News
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by McKenzi Heger | June 25, 2019 Trying to transform our natural environment rather than conforming to it causes more issues than you might think. With each new building or complex of homes that is developed, we see abuse to the land and, frequently, very little consideration for its natural state. That’s where ecological design & strategic environmental planning comes into play. Defined by architects Sim Van der Ryn and Stuart Cowan as “any form of design that minimizes environmentally destructive impacts by integrating itself with living processes”, ecological design ensures a reduction in energy consumption and, overall, improvement of…
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by McKenzi Heger | May 30, 2019 On May 30, our Vice President, Patrick Phillips, attended the Society of Wetland Scientists annual meeting in Baltimore. While there, he had the pleasure of presenting on a few of our own projects, including the wetland and stream restoration projects located at the USDA Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC). GreenVest’s three restoration projects are physically and hydrologically interconnected on the same restoration site and involved coordination of multiple sponsors, regulatory authorities, and partnerships. Coordination of these groups allowed for successful management of stakeholder objectives throughout all aspects of the project. GoPro photo taken…
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by McKenzi Heger | April 29, 2019 Watersheds are found everywhere – the land beneath your feet, your backyard, mountains and valleys and even the strip of grass on the side of the highway. But wait, there’s no water nearby. How can it be a part of a watershed? Defined by the EPA as “the land area that drains to one stream, bay, lake or river”, a watershed is formed by any water that is either absorbed into land or runoff. Once this water combines with other local watersheds, rivers and streams are formed and, in turn, lead to larger bodies of…
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by McKenzi Heger | March 19, 2019 We often learn about endangered species from popular news sites that only cover the loss of large animals that have been around for centuries. These include rhinos, elephants, big cats, and more, but what about the more locally recognized ones? While it’s hard to imagine the impact smaller species have on our environment, their part in stabilizing our ecosystem makes a lasting impression – even more so when they start to enter threatened or endangered territory. When a species is placed on the endangered list, they are in immediate danger of extinction. Possible…
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by McKenzi Heger | February 11, 2019 Have you ever wondered what the purpose of rooftop gardens are? How about those mid-sidewalk planter boxes? While they may be pleasing to the eye in cities, they act as more than just outdoor décor. These vegetative areas are known as a form of green infrastructure and they have an important part in maintaining the health of our environment. While the EPA defines it as “a cost-effective, resilient approach to managing wet weather impacts that provide many community benefits,” there’s more to green infrastructure than what meets the eye. Let’s take a closer look. The…
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by McKenzi Heger | January 11, 2019 Stream restoration is more than just stabilizing and repairing stream channels, it also revitalizes and protects the health of our watersheds and aquatic ecosystems. Described as “a set of activities that help improve the environmental health of a river or stream”, stream restoration seeks to stabilize channels within their present environmental context, and can seek to accomplish goals like reducing erosion of channel beds and banks, and reducing downstream sedimentation. In all cases, a set of site-specific goals and objectives are developed and then implemented. These are focused on restoring function and value,…
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by McKenzi Heger | December 10, 2018 The importance of an effective stormwater management system is imperative to your safety and the health of the environment. We recently announced a 20-year contract with the City of Annapolis, so the local benefits of a stormwater management system have been at the top of our mind, especially given the greater frequency of rain we’ve received and the potential for a winter full of snow. What is stormwater management? Stormwater comes from any precipitation falling from the sky including rain, sleet, or melting snow and can be effectively managed through stormwater management by companies…
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by McKenzi Heger | November 29, 2018 GreenVest is proud to announce their newly awarded 20-year contract with the City of Annapolis. The goal of this project is to efficiently and effectively assess, evaluate and implement stormwater management (SWM) projects that follow all requirements of Maryland’s MS4 compliance program. The contract will also address EPA mandated Chesapeake Bay clean water initiatives. The scope of work covers tasks that are on schedule to be completed initially during the City’s 2019 fiscal year. This includes analysis of data regarding existing SWM Best Management Practices (BMPs) provided by the City of Annapolis or…
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by McKenzi Heger | October 26, 2018 Habitat restoration finds its way into almost all of our projects, making it one of the most important aspects of our work. From protecting numerous plant species to providing high-quality habitats for threatened and endangered species, protecting our environment is becoming increasingly important. Check out this infographic we have put together to help you learn everything you need to know about this topic and beyond. If you’re interested in learning more, feel free to visit our habitat restoration projects page or contact us!
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by McKenzi Heger | October 11, 2018 Photo by Princeton Hydro We’re proud to announce that the New Jersey American Water Resources Association (NJ-AWRA) recently awarded GreenTrust Alliance and Princeton Hydro the “Excellence in Water Resources Management” award for their work on the Pin Oak Forest Restoration Project in Woodbridge, NJ. This prestigious award is presented annually to qualified nominees who execute exceptional design and implementation of water management practices, especially those that classify as nontraditional. With the help of a group of dedicated partners, including GreenVest, LLC, the Pin Oak Forest Conservation Area has been…
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