Laura Schwanof, RLA
Vice President
Director of Ecological and Landscape Design Services

   

Laura Schwanof is Vice President in EEA’s Ecology Division and Manager of EEA’s Stony Brook Ecology Branch Office.  She is a New York Licensed Landscape Architect with 30 years of work experience related to natural resources inventory and assessment, environmental planning & permitting, and landscape design.  Her areas of expertise include environmental analyses, soil and water conservation, terrestrial and wetland ecology, wetland and stream restoration, wetland delineations, and coastal zone and site planning.

Since joining EEA in 1997, Ms. Schwanof has been responsible for field investigations focused on erosion and sediment control, botanical inventory, wetland assessment and numerous ecological restoration designs.

Ms. Schwanof has a B.S. in Environmental Science and Forestry from SUNY Syracuse.  Her professional affiliations include American Society of Landscape Architects, Long Island Botanical Society, Society for Ecological Restoration, Society of Wetland Scientists and The Wildlife Society.  Her accolades as a landscape architect included an award in 1993 for the ASLA Design Competition - Hofstra University Bird Sanctuary, Uniondale, NY.

Ms. Schwanof’s passion is her work with ecological restoration.  While at EEA and during her previous tenure with an engineering firm,  Ms. Schwanof has designed numerous restoration sites, both wetland and upland.  She has prepared grading and landscape plans for a variety of public and private facilities including wetland creation and restoration projects, municipal landfills and parks.

Ms. Schwanof began her career with the USDA Soil Conservation Service, serving Nassau, Suffolk, and Dutchess Counties.  As a Soil Conservationist, Ms. Schwanof developed resources management plans for farms, nursery operations, schools, and municipal properties which assessed the ambient condition of water bodies (e.g., streams, ponds, flood plains, etc.), soil, vegetation, livestock and wildlife resources, and projected future scenarios both with and without recommended BMPs.  Plans focused on soil erosion and stormwater control, wildlife habitat management, crop sustainability, and vegetative stabilization measures for critically eroding areas, such as steep slopes (including bluff faces, cut banks, sand and gravel pits) and eroding shoreline areas.

Ms. Schwanof is an acclaimed canary breeder and recent Past President of the Long Island Song Canary Club.  She is a Senior Judge for canary singing competitions nationwide.  She is also an excellent artist, avid bird watcher and gardener.                                                 top

03/25/2009