In July, WSA Staff members Suzanne, Brad, Tara and Katie visited Stewards Mary Uyeda, MaryBeth Austin and Paul Rickett. Mary, MaryBeth and Paul are great examples of engaging communities and coordinating action in their South County neighborhoods.
When Mary Uyeda became a Master Watershed Steward in 2012, she wanted to engage her Columbia Beach community to reduce pollution and prevent flooding. Columbia Beach is now home to seven bioswales, four rain gardens and over a dozen rain barrels. Mary continues to return to WSA for training support and encouragement.
““I love this work, I love the people. I love getting things done!””
MaryBeth Austin has installed hundreds of plants in dozens of projects at the Captain Avery Museum, Christ Episcopal Church and several other locations. In 2016 alone, MaryBeth accumulated over 300 volunteer hours from participating in outreach events, continuing education opportunities, and maintaining public gardens. Through her work in South County, MaryBeth has engaged local community members of all ages and Stewards from across the county.
Our newest South County Steward Paul Rickett has long been a leader for community level projects. In addition to maintaining his community rain garden and educating his own Churchton community, Paul is also facilitating networking among South County Stewards. Since becoming a Steward in 2016, Paul has spent over 100 hours removing invasive species, restoring living shorelines, and preparing backyard buffers.
