In recent posts we’ve talked about some of the factors that go into deciding whether or not to save a tree on a construction project. We’ve talked about signs and symptoms of tree defects; we’ve talked about potential targets (things that could be hurt or broken if the tree fails); and we’ve talked about industry…
Building with Bamboo In places where it grows locally or can be farmed responsibly bamboo is a sustainable, safe and malleable building material. Bamboo is used to make an amazing range of products, from books and musical instruments, flooring and paneling, furniture and surfboards and recently has made its way to the playground. Incredibly fast growing and maturing,…
Garden Conservancy Conquests Established in 1989 by Frank Cabot, the Garden Conservancy partners with home gardeners, public and private organizations to provide technical, horticultural and management assistance to aid in promoting long term, sustainable and responsible landscape stewardship. Over the years the Conservancy has collaborated with private gardens for the long-term historic and aesthetic preservation to eventually…
As part of the Healthy Harbor initiative, a plan to make Baltimore’s Inner Harbor swimmable and fishable by 2020, the Waterfront Partnership today launched a trash-intercepting water wheel. The wheel is powered by water currents and solar panels (!). It sits at the mouth of the Jones Falls where it empties into the Northwest Branch…
In recent posts, we have talked about some of the factors that go into deciding whether to retain or remove a tree on a construction site. We have talked about signs and symptoms on the tree that may indicate how healthy and stable it is, and we talked about identifying and assessing potential targets –…
A few weeks ago a friend sent me this story from the Washington Post about the DC tree gouger. This person went around the District gouging trees. Carving initials is pretty innocuous, but when you remove large areas of bark down to the cambium, trees can die. The University of Kentucky shows it well in…
Last week I talked about a large white oak I came across on a client’s development site. This tree had some signs that could cause concerns about failure. One of the things we look at in such situations, in addition to the tree itself, is the presence or absence of potential targets. What is a…
Today was a school days throwback – we went on a field trip. We took a tour of habitat creation projects on industrial sites around Baltimore’s “Second Harbor”. If you’re from out of town and have visited Baltimore to eat crabs, take in an Orioles game at Camden Yards, or visit the National Aquarium, you’ve…
Metropolitan Melting Heat Islands are normally the result of a built-up, urban area that is hotter than surrounding rural areas. Average annual air temperatures in cities of with 1 million people can be 1-5 degrees Fahrenheit higher than circumferential expanses, in the evenings that difference can be up to 22 degrees. Heat islands develop when urbanization spreads, once…
I had a pretty exciting Earth Day. I spent the morning on assignment for the US Forest Service Northern Research Station documenting installation of a treatment device that uses filters filled with tree bark to clean urban stormwater. The filter boxes were installed by the Parks and People Foundation under the guidance of their Green Infrastructure…
