2nd Quarter in Bloom: Environmental Wins from April to June

Howard EcoWorks
Jul 21
9 min read

Spring was a season of growth in every sense at Howard EcoWorks. From installing thousands of native plants to expanding our team, April through June was packed with meaningful conservation work, hands-on training, and community engagement. Let’s take a look at the impact we made across the Baltimore Region this quarter.

METRICS

Throughout April to June, our team accomplished:

83 project site visits
3,712 sq ft of conservation landscaping installed
3,485 native perennials planted
849 trees and shrubs and 700 live stakes planted
22 professional development activities completed
135 volunteers engaged
28 new staff, crew members, and interns hired!

PROJECTS

Our team completed a variety of projects- from stream restoration to tree plantings- all aimed at improving local ecosystems and supporting healthier waterways. Some of our most notable work includes:

Resurrection St. Paul’s Pollinator Meadows | Ellicott City: We installed two gardens with a winding path in the middle, spanning 2,500 sq ft of conservation landscaping. These gardens feature 2,500 native perennial plants and grasses that provide habitat for wildlife and pollinators while filtering stormwater runoff. This project was funded by a grant through Howard County Government.

Septic Field Conservation Landscape | Highland, MD: A private resident contracted us to install a 625 sq ft conservation landscape featuring 519 native plants. This project was funded by Clean Water Action. To learn more about septic field conservation landscaping and its special properties, check out this blog we published.

Shady Grove Village HOA Conservation Landscape | Montgomery County: We installed a 587 sq ft conservation landscape featuring 538 native perennials and 6 native shrubs. This project also included a plant giveaway and a future community workshop. This project was funded by the Chesapeake Bay Trust (CBT)

Alternative Spring Break Clean Up & Tree Planting: During Spring Break, we mobilized 90 volunteers over 167 hours to plant 283 native trees across 6 different site locations throughout Howard County. Additionally, volunteers engaged in forest and rain garden maintenance.

Freetown Farm Stream Enhancement | Columbia, MD: In collaboration with the Climate Crew Network (CNN) our teams constructed 7 Beaver Dam Analogues (BDA) and installed 620 live stakes across a 500 sq ft area. This project is designed to restore eroded streambanks by slowing down the flow of water and introducing water loving native plants along the edge.

Special thanks to our CNN partners: the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Greater Baltimore Wilderness Coalition, Grow Home, Still Meadow Community Fellowship, and The 6th Branch Baltimore. This project was funded by a grant through Howard County Government.

Highland Lake HOA Live Staking | Columbia, MD: 80 live stakes were installed over a 50 sq ft area to stabilize soil erosion. This project was funded by a grant through Howard County Government.

Vista Estates HOA Tree Planting | Bowie, MD: 32 native trees were planted thanks to funding from CBT.

Riverchase Condos Tree Planting | Halethorpe, MD: 32 native trees were planted thanks to funding from CBT.

RealEyes Meditation Center Tree Planting | Montgomery County: 86 native trees were planted in collaboration with CNN partners. Funding provided by CBT.

Forest Management with Neighborspace Baltimore: Crews removed invasive shrubs and vines from Levickas Woods, which is managed by Neighborspace of Baltimore County. This type of conservation focuses on saving mature trees and promotes native biodiversity.

Murray Hill HOA Stormwater Swale Installation | Columbia, MD: This project isn’t complete yet, but it is well underway for a 1914 sq ft conservation landscape that will feature 1300 native plants. This project is being funded by Howard County Government to address stormwater issues.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Our workforce development programs, UpLift and Maryland Climate Corps, offer opportunities for growth in career development through exposure, networking, and training. Additionally, we offer career development for our staff and senior crew. Here’s a look at what they accomplished:

Green Industry Field Trips, Training, & Networking:

Bird Survey & Training: The Howard County Bird Club visited Holly Hills to identify birds on the property with our teams. They created this report, which found 23 species (including a flock of migrating loons!) This survey helps understand the current biodiversity that is supported at Holly Hills, which will help us figure out how to increase those numbers.

Masonville Cove Shoreline Cleanup: Our crews participated in a shoreline cleanup hosted by the National Aquarium at Masonville Cove in collaboration with CNN. Additionally, participants engaged in an informational interview with members from Maryland Environmental Service, Mattias Orrego, Dimitri Rucker, and Colleen McMullen.

Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional (CBLP) Certificate - A: UpLift crews worked on their CBLP-A certificate through learning exercises that explored native plants, invasive species, rain garden designs, stormwater solutions, and bioretention maintenance.

American Red Cross CPR and First Aid Training: For our Senior crew and Spring UpLift crew members.

