Common Ground: Perspectives on Health and Design in the Landscape

Schedule

Fri, 07 Nov, 2025 at 05:00 pm to Sat, 08 Nov, 2025 at 05:00 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

The Chapel at Dix Park | Raleigh, NC

Advertisement
Join us for a deep dive into the intersection of health and design at Common Ground!
About this Event

Note: this is a 2-day event. See below for the itinerary for each day.

The landscape to which we are connected, to which we reach for the sky and ultimately return, is a medium for expressing our shared human condition. Our relationship with the land is so fundamental to our being that it shapes our health in ways we understand, as well as ways we have yet to imagine.

Join the Dix Park Conservancy and inaugural artist-in-residence Preston Montague for a symposium exploring ways we engage with the landscape, and how those interactions influence both our well-being and the health of the environment around us.
Common Ground is approved for 5 CE for landscape architects and 5 credits (Criteria III) for Environmental Educators.

This program is made possible by the generous support of the Carlyle Adams Foundation.


Tickets

While free to attend, space is limited. Registration is required.

This program is free thanks to Dix Park Conservancy donors.



Directions & Parking

This program takes place outdoors on the Chapel lawn.



From Western Boulevard, enter the park at Hunt Drive or S. Boylan Avenue.
From Lake Wheeler Road, enter the park at Goode Street or Umstead Drive.
Follow signage to the Chapel.
Parking is located in front of the Chapel and in Lot C.


On weekdays, 6am – 5pm, do not park in spaces labeled NC DHHS Parking Only. On weekdays after 5pm and weekends, all lots are available for public parking. To locate public parking lots, visit the Dix Park Parking Map.

With the opening of Gipson Play Plaza in 2025, Dix Park is expecting a significant increase in visitors. This increase will likely affect parking availability throughout the entire park. Parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Nearby parking cannot be guaranteed.



Weather

If we need to postpone or cancel due to inclement weather, we will communicate through Eventbrite email. Staff has the right to cancel programs onsite if severe weather impacts the class or poses a safety risk.



Accessibility

Dix Park continues to strive to be accessible and welcoming for visitors, including those with disabilities. Currently, portions of Dix Park, including some areas where programs and events occur, have uneven surfaces and are not fully accessible. Accessibility is a primary focus for early park improvements and all future planning and development.

Parking: Accessible parking spaces are available in all lots.

Restrooms: Accessible temporary restrooms are located at the Big Field and Flowers Field. Indoor accessible restrooms are available at Gipson Play Plaza, under the Superintendent’s House at the Stone Houses and at the Chapel during hours of operation.

Programs and Events: Raleigh Parks Inclusion Services works with community members to support participation. To request a program modification based on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), please complete and submit the Accommodation Request Form or contact Inclusion Services staff at 919-996-2147 or [email protected].



Questions?

Contact Dix Park Staff at 919-996-3255 or [email protected]



Liability Waiver

City of Raleigh - Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department

Release, Covenant Not To Sue, and Indemnity Agreement

I understand that participating in Dix Park Programs and Events (hereinafter “Program”) involves risk of injury. These risks include, but are not limited to, inclement weather, accidents while traveling, equipment problems or failures, contacts with and actions of other participants, spectators, or volunteers, slips/trips/falls, and musculoskeletal injuries, among others. I choose for myself, for my child, or for another participant who I am enrolling, to participate in the Program despite these and other risks.

By registering for this Program, I acknowledge all risks of injury, illness, and death, and property damage, and affirm that I have assumed all responsibility of injury, illness, death, and property damage relating in any way to the Program. I also agree for myself and for any child or other participant who I am registering herein to follow all rules and procedures that may apply to the Program and to follow the reasonable instructions of City employees and other supervisors of the Program. In return for the opportunity to participate in this Program, I agree for myself and for the child or other participant I am registering, and for our heirs, assigns, executors, and administrators to release, waive, and discharge any legal rights that any one of us may have to seek payment or relief of any kind from the City of Raleigh, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, and the State of North Carolina, their employees or their agents for injury, illness, or death relating in any way to this Program.

