Spring cleaning began a few weeks early at Paddock Pointe. On February 21, Howard EcoWorks held its Third Annual Watershed Makeover, and Paddock Pointe was one of six locations earmarked for the effort. Howard EcoWorks is a nonprofit that provides workforce development opportunities for young people interested in environmental restoration.

Howard EcoWorks and Paddock Pointe have previously joined forces for wetland protection, stormwater management, and stream restoration (read the blog post here). Enlisting residents, staff, and local citizens in the effort, Paddock Pointe and Howard Ecoworks got down and dirty on President’s Day for a worthwhile cause, collecting 1,650 lbs of litter during the cleanup.

“Keeping Howard County beautiful is a labor of love. In all, volunteers collected over 4,400 lbs of trash from six regional sites. We appreciate Paddock Pointe’s support of this initiative, and we look forward to more collaborations to come,” said Lori Lilly, Executive Director of EcoWorks.

Healthy watersheds are important to the environment, as they filter rainwater and snow into nearby streams and wetlands, while sustaining agriculture, recreation, plants, and animals. Paddock Pointe is adjacent to the Patuxent River, making watershed restoration and preservation a priority. Litter, runoff, and erosion compromise the integrity of the watershed, so the quality affects everyone.

“Environmental restoration and preservation is at the heart of our community commitment,” noted Mark Thompson, Senior Vice President of Development for 1/ST Properties. “Our stewardship at Paddock Pointe, which was once a parking lot with acres of impervious surfaces, incorporates cutting edge storm water management designs to actually enhance the watershed.”

We appreciate Howard EcoWorks’ partnership to make our neighborhood and Howard County a clean, green place to live–and love.