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…
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…
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…
Dirt Domicile Making the soil in your beds and yard into a good home for plants is a good way to increase their chances for success. So preparing your soil prior to planting is a good idea. If you have plants currently experiencing difficulties or you would like to know specifically what to add or modify,…
Necessary Nutrients All plants require a wide variety of nutrients in varying amounts, essential nutrients required in larger quantities and make up a larger portion of the plant are called “macronutrients”, essential nutrients required in smaller amounts and makes up a smaller portion of the plant are called “micronutrients”. A lack of either of these…
Nuisance Nonsense Frustrated with weeds popping up in your flower and shrub beds? While there may be herbicide applications that could help, there are some things you can do to try to prevent the invasion or control them culturally and mechanically. Mulch Mulch can provide a barrier to sunlight which will inhibit germination of weeds.…
Deficiency Diagnosis Although scarcity of water does not appear to be an issue at this moment, sufficient precipitation and relatively mild temperatures allow for consistent, adequate soil moisture levels, however, as the growing season continues and temperatures increase drought conditions may present themselves. These conditions should be closely monitored and treated accordingly. Stress can be…
Celebrated this year on June 5, World Environment Day (WED) was established in 1972 to mark the opening of the Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, Sweden. This was a landmark event in the growth of international environmentalism. WED is meant to bring awareness to the environment as a global issue in which we…
Today we were at the offices of the Annie E. Casey Foundation to participate in the Local Planning Committee for the 14th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth conference in Baltimore on January 29-31, 2015. We appreciate the opportunity to participate with federal, state, and local agencies, NGOs, foundations, and academic institutions to help plan…
Stock Selection A major key to the success of your landscape plants is choosing healthy, vigorous nursery stock. Nurseries grow their stock in a variety of ways based on available space, type of plants, time of year etc.. The most common methods for propagation are bare root, container grown or field planted. All of these methods…