If I am registering a minor for the Program, I agree that I am a parent, legal guardian, or am otherwise responsible for the minor whose application I am submitting and that I release, waive, and discharge any legal rights on behalf of that minor. If I am registering an adult, I agree that I am authorized to do so and do hereby release, waive, and discharge any legal rights on behalf of that adult participant. I, along with any participant I register herein, also agree not to sue the City of Raleigh, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, or the State of North Carolina, their employees, or their agents and agree to indemnify the same for any and all claims, damages, losses or expenses, including but not limited to medical expenses and attorney’s fees, if a suit is filed concerning an injury (to person or property), illness, or death to me or to any participant I am enrolling that relates to, or results from, participation in the Program.

I have read this waiver thoroughly and understand that by registering for this program I am waiving legal rights.



Photo Release

Pictures or video may be taken of participants at this Program or Event for use in Dix Park publicity. By registering for the Program, I hereby grant the City of Raleigh, Dix Park Conservancy, and program partners permission to use my likeness in a photograph, video, or other digital media (“photo”) in any and all of their publications, including web-based publications and digital platforms, without payment or other consideration. I hereby irrevocably authorize the City of Raleigh, the Dix Park Conservancy, and program partners to edit, alter, copy, exhibit, publish, or distribute these photos for any lawful purpose.

I have read this release thoroughly and understand that by registering for this program I am waiving legal rights. If I am registering a minor for the Program, I agree that I am a parent, legal guardian, or am otherwise responsible for the minor whose application I am submitting and that I affirm consent on behalf of that minor.



Email Consent

By registering for this Program, I consent to receive emails from Dix Park and Dix Park Conservancy about park news, community engagement, opportunities to support the park, as well as upcoming programs and events. Participants can unsubscribe at any time.


Friday, November 7

🕑: 05:00 PM - 05:30 PM
PLA Tour of Residency Project
Host: Preston Montague, RLA, Dix Park Artist in Residence
🕑: 05:45 PM - 06:15 PM
Public Policy Opportunities for Native Plants
Host: Karen Rindge, Rooted in Nature Designs
🕑: 06:30 PM - 07:30 PM
Landscapes of Care
Host: John Ridenour, RLA, LEED AP, Assoc. at Nelson Byrd Woltz

Info: Three Case Studies that Promote Physical, Cultural, and Ecological Wellness in the Public Realm.


Saturday, November 8

🕑: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Common Ground Perspectivs on Health and the Outdoors
Host: Olivia Affuso, PhD, FACSM
🕑: 11:45 AM - 12:30 PM
The Nature of Wellbeing: How Being Outside Helped Me Heal From Burnout
Host: Olivia Affuso, PhD, FACSM
🕑: 12:45 PM - 01:30 PM
Doing More with Less: Promoting Positive Change Within the Built Environment
Host: William H. Dodge, A Gang of Three
🕑: 01:30 PM - 02:00 PM
Lunch
🕑: 02:00 PM - 02:45 PM
This Pea-vine Country: Rediscovering and Restoring NC's Lost Landscape
Host: Bryan England, City of Raleigh PRCR
🕑: 03:00 PM - 03:30 PM
On the Horizon at Dix Park
Host: Ruffin Hall, President & CEO, Dix Park Conservancy
🕑: 03:45 PM - 04:30 PM
Hand in Hand: Restoring Native Grasslands with Natural Burial
Host: Heidi Hannapel, Bluestem Conservation Cemetery
Advertisement

Where is it happening?

