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Writer's pictureElura Morris

From Seedlings to Success: September's Impact with Howard EcoWorks

September marked a month of growth, both in our conservation efforts and team development. In this month’s recap, we will explore tree plantings, welcoming new hires, and professional development activities. This month sets the stage for future expansion and exciting new opportunities by securing our new 16-acre property in Glenwood, MD. Let's dive into the details of our impactful September!


Metrics

Visual of September Metrics

In September our organization completed the following:

  • 20 total project sites were visited, including maintenance, tree plantings, and stream restoration sites. 

  • Planted 96 native trees and shrubs.

  • Engaged in 8 professional development activities.

  • Welcomed 10 new hires!



Projects


St. Johns Community Association Tree Planting | Ellicott City, MD

96 native trees and shrubs were planted in residential properties throughout St. John’s Community Association located in Ellicott City. Our crews utilized compost and proper mulching techniques, along with tree cages and ties, to support the successful growth and maturity of the trees.


Trees that were featured in this project include: bald cypress, black gum, American hornbeam, red maple, river birch, serviceberry, swamp white oak, and sweet bay magnolia. This project was funded by the Chesapeake Bay Trust


Professional Development and Industry Exposure



We kicked off the fall & winter season with our new UpLift crew and Maryland Climate Corps fellows (conservation crew members). This month was packed with onboarding focused on safety, tool training, and green industry initiatives. Here’s what they accomplished in September: 


Crew Onboarding: New senior crew leads and seasonal crew members were onboarded in their first week covering safety, expectations, tool, truck, and trailer training. 


Professional Development Day # 1: Our Programs Coordinator, Matt Hemler, planned a learning day of team building, communication, and self-discovery, including a mock interview with Emily Morrow from Maryland DNR.


Conflict Resolution Training: Allison McFadden, divorce lawyer and volunteer at MCRC (Mediation and Conflict Resolution of Howard County) led a conflict resolution training for our newly onboarded members.


CBLP-A Lunch & Learn #1: Seasonal crew members began their Chesapeake Bay Landscape Certificate-A journey. This program promotes sustainable landscape practices in the Chesapeake Bay region with stormwater management and use of natural resources. 


Native Plant ID Lesson: Seasonal crew members visited our nursery, Seeds of Change, to learn about native plants with Matt Hemler and Zsuzsanna Cooke, Natural Resource Specialist.


Tree ID Lesson: Seasonal crew members explored a stream restoration site in Ellicott City with Zsuzsanna Cooke to learn how to Identify trees.  


CCBC Dundalk Native Seed Collection: Our crews gathered seeds from native trees on the Community College of Baltimore County, Dundalk campus. This was done with the support of USDA Forest Service, the Greater Baltimore Wilderness Coalition, and the Climate Crew Network led by Maryland DNR.


CCBC Dundalk Horticultural Job Fair: Seasonal crew members joined Matt Hemler at the fall Horticultural job fair hosted by CCBC. Our program participants had an opportunity to practice their networking skills with green industry professionals.


Merits

Crew members in neon yellow shirts on the left and staff members in business casual on the right in a wooded area
Seasonal Crew and Staff Members

New Hires! Welcoming our Fall Team

In September we welcomed 10 new hires to our team! Additionally, our staff and senior crew received updated portraits, now visible on our TEAMS page. We extend our gratitude to volunteer photographer Bill Beck for his contribution. Please join us in welcoming the following new team members:



Andrew Heffner: Nursery Assistant for Seeds of Change 


Abby Lehman: Uplift Crew Member 


Charlie Davies: Uplift Crew Member 


Ben Huff: Uplift Crew Leader


Ben Hogan: Senior Crew Member


Jake Klein: Senior Crew Member (former UpLift crew member!)


Jacob Jackson: Senior Crew Leader


Kennedy Ream: Senior Crew Leader


Joshua Jimeta: Conservation Crew Member with Maryland Climate Corps 


Marvin Gordon: Conservation Crew Member with Maryland Climate Corps 


Crew in neon yellow shirts under a shaded tree
Seasonal Crew: Charlie (UpLift), Abby (UpLift), Joshua (MD Climate Corps, Ben (UpLift), & Marvin (Climate Corps)

New Property! | Glenwood, MD

Lori and Steve holding a sign while smiling: Let the Adventure begin
Lori Lilly & Steve Miller

For the past year, Lori Lilly, Founder and Executive Director of EcoWorks, has been tirelessly working to acquire a new property for our organization. After months of planning, fundraising, and overcoming challenges, we are excited to announce the acquisition of a 16-acre property in Glenwood! Thank you to Howard County Government and the State of Maryland for grant funding that enabled this critical next step in the growth of our organization.


This new property purchase will allow us to centralize our operations, expand our conservation efforts, serve as a green jobs training hub, and expand our nursery operation. We have ambitious plans for this land, and while it will require significant effort to realize our vision, we invite you to celebrate the beginning of this new journey ahead! 


In line with a new focus on conservation at this new property, we have updated our mission statement to reflect our expanded goals. Our mission has been updated from “Empower communities and diverse workforces to respect and restore our natural resources for future generations” to:


“Empower communities and diverse workforces to conserve and restore our natural resources for future generations”

Special thanks to our board members, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball, Brian Shepter, Felix Faccine, Senator Katie Fry Hester, Senator Guy Guzzone, Todd Warren and Justin Perryman from Capital Banks, and Steve Miller from Cummings and Co.!


Americorps Planning Grant

We received an AmeriCorps Planning Grant from the Maryland Dept of Service and Civic Innovation. This funding will allow us to hire an AmeriCorps Program Leader to develop an AmeriCorps program that we can include in our workforce programming in one year. We are hiring for the program leader position - check out this link to learn more and apply!


Ecoworks Anniversary!

JP with a hat and grey shirt

JP Osborne: Celebrating 1 year with Howard EcoWorks. JP started in the fall of 2024 as an assistant crew lead for UpLift and is currently the Landscape Foreman. 


May with a neon yellow shirt and blurred background

May Allbritton-King: Celebrating 1 year with Howard

EcoWorks, May started in the fall of 2024 as an UpLift crew member and is currently a Senior Crew Member.


Outreach


Clocktower BBQ: Lori Lilly,  Founder and Executive Director of EcoWorks, tabled at the Clocktower Community BBQ and discussed the rain garden and conservation landscapes that we built for their community. 


Dragon Connection Fair at Howard Community College: Team members Matt Hemler, Programs Coordinator, and Elura Morris, Marketing and Outreach Coordinator, tabled at this event to reach out to college students interested in green careers and opportunities. 


11th Annual Main Street Music Festival in Ellicott City, MD: This year our team members, Elura Morris, Marketing and Outreach Coordinator, Xai Smith, Senior Crew Member, and Rhea Rene, Marketing Intern, tabled this event with educational information, a children’s activity corner, and native plant sales. 


CCBC Dundalk Horticultural Career Fair: Matt Hemler, Programs Coordinator,  tabled at this event to promote green careers and opportunities within our organization. 


Native Plant Palooza at Robinson Nature Center: Zsuzsanna Cooke, Natural Resource Specialist, and JP Osborne, Landscape Foreman, tabled this event to support native plant sales.


Thank you for joining us for this month's recap on conservation, professional development, and organization expansion. We hope to see you next time in October! Enjoy the following bonus photos from our crew below.