Let’s dive into August, a month with exciting career development for our team, the final projects, and the graduation of our crews!
Metrics
This month our team completed the following:
Visited 30 project sites.
Planted 40 native trees and shrubs.
Planted 212 native perennials, such as flowers and grasses.
Installed a total of 750 sq ft of conservation landscaping.
Mobilized 30 volunteers in 2 project sites.
Removed 520 lbs of trash and debris.
Projects
Church of the Apostles | Arbutus, MD
We completed two conservation landscape gardens totaling 750 sq ft! These gardens feature 40 native shrubs and 221 native perennials, including Virginia Sweetspire, Dwarf Fothergilla, Oakleaf Hydrangea, and Bayberry.
We also planted some native wildflowers including Butterfly Weed, Coreopsis, Blazing Star, Phlox, Black-Eyed Susan, Blue Stem, and Ironweed. This project was funded by the Chesapeake Bay Trust, in partnership with the Interfaith Partners of the Chesapeake and the One Water Partnership.
Safe & Sound | Ellicott City
Our team led a Safe & Sound event, removing 220 lbs of debris from one of the 56 flood-prone areas in Howard County. This effort is part of our commitment to community and stormwater management, enhancing the safety and resilience of Ellicott City in collaboration with the Howard County Government.
Stream Restoration Maintenance | Howard County
In August, we conducted maintenance at several stream restoration sites across Howard County. Our focus was on removing invasive plants, strangling vines, trash, and debris to give native plants the space they need to thrive.
Professional Development and Industry Exposure
Our workforce development programs UpLift , READY, & EcoAmbassadors offer opportunities for growth in career development through exposure, networking, and training. Here’s what they did this month:
CBLP-A: The READY crew had their 3rd training for the Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional - Associate certificate, along with an invasive plant webinar.
Plant Training: UpLift and READY trained with our Field Technician, Nick Lovett, on identifying Native Trees and invasive species.
Industry Exposure | Arboriculture: UpLift and READY had an industry exposure and networking event with Lou Meyer from Davey Tree, where he took the time to explain a career in arboriculture.
Career Development: The EcoAmbassadors had their final meeting with EcoWorks’ Founder and Executive Director, Lori Lilly, and project coordinator, Matt Hemler, where they debriefed their summer experience with us. They also practiced networking and public speaking on environmental topics
Lori shared her experiences in the environmental field and discussed various career paths. Participants then had the opportunity to connect with Lori, asking individual questions and seeking career advice.
Electrofishing: Our final team went electrofishing in Montgomery Parks with Aquatic Biologist Dave Sigrist to assist researchers in collecting aquatic species. Electrofishing is the process of using electric currents to temporarily stun aquatic species swimming downstream.
Once stunned, the animals are safely captured, and data is collected before they are released back into the stream. This data helps Montgomery County assess the health of the stream, the wildlife, and the overall condition of the watershed.
Stream Assessment Training
Lori Lilly, Founder and Executive Director of EcoWorks, led a stream assessment training for our crews to document instream and floodplain conditions of streams. Our teams visited Jim Duke’s Green Farmacy to assess the stream and to also check on our Beaver Dam Analogues that were built in the spring of this year.
Afterward, Paige Dempsey from Shore Rivers gave a talk about careers in water quality protection. She brought water quality instruments, and our crews tested the stream for water quality parameters.
The results: no salinity, slightly turbid water, and healthy levels of dissolved oxygen (8-9 mg/L). However, there is a lot of erosion and downcutting present, and the stream is disconnected from the floodplain with no adjacent wetlands.
Merits
Career Development
Promotion: JP Osborne was promoted from Senior Crew Leader to Landscape Foreman!
CBLP-1: JP Osborne and Matt Hemler completed their training and passed their Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional Certification Level 1.
