Saying Farewell to the 2024 Fall - 2025 Winter UpLift Participants
- Howard EcoWorks
- Apr 4
- 6 min read
Howard EcoWorks is an environmental nonprofit that’s dedicated to nature-based solutions and providing industry training for the green infrastructure industry. Through our workforce development programs, we witness transformations in both our participants and ecosystems.
This February, we wrapped up the 2024 Fall - 2025 Winter workforce development program. Follow the journey of UpLift and Maryland Service Year Members as they take on meaningful projects, achieve milestones, and gain valuable professional development experiences.
METRICS
From September 2024 to February 2025, our crew completed the following:
2,083 Sq ft. of conservation landscapes installed
1,077 Native perennial plants installed
810 Native trees and shrubs installed
43 Industry exposure and career training events
UPLIFT
UpLift is a 5-month program that runs twice a year, beginning in September for the Fall season. This crew works on conservation projects such as building gardens with native plants, installing native trees, and removing invasive plants from stream restoration sites. In addition, they focus on career development, earning certificates, and networking within the green industry.
MEET THE CREW
Ben Huff: Coming from a background in construction and is now returning to Southern New Hampshire University to study forestry. His favorite experience during this program has been installing native plants. Looking ahead, he hopes to apply his skills and knowledge by working either with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the state park system, or the Forest Service to protect and manage the region’s valuable natural resources.
Abby Lehman: Graduated from the University of North Carolina Wilmington in environmental science with a concentration in conservation. During her time with us, Abby enjoyed the opportunity to connect with the local community and nature while doing meaningful work. She hopes to stay in the green career field and continue her impactful work both in conservation and restoration.
Charlie Davis: Graduated from Parsons School of Design in New York City with a Bachelor's in Fine Arts in photography, and has found a deep connection to environmental conservation over the past few years. Passionate about meaningful work in the outdoors, Charlie enjoyed the opportunity to contribute to conservation efforts while also receiving support for professional development. In his career path, he is drawn to working with native plants and protecting natural spaces.
MARYLAND SERVICE YEAR
Two Maryland Service Year Conservation Corps members served with the UpLift members completing restoration work and graduating with the same credentials. The Maryland Service Year program is administered by the Maryland Department of Service and Civic Innovation and EcoWorks is a host for the 10-month program. While their term isn’t over yet, we want to acknowledge their achievements from this past season.
MEET THE CREW
Joshua Jimeta: After recently graduating high school, Joshua was unsure of his next steps until he discovered the Maryland Service Year program, which led him to Howard EcoWorks. Since joining the crew, he has embraced the opportunity to take part in a variety of projects that directly benefit the environment. Among his favorite activities, tree plantings stand out as the most rewarding, allowing him to make a lasting impact on the local landscape while gaining hands-on conservation experience.
Marvin Gordon: Before joining Howard EcoWorks, Marvin had just graduated high school and was searching for a meaningful way to spend his time before heading off to the Air Force. Drawn to hands-on environmental work, he quickly found a passion for planting trees and tackling large-scale landscape projects.
KEY PROJECTS
Between September 2024 and February 2025, the UpLift and Maryland Service Year crew, with support and leadership from EcoWorks staff, completed a variety of conservation projects.
Conservation Landscapes:
Murray Hill Community | Columbia, MD: Completed a 925 sq ft. conservation landscape to address erosion and limited vegetation, funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF).
Stonebrook Community | Columbia, MD: Installed 250 sq ft. conservation landscape as a creekside garden, featuring 80 native perennials and 7 native trees and shrubs. This project was funded by the Howard County Community Stormwater Partnership Grant and NFWF.
Murray Hill Community | Columbia, MD: Installed two conservation landscapes covering 633 sq ft., funded by NFWF, and was designed to enhance curb appeal and address erosion.
Seeds of Change Meadow | Jessup, MD: Installed a 525 sq ft. “Meditative Meadow Garden” featuring 230 native plants at Seeds of Change, our native plant nursery. Funded by the Howard County Department of Corrections.
Tree Planting funded by NWFW and CBT (Chesapeake Bay Trust):
Upper Elkhorn | Columbia, MD: Planted 380 native trees in collaboration with Howard County Office of Sustainability and Columbia Association.
