Federation · Town of Surf City

Climate Change, Sea Level Rise, & Resilient Design

USGBC · 2016

Role: Conceived & led

The chapter's signature evening event: a dinner, student expo, and expert panel on coastal climate adaptation. Presentations and discussion ranged from coastal climate science to resilient design, policy, and the economics of a changing coast, convening scientists, designers, planners, engineers, and policy experts, including the co-directors and students of the NC State University Coastal Dynamics Design Lab.

75+ attendees · Expert panel · Featured interview on WHQR
Partners: NCSU CDDL · UNCW · ECU · AECOM

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