One of the unique aspects of the GreenVest approach is that each step of the process is informed by land. GreenVest seeks access to public and private property alike, always seeking the best opportunity for ecological uplift. The Bacon Ridge Branch Stream Restoration Project is located on private property in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, including Elks Camp Barrett. Camp Barrett hosts a variety of yearly camp programs for children and adults through spring, summer, and fall. Seeking restoration opportunities on private land such as this has given GreenVest a special opportunity to contribute to environmental education and awareness programs.
The Project included the restoration of 17,970 linear feet of stream and associated riparian buffer. The site is protected in perpetuity under a 28-acre easement, meaning that the eased land may only be used for passive recreation purposes such as hiking, birdwatching, fishing, and other similar activities—many of which Camp Barrett facilitates.
GreenVest Project Manager, Laura Kelm, led an educational program for Camp Barrett counselors earlier this month. The lesson trained counselors on how to lead their campers through a stream study program. The group used nets to collect organisms in the stream and used ID guides to identify everything. Some of the organisms of interest included a tadpole, small fish, and several types of macroinvertebrates! Some of the participants even saw one of the site’s resident beaver. The second activity of the lesson was building small beaver dams in trays, then testing them out to see if they could hold water. It will be helpful for campers to see how beaver dams work by creating their own, then comparing them to the real beaver dams on-site.
We would like to thank Elks Camp Barrett for their cooperation in our Stream Restoration Project, and for welcoming Laura to share her knowledge of the site’s ecological value!
