Clay Larsen is a landscape designer, construction supervisor, nurseryman, teacher and artist.
His current practice includes four areas of concentration.

RESTORATION LANDSCAPING & LOW IMPACT DEVELOPMENT (LID)
Watersheds, native ecosystems and environmental history have been a life-long passion for Clay. He has worked with local watershed groups and conservation commissions in the policy and permitting realm and has extensive hands-on experience with low impact development (LID). Clay’s design, permitting, and hands-on construction experience on projects in sensitive natural resource areas such as river fronts,
flood plains and wetlands gives him the expertise to work successfully in complex environments. With his additional knowledge of erosion and sedimentation issues, Clay's goal is to knit back together damaged ecosystems.

Rain Gardens, Green Roofs and Rainwater Harvesting Systems are types of low impact development tools that are emerging to help address flooding and pollution in our urban rivers and streams. Clay designed an integrated storm water management system for the 2009 Solar Decathlon, and he was lead field manager for an engineering firm specializing in rain water harvesting. Clay has a detailed understanding
of the design, construction and maintenance of storm water best management practices, which are becoming a standard requirement for new construction in many communities.

Clay has a special passion for plant procurement, logistics, installation and cultivation. With years of practical experience working with commercial nurseries and in the field on landscape construction sites, Clay has a deep knowledge and love of plants. He is well versed in native and noninvasive exotic tree, shrub and herbaceous plant identification, planting techniques and invasive removal.

RECREATIONAL TRAIL DEVELOPMENT
As Project Manager for Bike to the Sea Inc., Clay supervises an eleven-mile-long job site in his work developing the Northern Strand Community Trail.  He coordinates construction activities, manages erosion control measures and supervises landscape operations. In addition to his fieldwork, Clay is responsible for interfacing with multiple stakeholders including community leaders, municipal officials and the utility companies that share the corridor. One of Clay's most rewarding activities is managing large volunteer construction and clean-up events to build important landscape features along the trail and engage community support for the project. www.biketothesea.com

URBAN AGRICULTURE
Working in partnership with the cities of Malden, Somerville and Lawrence for the Groundwork organization, Clay is a leader in developing cutting edge urban agricultural projects in Eastern Massachusetts. Clay cut his teeth in urban agriculture building green houses, developing a rainwater harvesting system and managing city water connections in Lawrence’s community garden network. He led the development of Malden’s first community garden along Malden’s segment of the “Northern Strand”  bike path and he currently assists in the development of Art Farm, South Street Farm and the School Yard Garden program in Somerville. 

WORK FORCE TRAINING & ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
Clay has developed and taught a broad range of curriculum and training in storm water management
and sustainable site work. He is a skilled instructor in multiple building trades and has taught diverse populations from at risk youth and adults in an EPA funded work force development programs to college studio course work in site design at the Boston Architectural college.

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