Ecotone, Inc.

We are thrilled to announce that Jason Wirick is joining our team as Chief Operating Officer! Jason brings a wealth of experience in construction management, estimating, and operations. He will be working within our Mid-Atlantic region to grow and expand our construction operations. His leadership will be invaluable in helping us expand our amazing team and continue delivering top-quality ecological restoration to our clients and partners. Welcome to the team, Jason! 

Through our partnership with the Climate Crew Network, our Forestry team trained crews on proper live staking techniques, helping them gain skills in the green industry. With the help of these crews, we planted 3,300 live stakes in about 4 hours on one of our stream restoration projects. Win-win!

The American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) is a common sight among Ecotone’s own wetland and stream restoration sites. This tree favors consistently wet soils in full sun and is frequently found along rivers, streams, and flood plains. Mature sycamores are easily spotted by both their massive size and unique bark coloration. Sycamores can reach heights of 75-100’ and diameters of 3-8’! Generally, the sycamore is regarded as one of the most massive trees of eastern North America. As for the bark, mature sycamores will have a camouflaged appearance as the outer brown bark peels away to expose the inner white layers. Once the large dark green leaves drop in autumn, you may spot the sycamore’s fruit, a round ball that is packed full of fluffy seeds that are dispersed by the wind. In addition, the sycamore is tolerant of deer browse and most urban pollutants. The nursery has American sycamore in 1, 2, 3, and 5 gal and tubelings. Visit us this week at the Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show (MANTS) at the Baltimore Convention Center booth #3100.

The landowner’s dog exploring the restored floodplain area on the Bald Eagle Creek Stream Restoration project in York County, PA. Funding for the project was received through a grant between the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the York County Conservation District. The floodplain has been lowered to remove legacy sediment and establish a connection to the groundwater aquifer. The restored floodplain includes woody debris and a small baseflow channel, where flows will frequently access the restored floodplain, creating an expansive riparian wetland system.

A lone patch of sunflowers grows on the downstream left bank of the floodplain at our Bennett Run project in Lewisberry, PA. The landowners have a garden that includes sunflowers and sits just a few feet outside the downstream right-bank floodplain where a seed must’ve found its way across the creek. In this project, we restored over 1,400 LF of Bennett Run and installed a panel crossing for farm equipment. Existing materials found on site were used to create toewood which provides an excellent habitat for wildlife and aquatic species and riffle structures which provide grade control. A fun challenge we faced was that during the time of year we constructed this project rainy weather caused issues with the flow to Bennett Run which was dam-controlled from Silver Lake. We love seeing the results of this project that was completed in June 2023!

Ecotone designed, permitted and constructed this stream restoration project located in York County, PA. Funding for the project was received through a grant between the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the York County Conservation District. This is a headwater system in an agricultural area and an active cattle farm. Exclusion fencing was installed to keep cattle out of the restoration area, and there are three stream crossings that have been constructed to allow cattle to cross the stream, as well as the landowner with his farming equipment. The wetland delineation and collected data conducted by Ecotone were used in the design process such as subsurface soil data and stream morphology data. The design approach utilized lowered the floodplain to remove approximately 17,536 cubic yards of legacy sediment from the restored floodplain area and establish hydrologic connectivity to the groundwater aquifer. Much of the restored floodplain area is anticipated to convert and function as a riparian wetland over time and flows will frequently overtop the constructed baseflow channel and inundate the restored floodplain. All cut was spoiled on-site and blended into the existing pasture areas.