GIS Training: In-field training with the Chesapeake Conservancy at North Point Branch in Baltimore. Additional virtual training with Matt Hemler, Programs Coordinator, Brent Levin, Program Support Specialist, Zsuzsanna Cooke, Natural Resource Specialist, and Valeria Tskhay, Community Engagement Specialist.

Informational Interview: Bryan Seipp, Forester and Environmental Professional, explored forestry skills with our crew and discussed forestry as a career option.

Climate Corps Industry Exposure: Our Maryland Climate Corps participants engaged in several activities exclusive to their program, such as:

Tree planting with the Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks.
Regional training with the Maryland Year of Service in Baltimore, MD.
Regional training with the Maryland Service Year at Prince George's Community College.
Both participants graduated from their program in June and found successful job placements.

In-House Green Industry Training & Career Development:

Professional Development #2, #3, #4: Matt Hemler led professional development days and activities for our UpLift program. Participants explored career paths LinkedIn, goal setting, time management, resumes, cover letters, job interview skills, and interviews.

Informational Interview: With Tabby Baier, Land Manager at Holly Hills.

Tree ID Training: With Zsuzsanna Cooke.

Plant Biology Lesson: With JP Osborne, Landscape Foreman.

Stormwater Skills Training: Our staff members, Matt Hemler, JP Osborne, Zsuzsanna Cooke, Tabby Baier, Brent Levin, and Nick Lovett, Field Technician, hosted a stormwater skills training day with our crews. This entailed site assessments and “Best Management Practices” for conservation landscapes, percolation testing, soil grading, and more.

Onboarding READY Participants: We began the READY program in June with 7 participants. READY is our summer workforce development program for Howard County residents ages 16 - 25 who are starting their path in the green industry. During onboarding, our team hosted the following:

Field skills, safety, and tool training.
Conflict resolution and team building.
Chesapeake Bay Landscape Certification - A.
Introducing native plant nursery care.
First aid certification for READY leaders.

Onboarding EcoAmbassador Participants: We began the EcoAmbassador program in June with 18 participants. EcoAmbassador is our summer internship program for Howard County high school students. These students engage in environmental stewardship by planning and executing a capstone project in the local community. For onboarding, our team hosted the following:

Introduction to EcoWorks and environmental topics.
Team building and communication exercises.
Waste tracking activity.
Goal setting for the program.

MERITS

Certificates, Certifications, and Continuing Education

Nutrient Management Plan Operator Certificate: Lori Lilly, Founder and Director of EcoWorks, earned this certificate so that we can write our own nutrient management plans for Holly Hills.

30th Annual Procrastinator’s Pesticide & Urban Nutrient Management Conference: Lori Lilly attended this event to receive continuing educational credit to maintain our Maryland Pesticide Applicator License.

Leading with Resilience: Strategies for Sustainable Impact for Non-Profits: Lori Lilly attended this day-and-a-half training for nonprofit leaders. This event was hosted by the Grasmick Leadership Institute.

Human Resources Certificate: Samantha Lewis, Office Manager, obtained a human resources certificate from Howard Community College.

Outreach

SOAK IT UP!: On June 12, 2025, we hosted our 3rd Annual Soak it Up! Fundraiser to support our mission of empowering communities and diverse workforces to conserve and restore our natural systems for future generations.

We were joined by dignitaries, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball, Senator Katie Fry Hester, and Howard County Council Members Deb Jung and David Yungmann. Additionally, we presented our first ever Soak It Up! Awards to Jana Davis, CBT's President, and David Yungmann in recognition of their outstanding partnership.

We want to thank our sponsors, donors, attendees, past and present Board Members, and staff for a tremendous turn out! To learn more about this event and view photos, click the link here.

Earth Day: On April 19th, 2025 we hosted our first Earth Day event at Holly Hills, and launched Seeds of Change, our native plant nursery at its new location. We gave away native seeds harvested by our team with the purpose of distributing local ecotype plants. We also hosted educational activities such as a native seed processing demo and native plant coloring table. Additional activities included hosting volunteers to help us with forest management and invasive plant removal behind the barn area. And lastly, we held a native tree ID tour around Holly Hills with Zsuzsanna Cooke, including a talk about biochar with Lori Lilly.

