Discount on Google SketchUp for Members

We have a special time limited offer for Underground members only. Purchase Google SketchUp Pro Single User license through 11/22 and save $50 off the current price of $495. If you are interested in this offer please and are a current Underground member please contact us for more information.

You do not need to have attended our Software Shootout to take advantage of this offer. Google SketchUp is PC and Mac compatible.

Discount on Dynascape Software for Members

Dynascape will offer members of The Underground a 10% discount on any purchase of DynaSCAPE Design, DynaSCAPE Quote, or DynaSCAPE Color through December 31, 2007. This includes any purchases made by Underground members since the Software Shootout on October 20, 2007. Please contact us for more details. Prior to processing the purchase, DynaSCAPE will validate membership in The Underground. The offer is open to any current member of the Yahoo Group. Purchases are to be made directly with the Sales staff of Dynascape at (800) 710-1900 or by visiting http://www.dynascape.com

2007 Election Results Are In!

The Underground Elections results are in, with 23% of our nearly 300 eligible members casting their votes in our first election. All candidates ran unopposed and received 68 votes each. The slate of candidates has been elected to serve for a two year term beginning in January 2008.

The announcement of theses results and introductions of the new officers were made at our annual meeting (required by the bylaws) on Saturday, October 20th at The Software Shootout.

Thank you to everyone for continuing on and working to build this wonderful organization.

2007 Annual Report Now Available

Yesterday we held our first annual meeting at the Software Shootout program. Our annual report as presented is now available at our website.

Thank you to our participants at yesterday's program - (Reid Bertone-Johnson, Mike Ambrose, Sally Naish and Len Hordyck) you helped make this program a tremendous success.

Congratulations also goes to our software winners.
Amy VanDoren - Google SketchUp Pro
Risa Edelstein - Dynascape Design and Quote

Much thanks goes to our program sponsors DynaSCAPE Software and Google SketchUp

A special thank you to Mary Coyne, Professor Emerita, Wellesley College and the Wellesley College Science Center for providing their wonderful facilities for this program.

2nd Annual Software Shootout

Howdy, pardner! Mosey on down and join us at the "2nd Annual Software Shootout" for a rootin' tootin' shootin' good time at this exciting program which will explore how landscape professionals are using today’s high falutin' techniques to create their landscape plans and documents.

The software presented at this program was representative of just a few of the applications available, and ranged in price, capability and complexity. Yeeeeeeeeeeha!

Our guest presenters included:
Reid Bertone-Johnson, Dodson Associates, Ltd., Ashfield, MA - Google SketchUp
Mike Ambrose, Ambrose Plants & Design, Millis, MA - Drafix ProLandscape
Sally Naish, Light & Shade Garden Design, Arlington, MA - Dynascape Design

Attendees learned the secrets to creating high quality, graphically rich landscape plans using their computers. Designers showed examples of their projects and described the step-by-step process for their implementation. They discussed their software products’ learning curve and the strengths and weaknesses from their personal perspectives. Handouts provided additional information including tips and tricks, equipment requirements, costs and other special considerations and comparisons. Attendees were also encouraged to bring in design examples that have been created using these software programs for a show and tell session at the end of the program.

DynaSCAPE Software representative Len Hordyk was on hand to answer questions about specific components of their software and show us their new product DynaSCAPE Color 1.0.

This program gave you information you need to find the software that will work for you in your landscape business. It gave a real-world perspective of the products’ capabilities from real users.

Working in Cooperation with NOFA OLC

The Underground is pleased to be working in cooperation with The NOFA Organic Land Care Committee. NOFA OLC provides education and outreach to landscape professionals, homeowners, activists and all concerned with organic land management. Offering the 5-day NOFA Accreditation Course in Organic Land Care annually in winter in MA, CT and RI; and the 1-day NOFA Organic Lawn & Turf Course annually in August in MA and CT. For more info contact Ashley Kremser, program manager. Visit www.organiclandcare.org

Virginia Thurston Healing Garden Article

We would like to point your attention to an article about The Virginia Thurston Healing Garden which is now available. The article and pictures were submitted by Undergrounder Beth Ranahan and details how The Underground brought about the workshop and made this project happen - thanks to you, our wonderful members!

Click here to see more of our workshop pictures.

Heartfelt Thanks go to the following donors and volunteers who joined the cause:

Donors
Aclearium, Inc., Westford, MA
BayLeaf Studio, Maynard, MA
BJ’s Wholesale Club, Framingham, MA
Crocker Electrical, North Quincy, MA
Dunkin' Donuts, Framingham, MA
EssentialSpace EarthScapes, Newburyport, MA
Eves Electrical, Waltham, MA
Landscape Artisans, Shirley, MA
Lepidoptera Landscape Design, Framingham, MA
Liquid Landscape Designs, Inc., Carlisle, MA
NECC Corporation, Woburn, MA
New England Nurseries, Bedford, MA
NorthStar Farm Perennials & Groundcovers, Westport, MA
Penske Truck Leasing, Framingham, MA
Savio Engineering, Albuquerque, NM
Starbucks Coffee, Westford, MA
Trader Joe’s, Framingham, MA
The New England Wild Flower Society, Framingham, MA
The Virginia Thurston Healing Garden, Inc., Harvard, MA
Weir Meadow Nursery, Wayland, MA
Weston Nurseries, Hopkinton, MA
Whole Foods Market, Framingham, MA
Z-Taylor Trucking, Leominster, MA

The Underground Volunteers
Paul Angelli
Lisa Bailey
Jeff Barone
Jay Bearfield
Barbara Blake
Susan Bringola
Darrell Buchannan
Ted Chapman
Ed Council
Ed Coykendall
Elizabeth Dudley
Martha Eisenberg
Todd Eves
Hasso Ewing
Laurie Fitzgerald
Charlotte Fleetwood
Nancy Forbes
Karen Fountain-Lantelme
Sherri Geldersma
Lori Gotlieb
Rochelle Greayer
Mike Gudejko
Seija Halva
Suzanne Higham
Katherine Holland
Chris Kelly
Mabel Liang
Linda Lischer
Adaela McLaughlin
Bridget McManus
Laurie Pegrum
Denise Pegrum
Bruce Piper
Beth Ranahan
Judith Reeve
Julie Seavy
Michael Smith
Dori Smith
Susan Tuttle
Jill Vollmuth