Ecotone, Inc.

We are thrilled to announce that Jason Wirick is joining our team as Chief Operating Officer! Jason brings a wealth of experience in construction management, estimating, and operations. He will be working within our Mid-Atlantic region to grow and expand our construction operations.

His leadership will be invaluable in helping us expand our amazing team and continue delivering top-quality ecological restoration to our clients and partners.

Welcome to the team, Jason!

Out in nature, you can easily identify a tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) by its distinctive characteristics. First, tulip poplars have a particular form- tall with a straight trunk that can reach heights up to 200 feet at maturity. Before leaves emerge, wintertime buds resemble a duck’s bill in shape. During springtime, leaves and flowers are a clear giveaway for this species. Its leaves have four square lobes with smooth edges, and flowers resemble yellow-orange tulips. In late fall, clusters of dry cone-like fruits separate into many winged seeds which disperse over the landscape. Tulip poplars can be found throughout the eastern and central United States in areas of full sun with moist, well-drained, and slightly acidic soil. This tree is also a nesting site for any bird species and attractive to pollinators as both a food source and larval host.

The Ecotone nursery has tulip poplars in #1, #2, and #3. Call Nursery Manager, Cara Mattlin, at 410-420-2600 ext. 167 or 717-542-1685 and reserve yours today!

Volunteer for a great cause with our friends at JAMSQUAD this Sunday!

Big fat donation alert! This haul went to the Maryland National Guard's Freestate ChalleNGe Academy, where the bikes will be used by at-risk teens who are taking part in the program. Want to help out with our next round of donations? The next JAMSQUAD workshop is this Sunday 1/21 from 1:00 - 5:00 pm at , Inc. (129 Industry Ln in Forest Hill, MD). See you there!

The American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) is a common sight among Ecotone’s own wetland and stream restoration sites. This tree favors consistently wet soils in full sun and is frequently found along rivers, streams, and flood plains. Mature sycamores are easily spotted by both their massive size and unique bark coloration. Sycamores can reach heights of 75-100’ and diameters of 3-8’! Generally, the sycamore is regarded as one of the most massive trees of eastern North America. As for the bark, mature sycamores will have a camouflaged appearance as the outer brown bark peels away to expose the inner white layers. Once the large dark green leaves drop in autumn, you may spot the sycamore’s fruit, a round ball that is packed full of fluffy seeds that are dispersed by the wind. In addition, the sycamore is tolerant of deer browse and most urban pollutants.

The nursery has American sycamore in 1, 2, 3, and 5 gal and tubelings. Visit us this week at the Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show (MANTS) at the Baltimore Convention Center booth #3100.

This Sunday, Dec. 17th is workshop day! Join us at Ecotone, Inc. (129 Industry Ln in Forest Hill) between 1 and 5 pm to polish up some bikes just in time for gift-giving. ❄️ Santa/elf costumes optional ❄️

The landowner’s dog exploring the restored floodplain area on the Bald Eagle Creek Stream Restoration project in York County, PA. Funding for the project was received through a grant between the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the York County Conservation District.

The floodplain has been lowered to remove legacy sediment and establish a connection to the groundwater aquifer. The restored floodplain includes woody debris and a small baseflow channel, where flows will frequently access the restored floodplain, creating an expansive riparian wetland system.

We are thankful to be part of an industry committed to restoring our valuable ecosystems.

"A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.” Aldo Leopold

Wishing you and yours a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

Volunteer to support a great cause and have some fun!

BACX 2023 Festival Volunteer Sign Up Please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up. Thank you!

A lone patch of sunflowers grows on the downstream left bank of the floodplain at our Bennett Run project in Lewisberry, PA. The landowners have a garden that includes sunflowers and sits just a few feet outside the downstream right-bank floodplain where a seed must’ve found its way across the creek.

In this project, we restored over 1,400 LF of Bennett Run and installed a panel crossing for farm equipment. Existing materials found on site were used to create toewood which provides an excellent habitat for wildlife and aquatic species and riffle structures which provide grade control.

A fun challenge we faced was that during the time of year we constructed this project rainy weather caused issues with the flow to Bennett Run which was dam-controlled from Silver Lake.

We love seeing the results of this project that was completed in June 2023!

Ecotone designed, permitted and constructed this stream restoration project located in York County, PA. Funding for the project was received through a grant between the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the York County Conservation District. This is a headwater system in an agricultural area and an active cattle farm. Exclusion fencing was installed to keep cattle out of the restoration area, and there are three stream crossings that have been constructed to allow cattle to cross the stream, as well as the landowner with his farming equipment.

The wetland delineation and collected data conducted by Ecotone were used in the design process such as subsurface soil data and stream morphology data. The design approach utilized lowered the floodplain to remove approximately 17,536 cubic yards of legacy sediment from the restored floodplain area and establish hydrologic connectivity to the groundwater aquifer. Much of the restored floodplain area is anticipated to convert and function as a riparian wetland over time and flows will frequently overtop the constructed baseflow channel and inundate the restored floodplain. All cut was spoiled on-site and blended into the existing pasture areas.

Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata), is a facultative wet species found throughout the wetlands of the restoration project on Long Green Creek. Ecotone stabilized and realigned an incised stream channel to reconnect it to the floodplain and increase the hydrology of the adjacent wetland.

This plant is a host species to the larval stage of the Common Buckeye Butterfly. 🦋

Conducting post-construction surveys at Little Gunpowder Falls Phase 1. Kayaks were needed to complete longitudinal profiles due to backwatering from Beaver Dam Analog (BDA) structures reaching depths greater than 6’. BDAs are constructed to emulate micro habitats produced by actual beavers. The water depth is a sign that the BDAs are functioning as designed.

Stop by this Sunday, 10/15th, and volunteer with JAMSQUAD. No mechanical experience is necessary.

A few folks have reached out about volunteering to fix bikes. Well, great news: Our next workshop is this Sunday 10/15! Come on by the shop at Ecotone, Inc., 129 Industry Lane at 1:00 pm and we'll put you to work! The whole fam is welcome and mechanical expertise is optional.

Check out this American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus) enjoying the newly forming wetlands at Little Gunpowder Falls Phase 1 in Harford County, MD, post-construction. One of the many benefits of wetlands is providing habitat for thousands of species of aquatic plants and animals. They are also valuable for improving water quality, increasing flood protection, and erosion control.

Of the 125,000 trees grown for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, about 40,000 were grown from dormant live stake cuttings that were trimmed and placed by hand by our nursery staff in the winter of 2022-23. Finding beauty in raw materials brings us joy! 🌿

We love this office view!

Today’s office views...

Congratulations to Engineer, Emily Steenkamer, who recently passed her Professional Engineering exam! 🎉 We are excited to watch Emily grow in her career path.

EPA agrees to settle lawsuit by testing fish for PCBs in two Maryland rivers Federal regulators have agreed to check fish in two Maryland rivers for toxic contaminants to settle a court case brought by an environmental group. Whether that will prompt any cleanup