News

by McKenzi Heger | October 22, 2019 Forests are incredibly important systems that provide valuable ecological services to humans and wildlife alike. Unfortunately, these systems are often undervalued, and human activities such as tree clearing, introduction of invasive species, and increased impervious cover can cause serious degradation to forested lands. This degradation can lead to a loss of the ecological functions of an established forest, and can increase soil erosion, disrupt the water cycle, and contribute to climate change through the release of carbon stored in woody biomass. Forest restoration is the act of rebuilding and maintaining forests to support…

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by McKenzi Heger | September 17, 2019 Riparian buffers can benefit our environment in many ways. From preventing erosion to abating flood and storm damage and providing vital wildlife habitat, these vegetated riparian buffers are important to maintaining and improving water quality and overall system health. According to the EPA, riparian areas “act as natural filters of nonpoint source pollutants, including sediment, nutrients, pathogens, and metals, to water bodies, such as rivers, streams, lakes and coastal waters.” They typically consist of trees, shrubs, and grass that are planted between croplands and surface water. Riparian buffers are meant to filter pollutants…

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by McKenzi Heger | August 14, 2019 When it comes to our environment, a little can go a long way, especially when it comes to wetland restoration. You may be asking yourself – what is wetland restoration, and why is it important for our environment? According to the EPA, wetland restoration is the manipulation of a former or degraded wetland and its characteristics, whether it be physical, chemical, or biological. The end goal is to get the wetland back to its natural functions. Wetlands act as natural buffers, meaning they can protect and prevent damage from a selection of natural…

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by McKenzi Heger | July 17, 2019 GreenVest has been hard at work starting and completing various projects throughout the State of Maryland, including the Rolling Ridge Stream Restoration Project and Jamesburg Park Conservation Area Wetland Enhancement Project. Learn more about each project below from Vice President, Brian Cramer: Rolling Ridge Stream Restoration Project During June, GreenVest completed all in channel stabilization work on the Rolling Ridge Stream Restoration project (RRSRP).  The project consists of 3,467 linear feet of actively eroding gravel/silt bedded channels which have been historically channelized and straightened along two tributaries to Councilmans Run within the Worthington Valley area…

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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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