The Regional Patapsco Greenway (RPG) project ascertains the potential economic impact of adding shared-use pathways connected to a network of shared-use pathways between the following destinations: Baltimore City’s Inner Harbor; the existing BWI Trail; Elkridge; historic Ellicott City; Catonsville; the existing Grist Mill Trail. Currently, the Grist Mill Trail, between Ellicott City and Elkridge, starts […]
Sustainable Development Goal: 15 Life on Land
Proposals for Addressing Exotic Invasive Species: The Middle Patuxent Environmental Area and Surrounds
This report describes efforts undertaken by students as part of LARC 452 Green Infrastructure and Community Greening, Fall 2015. The course is divided into three sections. Section one focuses on land preservation principles and programs in the State of Maryland. Section two focuses on greening standards in the site development process including the implementation of […]
BWI-Patapsco Greenway
The proposed Patapsco Greenway Exchange would serve to connect the Patapsco Valley State Park, the BWI Transportation Zone, and the Baltimore Metropolitan. It is designed to do so for users of all ages and abilities while increasing overall access to DNR property along the way. This path would serve as a catalyst for economic development […]
Public Education Information and Precedents: Effects of Deer Overabundance on Plant Communities
White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are present in overwhelming numbers in urban and suburban areas. Forest fragmentation supports populations of the species, which thrives in wooded edges, and those populations drive significant changes to the local plant communities. While researchers and managers know a great deal about these interactions, the general public is not always aware […]
Public Education in Invasive Species Management
The mid-term report assessed three environmental education frameworks, exploring how they function and the results of their application to invasive species management or general environmental issues. These frameworks are the public-based learning method, the social learning framework and the identity-based environmental education model. The key idea of the public-based learning method, which is described in […]
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The Ecology of Urban Forest Edges
As of 2014, over half (54 percent) of the world’s population resides in urban areas, a number that is expected to increase to two-thirds of the global population by 2050 (UN 2014). Increased human flow into cities results in increased urbanization, a complex process consisting of people altering the landscape through settlement patterns and spatial […]
Deer Management Strategies
White tailed deer populations (Odocoileus virginianus) have become troublesome in the United States over the past hundred years. However, deer have not always been a problem in the United States. In the past, natural predators along with hunting by Native Americans, maintained deer populations (Audubon 2003, 3). The arrival of Europeans introduced trade of white-tailed […]
Invasive Vine Management
Whether it is Japanese honeysuckle, Oriental bittersweet, Mile-a-minute weed, or any of the other invasive vines present in northeastern U.S. urban forest systems, vines present a continuous burden on urban forest edges. The effects of invasive vines range from mere nuisances to ecological damage, often by smothering native vegetation. In most cases, given their rapid […]
Fact Sheets for Reforestation Strategies under Deer Pressure
Dead Wood Is Not Dead: The Ecological Functions and Management of Dead Wood
Citizens find it hard to appreciate the ecological qualities of an unorganized forest landscape because they prefer a neat and orderly appearance even though it may not offer ecological benefits (Tyrväinen et al 2013). Lifeless downed wood or logs give the impression of untidiness and chaos. What the public should understand is the importance of […]
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