St. Johns Community Association Tree Planting | Ellicott City, MD: Planted 96 native trees and shrubs around residential properties.
Tree Plantings with NeighborSpace | Baltimore, MD: Planted 68 native trees across three community green spaces managed by NeighborSpace of Baltimore County (NSBC).
Frenchman’s Creek Community | New Carrollton, MD: Planted 88 native trees.
St. Johns Community Association Tree Planting | Ellicott City, MD: Planted 69 native trees and shrubs around residential properties.
Greengate & Dunmore Communities: Planted 38 native trees across 14 private residences between those two locations in partnership with NSBC.
East Pines Community | Riverdale, MD: Planted 18 native trees.
North Brentwood Community | North Brentwood, MD: Planted 14 native trees.
Emmanuel United Methodist Church: Planted 10 native trees.
Stream Restoration
Howard County, MD: Maintained 8 stream restoration sites, focusing on removing invasives, vines, trash, and debris.
Wimbledon HOA | Elkridge, MD: Funded by the Howard County PREP Grant, we managed 0.33 acres of invasive species.
Highland Lake HOA | Highland, MD: Funded by a Howard County Community Stormwater Partnership Grant, we managed 0.52 acres of invasive species.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Certificates:
Chesapeake Bay Landscape Certificate-A program promoting sustainable landscape practices in the Chesapeake Bay region.
OSHA-10 certification covering safety training for the landscape industry.
American Red Cross First / CPR / AED training.
Green Industry Field Trips, Training, & Networking:
CCBC Dundalk Native Seed Collection: Crews gathered seeds from native trees at the Community College of Baltimore County, Dundalk campus. The event was supported by the USDA Forest Service, the Greater Baltimore Wilderness Coalition, and the Climate Crew Network led by the Maryland Forest Service (Maryland DNR).
CCBC Dundalk Horticultural Job Fair: Seasonal crews participated in the fall Horticultural job fair hosted by CCBC. They had the opportunity to practice networking skills with green industry professionals.
Davey Tree Expert Visit: Our seasonal crews visited the Davey Tree Expert Company and met with former UpLift crew member, Alex Andrews.
Environmental Leadership Retreat: Leadership training and networking with Climate Crew Network Partners: Greater Baltimore Wilderness Coalition, Grow Home Baltimore, Defensores de la Cuenca, StillMeadows Baltimore. As well as Thorpewood and Paul Kazyak for hosting us!
BMP Best Management Practices (BMP) Inspection training at Deering Woods Community.
UMD Extension Webinar: focused on teaching best management practices of native seed collection, provided by the University of Maryland Extension.
PG County Rain Check Rebate Contractor Training: provided by Low Impact Development Center.
Landscape Design Training: led by Lauren Hubbard from Native by Design.
Wildlife Conservation and Career Pathways: led by Anna Knipps from the Wildlife Society.
Mock interviews: with Emily Morrow from Maryland DNR.
Conflict Resolution Training: with Allison McFadden, divorce lawyer and volunteer at Mediation and Conflict Resolution of Howard County (MCRC).
Informational Interview: covering green career pathways with Ashley Traut from Greater Baltimore Wilderness Coalition.
Information Interview: with Scott Bowen and Caitlin Beckjord from Howard County Recreation and Parks.
In-House Green Industry Training & Career Development:
Crew onboarding covering safety, expectations, tool usage, forestry, and landscaping training.
Native and invasive plant and tree ID with Natural Resource Specialist, Zsuzsanna Cooke.
Garden winterization maintenance training led by Field Technician, Nick Lovett.
Grant writing training and mock application with Lori Lilly.
Program Coordinator, Matt Hemler, led several Professional Development Days covering topics such as communication, team building, career planning, job searching, networking, resume writing, and time management. He also provided training on watershed planning and watershed health assessments.
GRADUATION DAY!
On February 7, 2025, we celebrated our participants with a graduation ceremony that included a nature walk, awards, and certificates. During the event, we took time to reflect on their contributions and the impact they’ve had on our organization. Awards were presented to the graduates by JP Osborne, Landscape Foreman, and Matt Hemler, Programs Coordinator.
At EcoWorks, we are incredibly proud of our program graduates and excited to see where their journeys take them. We hope the experiences and skills they gained with us will serve as a foundation for their future success.
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