Developing sustainable SITES: new rating system, guide, and tools now available

SITES v2, the most comprehensive tool for planning, designing, and building sustainable projects is now available. With focus areas related to Water, Soil + Vegetation, Materials, and Human Health, SITES v2 can help you create sustainable landscapes. You can download the SITES v2 rating system and related tools here. The Sustainable Sites Initiative™ (SITES™) program…

Ecological Entente

Ecological Entente

Green Space and Good Health The connection between green space and community health has been discussed, researched and extensively studied for some time. The conclusion is that the amount of open, green space in the form agricultural, urban or natural green space definitely has an effect on the surrounding community. However, analysis shows that relationship varies based…

Fresh-Cut Flower Fancy

Fresh-Cut Flower Fancy

Posy Popularity Consumers in the United States spent over 27 billion dollars on fresh-cut flowers, cut cultivated greens, potted flowering plants, foliage plants and garden plants in 2012. Floriculture is the 3rd largest agricultural product in this country. The industry consists of more than 60,000 small businesses including wholesalers, retailers, growers, distributors and imported. Both women and men…

From the Sanitary City to the Sustainable City: the Baltimore Ecosystem Study

The Baltimore Ecosystem Study is part of the National Science Foundation‘s Long Term Ecological Research network. The Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network was created by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in 1980 to conduct research on ecological issues that can last decades and span huge geographical areas. In the 1990’s , NSF realized we…

Taking measurable steps to expand urban tree canopy to restore the Chesapeake Bay

Today we attended the signing of the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Agreement at City Dock in Annapolis, MD. Signatories included Chesapeake Executive Council Chair Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy, along with governors of the other Bay states (PA, NY, DE, VA, WV) and the Mayor of Washington, DC. Gov O’Malley…

Improving fish habitat in the Patapsco River and preparing for the next Hurricane Sandy

Yesterday we held the quarterly meeting of the Baltimore Urban Waters Partnership. US Fish and Wildlife Service Fishery Biologist Julie Devers presented on the agency’s efforts to monitor and improve fish habitat in the Patapsco River, including fish stocking programs and removal of obsolete dams to improve fish passage. Later, U.S. Geological Survey MD-DE-DC Water…