Arica grew up in various parts of Oregon, gaining exposure to the ecoregions that make this place special through much time spent outdoors; camping with her family, growing vegetables with her mom, exploring with her sister, and rock climbing with her husband.  She moved to Eugene in 2000 to study Landscape Architecture and quickly found a sense of community here.  Practicing primarily in the residential design field for over 15 years, Arica worked for two small firms before starting Artemisia Landscape Architecture in response to the urgency of climate change.  She has honed her plant knowledge from years of teaching at the University of Oregon and brings overall project sustainability to the forefront of design, through her knowledge of natural systems and construction materials; a marriage of her research based teaching and her practical project management experience.