Jem Tacadena recently worked with neighbors to bring awareness and trees to the Ellicott City MD neighborhood of Chateau Ridgelake.
For her WSA class project, Jem explored the neighborhood watershed and engaged her community to improve both her neighbor’s environmental knowledge and the environment. After assessing the area’s streams, nearby waterbodies, and storm drains, Jem did a Neighborhood Source Assessment (NSA) to find the distinctive nature of the community. She found that, like many suburban areas, it has single family homes with lawns and driveways, downspouts discharging on impervious surfaces and about 70% of the properties were impervious surfaces – hardly any areas to slow the flow of stormwater or mitigate the effects of runoff.
Working with seven different neighbors, on Chateau Ridge and Burnside Drives, 33 were trees planted.
Additionally, Jem helped raise awareness about:
- Rain Barrels
- Rain Gardens
- Conservation Landscaping
There will be follow-up to monitor the trees and their health as well as the planting’s ability to slow the flow.
The Watershed Stewards Academy congratulates Jem on her excellent Class Project, her ability to involve her community and her continued work to improve our streams, rivers, and bay.