The Chapel at Dix Park, 1030 Richardson Drive, Raleigh, United States

Event Location & Nearby Stays:

Tickets

USD 0.00

Icon
Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.
Dix Park Conservancy

Host or Publisher Dix Park Conservancy

Ask AI if this event suits you:

Discover More Events in Raleigh

Jonathan & Friends all Black Party at the Venue
Sat, 08 Nov at 10:00 pm Jonathan & Friends all Black Party at the Venue

The Venue Raleigh

PARTIES ENTERTAINMENT
Northern Colorado Bears at North Carolina State Wolfpack Wrestling at Reynolds Coliseum
Sat, 08 Nov at 11:59 pm Northern Colorado Bears at North Carolina State Wolfpack Wrestling at Reynolds Coliseum

Reynolds Coliseum

SPORTS CALENDAR
Parking Buffalo Sabres at Carolina Hurricanes
Sun, 09 Nov at 12:00 am Parking Buffalo Sabres at Carolina Hurricanes

Lenovo Center

CALENDAR
On the Border - The Ultimate Eagles Tribute
Sun, 09 Nov at 12:00 am On the Border - The Ultimate Eagles Tribute

Stewart Theatre

ART THEATRE
Parking Henry Cho
Sun, 09 Nov at 01:00 am Parking Henry Cho

Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts - Meymandi Concert Hall

ENTERTAINMENT CONCERTS
Undertow Jam
Sun, 09 Nov at 01:30 am Undertow Jam

Lincoln Theatre Raleigh

ART
The Shul Downtown's Ribbon Cutting
Sun, 09 Nov at 10:00 am The Shul Downtown's Ribbon Cutting

225 S Wilmington St, Raleigh, NC 27601-1433, United States

WORKSHOPS BRUNCH
Woo Woo Tribe Focused Meetup
Sun, 09 Nov at 10:00 am Woo Woo Tribe Focused Meetup

Triangle Healing Center NC

ENTERTAINMENT MEETUPS
MyndWorks \/ Become an Efficient Product Owner
Sat, 04 Jun at 07:00 pm MyndWorks / Become an Efficient Product Owner

Raleigh

ART BUSINESS
FREE Mindfulness Meditation Class Every Tuesday
Tue, 05 Jul at 07:00 pm FREE Mindfulness Meditation Class Every Tuesday

Ridge Road Baptist Church

MEDITATION HEALTH-WELLNESS
Alternating Chair & Mat Yoga - Raleigh
Thu, 25 Jan at 10:00 am Alternating Chair & Mat Yoga - Raleigh

North Regional Library

HEALTH-WELLNESS WORKSHOPS
Dorothea Dix Asylum - Dark History Tour
Fri, 14 Jun at 06:30 pm Dorothea Dix Asylum - Dark History Tour

Greg Poole, Jr. All Faiths Chapel

HEALTH-WELLNESS MENTAL-HEALTH
High Vibe Yoga : Embody Your Glow
Mon, 15 Jul at 06:00 pm High Vibe Yoga : Embody Your Glow

Link Apartments Glenwood South

HEALTH-WELLNESS WORKSHOPS
How to Balance Pregnancy & Relationship
Mon, 21 Oct at 07:00 pm How to Balance Pregnancy & Relationship

Raleigh

Sunday Yoga at Trophy
Sun, 12 Jan at 11:00 am Sunday Yoga at Trophy

Trophy Brewing & Taproom

HEALTH-WELLNESS WORKSHOPS
AHA BLS Certification - Virtual Training - Raleigh, North Carolina
Wed, 15 Jan AHA BLS Certification - Virtual Training - Raleigh, North Carolina

Raleigh, North Carolina

BUSINESS WORKSHOPS
Stress Free FUNshop
Sat, 18 Jan at 10:00 am Stress Free FUNshop

3050 N New Hope Rd

HEALTH-WELLNESS SPORTS
Fri, 07 Feb at 08:00 pm Conscious Cocktail Experience: Raleigh Raw x Umbrella Dry Bar

Raleigh Raw Juice Bar & Cafe

FIRST-FRIDAY
Senior Services Professionals- Networking Breakfast
Wed, 12 Feb at 08:30 am Senior Services Professionals- Networking Breakfast

Il Falò Wood-Fired Kitchen

HEALTH-WELLNESS
Gentle Yoga + Soundbath (or enjoy Soundbath only at 6:00pm)
Sun, 16 Feb Gentle Yoga + Soundbath (or enjoy Soundbath only at 6:00pm)

Unity Holistic Wellness Center

WORKSHOPS HEALTH-WELLNESS

What's Happening Next in Raleigh?

Discover Raleigh Events