In memoriam: Alison Peck was pillar for sustainable practices Email
Written by Colorado Green NOW   
Tuesday, October 12, 2021 04:00 AM

Colorado Green Now

Alison Peck, founder of Matrix Gardens in Boulder, passed away unexpectedly on April 15, 2021 after a stroke. She was 63. The Colorado landscape industry will remember her as a champion for landscapes that embraced sustainability, water conservation, wildlife habitat and the use of native plants.

She founded, owned and operated one of the first woman-owned landscape businesses in the area; one that promoted drip irrigation and Xeriscape.  Alison was mentored in her early profession by Jim Knopf, a local landscape architect, who has written several books on Xeriscapes.

She was tireless in her efforts to encourage her peers to embrace sustainable practices as well. Peck was recognized with ALCC’s John Garvey Person of the Year Award in 2008 for her contributions to the industry, including her work as the ALCC representative to the GreenCO BMP revisions. She was a founding member and leader of the Front Range Landscape Sustainability Coalition, which hosted conferences and promoted sustainability in the landscape industry. She also assisted in developing, and was active in, ALCC’s Sustainable Landscape Partners program.

“She was such a driving force for sustainability,” recalls Becky Garber, who managed the Sustainable Landscape Partners program at ALCC. “I think many of her clients were both attracted to and educated by her work.”

Among Alison’s other contributions was passing along her wealth of knowledge to her employees; teaching both design and sustainable landscaping classes at Front Range Community College and at Harlequin’s Gardens; and lecturing at both Colorado Native Plant Society and Audubon Rockies Conferences.

Her colleagues note that “Matrix Gardens continues to operate, embodying her vision of a high-quality, supportive workplace creating world-class, earth-sustaining landscapes.”

Peck is survived by her husband Milan Pipersky and their son Orion. A small celebration of life was held in June at Chautauqua Park in Boulder. Read more about her life and accomplishments at bit.ly/cgapeck. Those wishing to make a donation in her memory can contact the local SOIL organization (Slow Opportunities for Investing Locally) at slowmoney.org.

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