Lands and Waters and The Garnet Group join to help promote a healthier Chesapeake Bay

Monday, 10 January 2011 12:08

The Garnet Group and Lands and Waters, Inc. have just signed a Memorandum of Understanding to partner on initiatives related to the environmental health of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. In particular, the two organizations are working to plan, develop, and implement targeted programs and projects related to: 1) watershed management, 2) green roofs, 3) education/ public awareness initiatives, and 4) environmental studies.

Lands and Waters, based in Fairfax, Virginia, is a grassroots 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to watershed protection and education. It has implemented many projects including stream-bed stabilization, rain and sponge gardens, riparian buffers, and green roofs. It has also conducted many hands-on environmental educational programs at public schools in Washington, D.C. and Fairfax County, Virginia. It’s Executive Director, Ms. Jeanette Stewart designed a storm-water management plan for Yorktowne Square Condominiums in Merrifield, Virginia in 2003 that included the construction of the first retrofitted green roof in Virginia, an engineered bio-retention area, and natural landscaping techniques to reduce and filter storm-water runoff. She is also a noted author and educator on environmental issues.

The Garnet Group and Lands and Waters are focusing on green roofs as an effective storm-water runoff control and filtration technology for application in the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan region as their first initiative.