Our Projects

READY Summer Program 2017

Every year the READY Program hires on the bulk of its workforce and completes the majority of its projects during the summer. This past summer marks the 5th year of the READY Program! Since its inception the READY program has employed over 100 Howard County youth in its efforts to reduce the harmful effects of stormwater runoff in and around the communities in which we work.

The 2017 Summer Program created jobs for 18 local youth. They worked on a variety of projects at a number of properties around the County including community associations, residential homes,  and churches.

2017 Summer Stats:

  • 12 Crew Members, 3 Assistant Crew Leaders and 4 Crew Leaders hired for the season
  • 126,628 sq ft of drainage area treated
  • 31,516 sq ft of impervious surface treated
  • Construction of 4 rain gardens and 2 bioretention facilities at multiple locations


 


READY Maintenance Program


Since its inception, the READY Program has constructed over 120 rain gardens and conservation landscapes throughout Howard County. After conducting an assessment of all our installations we determined the need to offer a maintenance option to our past and future customers. The READY Program takes pride in the projects it installs and their environmental benefit, therefore we wish the see them continuously performing up to the standard to which they were designed. To address this maintenance need the READY Program has begun offering a maintenance option to new customers going forth. We have also extended this maintenance option to all of our past customers as well. The program has since expanded to incorporate the maintenance of rain gardens and other stormwater Best Management Practices that were not constructed by the READY Program.

If you are interested in maintenance on your rain garden, conservation landscaping, or other stormwater management practice on your property please fill out this form or contact Alex Nussbaum at anussbaum@howardecoworks.org. 

Native Plant Nursery at the Howard County Department of Corrections

In 2015 READY broke ground on construction of a Native Plant Nursery in partnership with the Howard County Department of Corrections. The addition of a nursery has given the READY Program a new capacity to grow, propagate, and store more plants than ever in a much more sustainable manner. In February 2016 a dedication ceremony was held at the nursery to commemorate its establishment and the ongoing support of all the entities involved who support the project, including speeches given by County Executive Allan Kittleman, County Councilman Calvin Ball, and the READY Project Manager Lori Lilly.

County Executive Kittleman READY Nursery Dedication



Recent News

  • Here's a roundup of recent headlines from our organization. 
  • Ellicott City - Soak It Up – Part 4 – By, Lori Lilly Did you miss Part 1?  Find it HERE. Did you miss Part 2 too?  Find it HERE. Oh my goodness, you missed Part 3 as well?  Find it HERE. Well ...
    Posted Sep 22, 2019, 11:32 AM by Howard Ecoworks
  • HOWARD ECOWORKS UNVEILS BRAND REFRESH TO STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY OUTREACH COLUMBIA, Md., September 6, 2019 – Howard EcoWorks, an environmentally focused workforce development organization, announced today that it is seeking a new 2020 Soak It Up community partnership.  The Soak It ...
    Posted Sep 17, 2019, 9:22 AM by Howard Ecoworks
  • Ellicott City - Soak It Up – Part 3 – By, Lori Lilly Did you miss Part 1, Soak It Up event highlights?  Find it HERE.   Did you miss Part 2 too, on watershed tours?  Find it HERE.   Part 3 of this blog ...
    Posted Jun 27, 2019, 5:05 AM by Howard Ecoworks
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