Pamela Berstler
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Overview
11409 Charnock Road 90066Pamela's talks and workshops open your eyes, heart and mind and will set you on the path to complete transformation of the way you see a BEAUTIFUL garden. Laugh. Cry. Get dirty. Share with neighbors. Restore your watershed. Sustainable is Attainable!
w: Pamela at G3
w: Pamela at FLOWER to the PEOPLE
w: Pamela's Professional Edu Series
e: view email design@flowertothepeople.com
Description
PAMELA BERSTLER is a thought-leader on changing the BEAUTIFUL residential landscape paradigm from the water and resource-depleting gardens of today to the climate and place-appropriate mini watersheds of tomorrow. Pamela's super-charged, passionate talks and workshops will inspire you to get out, get dirty, and change the world starting with your own front yard.
Growing up in suburban Pennsylvania, Pamela’s first memories are of turning compost and working with her grandfather in his completely organic one-acre “Victory” garden. However, Pamela’s love of nature and gardening had to endure a decade-long suppression while she built a career as a New York-based investment banker, and later as a Los Angeles-based television and digital media consultant. When she survived the radical renovation of her West Los Angeles property, Pamela’s new career as a licensed landscape contractor and exterior designer emerged from the drama.
In 1997, Pamela founded FLOWER to the PEOPLE, Inc., an exterior design and outdoor lifestyle firm dedicated to promoting the principles of sustainable design, with practices in Los Angeles, CA and Falmouth, MA. Pamela’s design work focuses on creating outdoor living environments that embrace water and energy efficiencies, natural and native habitat, organic maintenance protocols, living soil remediation, recycled and local materials, and fair labor practices.
In 2003, Pamela was given the opportunity to integrate her expertise in business, exterior design, and television production when FLOWER to the PEOPLE was selected by The Discovery Channel to design a new exterior makeover show, in which Pamela also appeared as the designer host, called Rally Round the House. As a result, FLOWER to the PEOPLE was responsible for designing, building, and hosting more than 52 hours of reality makeover television, produced in 20 cities, in 40 weeks.
In addition to maintaining her private design practice, Pamela is a founder of G3, The Green Gardens Group, an organization devoted to educating homeowners, design professionals, and the surrounding community in the latest eco-restorative landscape techniques and promoting the principles of low-impact development through education, design, consulting and community activism.
G3 works with cities, water agencies, non-profit organizations, and property owner constituencies throughout the United States developing and teaching classes for homeowners, providing sustainable residential site evaluations and design, and hosting hands-on workshops (HOWs) that help people get the “feel” of sustainable landscaping. For landscape professionals and policy-makers, G3 offers training seminars in water and resource conservation and low-impact design.
Pamela received her MBA in Entertainment Management from The Anderson School at UCLA and her BA in Psychology from The University of Pennsylvania. She is currently serving as the Legislative Chairperson of the California Chapter of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD) and is a member of the California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA).
Topics
Pamela's talks won't leave you speechless because her goal is to get you motivated to talk about and take action in your own garden! Your presentation is guaranteed to be relevant, thought-provoking, and geared toward your audience. Every talk is different, but here are some examples from recent engagements:
One Hour Talks That You'll Talk About For Days:
A Fairly Radical Discussion of Sustainable Landscape Design
A Sod Story
The Deep Psychology of Unsustainable Design
HOA Myth Busters
Design A Garden to Attract Your Mate
One Hour Talks (that aren't boring) on Sustainable Practices in the Landscape:
Sustainable Landscapes in Thought, Word, and Deed
Six Sustainable Practices You Shouldn't Garden Without
Can’t Decide Which Plant? Use Succession Plant Factor Design!
The Balancing Act of Sustainable Landscape Design
Sustainable Practices Change Our Ideal Landscape
One Hour Talks on Urban Watersheds (What's a watershed? If you have to ask, you need these talks.):
Building An Ocean Friendly Garden
Ocean Friendly Gardens Work Even When You’re Inland
Why Should I Harvest Rainwater?
Digging Deeper with Eco-restorative Practices
Rainbarrels: The Eco-Landscape’s Gateway Drug
One Hour Talks on Green Jobs (We ALL need jobs!):
Making More Green With Sustainable Best Management Practices
Mopping Up with “Sponge” Gardens
Just Say NO to Mow, Blow, Go!
Seminars, Workshops, and Custom Programs since 2008:
G3 Hands-on Workshops (HOWs) in Site Evaluation, Planting and irrigation, Rainwater Harvesting, Property Stewardship (three hour workshops, various cities, ongoing)
Water Efficient Landscape Design Workshop (half day, various cities, ongoing)
G3 Technical Train the Trainer (T3) Seminar (one day, various cities ongoing)
Zero Runoff Seminar (half day) - APLD Los Angeles and City of Santa Monica
A Fairly Radical Discussion of Sustainable Landscape Design (one day) - Mediterranean Garden Society of SoCal
Restoring Earth Workshop (two hours) - CLCA Landscape Industry Show
A Bit About Fees:
Speaking Fees are negotiated based upon scope, scale, timing, and host requirements. Special consideration is given to environmental non-profit organizations. Basic fee structure is $750.00 per hour of talk, plus travel, accommodation, and per diem overnight expenses. Workshops, seminars, public appearances and multi-day programs require a two hour or $1,500.00 minimum plus expenses. Custom programs are developed upon request. All fees and reimbursement for expenses are paid to FLOWER to the PEOPLE, Inc. A signed Speaker Agreement is required for confirmation of dates, topics, and schedule.
Locations
FLOWER to the PEOPLE is located in Los Angeles, CA and Falmouth, MA. Pamela presents her discussions throughout the United States.
Photo Gallery
Audience Reviews
I learned so much in one day!
Iesha Wadala from Pasadena - 04/30/2012 12:58:32
I took a rainwater garden workshop this weekend in Pasadena and Pamela was the instructor. She was a GREAT teacher. Not only did she explained details in theory, in a way our diverse group could understand (diverse in the level of gardening experience), but she was a great guide in having us actually apply what we learned. The even was well organized. I learned SO much, and I left the site with confidence that I could replicate what Pamela taught us on my own land. Thank you!
Great Teacher!
John Burke from Ventura, CA - 04/25/2012 16:39:18
Ms Berstler is an enthusiastic teacher with a rare ability to keep audiences involved. As I told a colleague about her Core Concepts Workshop, "this was basically every class we took for the first two years of our landscape architecture program at UW." That's an incredible feat and well worth the price of admission.
Enthusiastically Knows Her Stuff!
Jon Huber from Ventura, CA - 03/18/2012 12:07:38
Pamela has helped this gardener realize his dreams of a California native, low water, drought tolerant front yard, replacing sod. Our expectations have been more than realized, and Pamela was instrumental in the transition to water saving gardening. Ask her anything, and she can answer. Very positive experience working and absorbing her vision.
