Over the past 300 years, American settlers have introduced an abundance of non-native plants which have disturbed ecosystems that have taken millions of years to develop. Once loose in our North American ecosystems many of the more aggressive non-native plants have become invasive. As invasives, these plants have overridden the previously established populations of many […]

By Patrick Filbert and Barbara Hopkins A Major Victory NeighborSpace is incredibly excited to announce that it has been awarded $61,353 in grant funding to improve Powhatan Park in Lochearn. Because maintaining and improving this park has been such an ongoing concern, this award is a major shot in the arm. Stormwater Management Concerns For […]

There are 2 bills that will come before the County Council at the Monday, August 2 voting session that negatively impact both open space and the rights of individual citizens to participate in their own government. They should not be allowed to pass and we need your help to ensure that they don’t. First, I’ll briefly […]

Do you like the woods? If you are reading this, the chances are high that you do. What you probably don’t know is that many of our forests in-and-around URDL are dying. It is our job to stop that from happening. To explain this reality, I will use the backdrop of Greengate Easements by Quarry […]

It’s no secret that nature can liven up suburban areas, bring in people and build a community. For years, people have been planting flowers, trees, bushes, etc. Although any plantings can have benefits, have we been smart with what we are planting? That question can be very confusing to someone who isn’t familiar with native and […]

This year between May 10th and June 10th, NeighborSpace was joined by two interns from Friends School for their Senior Work Project. These young men were Harry Deller (left) and Ned Forbush (right) and their internships focused on (a) well-built communities (b) the importance of community open space and (c) the importance of native plants. […]

By Klaus Philipsen, FAIA, Board President and Barbara L. Hopkins, Esq., ASLA, Executive Director It is a good thing when community members, a developer and a councilman come together to find consensus on development, especially when the agreement includes hard-core, anti-development neighbors. It is also good to replace additional strip commercial development with much needed […]

One fifth of America.  That’s the population of the 29 metro regions around the country with “first” or “inner” suburbs, a category that includes what I have dubbed “suburdlia,” the area that lies between the Urban Rural Demarcation Line (URDL) and the City line, where 90 percent of County residents live. The first suburbs are […]

  There is so much to say about this bucolic pocket park in Overlea, this feels like the 10th article I’ve written on Cherry Heights Woodland Garden. While the may not be true, we cannot talk enough about this project. From the dedicated community members to the pocket park’s important history, to the incredible biodiversity, […]

There can be no doubt that perpetuity is a long time. That’s why NeighborSpace has to make building the capacity of its stewardship partners, who help the organization care for over 100 acres across 20 different sites, a high priority. Last year, NeighborSpace received a grant from the Quality of Life Giving Circle to develop […]