California Eden: Heritage Landscapes of the Golden State

There are many untold stories in our built environment. This talk is based on the new book, California Eden: Heritage Landscapes of the Golden State, co-edited by Dr. Christine Edstrom O'Hara and Susan Chamberlin. The speaker, Dr. O’Hara, will look at the history of the state through the lens of cultural landscapes, in other words, landscapes that have been shaped by humans who have left their imprints on the natural world. The talk will examine how the California landscape was transformed by the Indigenous peoples, Spanish colonizers, settlers, nurserymen and women, among others, based on essays in the book. From the estate Green Gables, to Cypress Lawn Cemetery in San Mateo County, to the Japanese American gardens of San Diego, the essays speak to design as well as the challenges of historic preservation of these-often ephemeral places.