Greenfest: Our team joined Greenfest at Howard Community College and successfully sold pollinator kits. Additionally, we accepted a Green Community Leadership award from Howard County.
UMBC Science Fair: Attended by Matt Hemler, Valeria Tskhay, and Marvin Gordon, Climate Corps Crew Member.
Spring Science Night: Matt Hemler hosted a rain garden demonstration and educational table at Phelps Elementary School.
Springfest: Valeria Tskhay and Elura Morris, Communications, Marketing, and Outreach Coordinator, attended this annual event in Old Ellicott City. They hosted a table to raise funds, awareness, and a children’s activity table featuring pollinators.
Howard County Conservancy Anniversary: Lori Lilly and Rhea Rene, Marketing Intern, attended this event and sold native plants.
Native Plant Palooza: Zsuzsanna Cooke and Genevieve Simard, Operations Director, attended this event at Robinson Nature Center and sold native plants.
Neighborspace Volunteer Event: Zsuzsanna Cooke and Valeria Tskhay attended this event hosted by Neighborspace Baltimore in Towson.
Baltimore Herb Festival: Valeria Tskhay and Tabby Baier attended this event and sold native plants.
Maryland Conservation Corps Hiring Event: Matt Hemler and Brent Levin attended this event at Gunpowder Falls State Park and discussed job opportunities with participants.
Seed Processing Demo: Zsuzsanna Cooke and Brent Levin hosted a native seed processing demonstration with high school students at Guilford High School
Farmers Market in Old Ellicott City: Educational table attended by Valeria Tskhay.
Howard County Conservancy Pollinator Festival: Lori Lilly and Valeria Tskhay hosted an educational table at this event and sold native plants.
Invasive Plant Management Workshop: Zsuzsanna Cooke hosted a workshop during which she taught members of a private community how to identify and manage invasive plants so they can become empowered land stewards. This opportunity was made possible through a grant from Howard County.

Volunteering

SOAK IT UP! Volunteers: We had 3 volunteers help us with crafts and decorations for our annual fundraiser, SOAK IT UP! With their help, we really made the event pop with fun activities and a vibrant atmosphere.

Pollinator Week at Holly Hills: On June 21, 2025, we hosted a volunteer event at Holly Hills in celebration of Pollinator Week. 13 participants engaged in conservation tasks such as forest management and planting donated native perennials.

New Hires

Tabby Baier: In April, we welcomed Tabby as our new Land Manager for Holly Hills.

Valeria Tskhay: In April, we welcomed Val as our Community Engagement Specialist to connect our programs and services to urban and underserved communities and to engage diverse audiences in our mission.

Amy Colquist: In April, we welcomed Amy to the UpLift crew.

In June, we began our 2025 Summer READY program, and we’ve hired the following:

Andrew Heffner | READY Crew Leader

Chantal Desmarias | READY Crew Leader

Basil Modrell | READY Crew Member

Ellen Kingsley | READY Crew Member

G Dacombe | READY Crew Member

Sharon Zhang | READY Crew Member

Theodore Wells-Green | READY Crew Member

In June, we began our 2025 Summer EcoAmbassador Internship, and we’ve hired the following:

Anushka Skariah, Beatrix Bergmann, Bhavya Sharma, Biak Lian, Brandon Yu, Kimora Bennett, Mahima Ampani, Maya Shanbhag, McKenna Gran, Monisha Subramanian, Nikhil Maddirala, Reese Garvey, Rishit Guttam, Rithvik Maturi, Saiharshith Dudyala, Sophia Obasiolu, Tanvi Modugula, and Will Flagg.

Work Anniversaries

Zsuzsanna Cooke: Celebrating 1 year with EcoWorks as our Natural Resource Specialist! Zsuzsanna was also one of our early READY program participants from several years ago.

Samantha Lewis: Celebrating 2 years with EcoWorks as our Office Manager!

Genevieve Simard: Celebrating 7 years with EcoWorks! Starting as a Landscape Foreman in the early days of READY, she is now our Operations Director!

Thank you to our team members for their hard work, determination, and dedication to our mission and values!

Extras

Seeds of Change Re-Opened!: As of April, our native plant nursery, Seeds of Change, opened for the season and is now located at Holly Hills!

AmeriCorps Conference: Lori Lilly and Brent Levin attended this conference in Atlanta, Georgia to better understand resources to manage the AmeriCorps program within our organization. Unfortunately, the AmeriCorps program has been defunded. However, there has been a great deal of information and planning that our organization has invested in that will be transferable to other workforce development programs that we have planned for the future!

Grant Awarded: We received a grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust for the inaugural year of their Mid-Atlantic Environmental Justice Fund. Our objective with this grant is to connect individuals in urban, underserved communities to our green jobs programs.

Conclusion

Thank you for joining us for our 2nd quarterly blog review. Our goal is to promote environmental awareness and optimism. We are tremendously proud of our team and the progress we’ve made in conservation, community building, and educating so many through programs and outreach. We’re excited to see what summer has in store for us, as we’re looking forward to many more gardens and professional development activities!

Enjoy these fun photos from our crew that they took while out in the field!