EMPIRE LANDSCAPE an environmental restoration company

Tree shelters and tree guying are important tools when planting trees, but it is just as important to remove them once the tree is established! Tree shelters help protect the tree from animal damage like a deer rubbing their antlers against the bark, and tree guying (for trees larger than 2 inch caliper) helps stabilize the tree in case of high winds or flooding when the roots are developing. These tools give the younger, unestablished, or newly planted trees a stronger chance of surviving; however, if they are not removed in a timely manner, both can cause long-term damage to a growing tree. Over time, the tree will grow bigger than the shelters or what the guying allows, causing the trunk or branches to be constricted and eventually killing anything above the damaged area. We at Empire are well trained in the delicate and importance balance of using environmental restoration technologies such as the tree shelters and tree guying, and we will make sure our trees survive and thrive long after a project is complete!

It’s International Women’s Day! We want to highlight our majority owner, Lynette, for the amazing work she’s done throughout her career in environmentalism. Lynette started out at the University of Maryland where she studied natural resource management and tracked box turtles for her research. She then moved into a 30 year career in Montgomery County Parks as a naturalist and later an invasive species specialist. After retiring from Parks is when she took on the role as Empire’s majority owner. Her expertise in environmentalism and passion for creating a welcoming and supportive company has been pivotal in the development of Empire and the work we do. Lynette will often say how proud she is to have an amazing team at Empire that is composed of many powerful, smart, skilled and resourceful people and many of our team are women at all levels of the company! We appreciate all the hard work she’s put into this company and into the community of environmental restoration in the region!

It’s Invasive Species Awareness Week, and of course Empire has plenty to say about invasive plant species! We specialize in the management of non-native invasive (NNI) plants such as bamboo, Canada thistle, non native blackberry, bittersweet and more. This includes work with one of our newest machines, the green climber, which is a remote control mini fecon that is able to mow small trees, brush and vines. It is important to control NNIs and promote the growth of native plants in order to create healthy and sustainable ecosystems. When NNIs take over an area, it creates a monoculture that cannot support the diverse species within our ecosystem. Contact [email protected] if you have an area that needs NNI management!

In honor of Black History Month, we wanted to share this great article about “visionary black environmentalists making a difference”! Empire is a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and women-owned company, so we are deeply committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in everything we do. This includes recognizing and uplifting the diverse communities and people who are working on creating a more sustainable future. Together, let’s continue to grow, celebrate progress, and work toward a brighter, more inclusive tomorrow! https://lnkd.in/en8yx2dC

It’s live stake season! Each year, we get this walk-in fridge to store our live stakes until the perfect time to install them at our job site (and we had MANY live stakes to organize in the fridge this year!). Storing live stakes in temperatures around 32-40 degrees F and watering frequently is important for not only keeping them alive but also preventing them from budding. Planting live stakes during their dormant period is important for the survival of the plant and minimizing stress. These may just look like a pile of sticks but come spring, they will be branching off and becoming full, beautiful plants! #environmentalrestoration #livestakes

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. -Dr Martin Luther King jr More and more we are witnessing environmental issues, climate change and the inescapability of extreme weather intensifying everywhere. From floods to hurricanes to fires, it is not just one place or one group of people being affected, but it is all of us. MLK understood the connection we have as people and the connection we have with the environment. As an environmental restoration company, we understand the gravity of environmental issues and work hard to help restore local ecosystem as a way to protect our environment and create a ripple effect that will help mitigate climate change and environmental degradation. And as a woman owned business, we understand the importance of uplifting and including all kinds of people. We strive to create a work environment that is supportive of the diverse people that make up our team and the diverse communities we work with. We hope everyone stays warm on this day of service and celebration of the great Dr Martin Luther King jr. #environmentalrestoration #MLKDay

At Empire Landscape, we pride ourselves on providing top-tier service, innovation, and a commitment to quality that stands out in the marketplace. As a?WBE/MBE/DBE/WOSB? certified environmental restoration company, we have built a reputation for delivering exceptional results in landscaping and environmental services, ensuring your projects are in capable hands. To avoid any confusion with another company in the industry, we want to make it clear that?we are?Empire Landscape LLC—without an "S" at the end with our logo being a falling oak leaf. The other company,?Empire Landscapes, is separate from us and operates under a different name. We ask all team members and clients to help us maintain clarity in the field and in communications, preventing mix-ups between our brand and the other. Thank you for your continued support and trust in Empire Landscape LLC!???? #EmpireLandscapeLLC #WBE #MBE #DBE #WOSB #Authenticity #BrandIntegrity #LandscapingExcellence #EnvironmentalRestoration #UniqueInTheField #QualityService

2024 may be over but we still have our final 3 Employee of the Months to announce! Fredi Lopez is our Employee of the Month for October! Fredi is always active and ready to work, and he is an asset in operating our equipment. He is respectful and honest, making him a fantastic team player who gets along with everyone. We can always rely on Fredi to be on time and ready! November’s Employee of the Month is Henry Carranza! Henry is very dedicated and great to work with. He is a responsible, organized coworker and is able to accomplish anything he is assigned to complete. Henry is a great person to work with and extremely helpful to his team! And the last Employee of the Month for this year (December) is Jose Ascencio! Jose is very skilled with the equipment. He is a punctual and reliable team member who is able to quickly learn anything he’s given. Jose is an asset to his team! We have the best employees and we love getting to show our appreciation for everyone’s hard work! Fredi, Henry, and Jose do fantastic work and always bring an outstanding attitude. Thank you to all our employees for a great 2024, and a special thanks to this past year’s Employees of the Months! #environmentalrestoration #employeeofthemonth

Happy New Year, everyone! Appreciative of Empire's amazing and talented team and all the colleagues we worked with this year. We are ready to embrace what’s to come in 2025! Enjoy the new year in your neck of the woods.

Empire wants to wish everyone a happy holidays and happy winter solstice! Today is the shortest day of the year and the first day of winter. We have spent the last few weeks preparing our nursery and our crews for the winter months, and we are looking forward to have some time off before things start up again. We hope everyone has been enjoying this holiday season and gets some time to relax! Enjoy these photos of plants in their dormant state and a foxglove flower defying winter by flowering during a snow shower!