Nature is Just What the Doctor Ordered

For more than thirty years, our healthcare facility specialists have been helping hospitals improve patient quality of life with plants and therapeutic landscapes that reduce patient stress, increase well-being, and strengthen the healing environment.

Beyond the human health benefits linked with landscapes, there are financial benefits as well. Trees and landscaping can increase property value,  improve return on investment, and when coupled with a program for sustainability, be part of the strategy for certifications in WELL, LEED and green building.

From meadows to garden views and beautiful outdoor areas, there are ten ways to be more purposeful about hospital landscapes.

  • Focus on low maintenance ornamental grasses and flowering perennials that attract birds, butterflies and wildlife; contribute to biodiversity, engage the senses, and are less susceptible to pests and disease.
  • Create plant-filled, multi-level, interactive courtyards and gathering spaces with accessible walkways to ensure safety for all levels of mobility.
  • Add water features, waterfalls, ponds and contemplative fountains for relaxation.
  • Transform underperforming outdoor areas into low-maintenance meadows, adding trees and natural elements that enhance the patient experience.
  • Integrate patient-centered landscape features to accommodate limited mobility —  handrails, grade-sensitive walkways, accessible ramps, and seating.
  • Bring the outside in. Create atriums, green walls and enclosed all-weather landscape pavilions that provide high-value impact, improved access to natural light, and make nature available year-round.
  • Choose seasonal plant and tree for their vibrant foliage color and texture; plants that are non-toxic and non-thorny; and emphasize high contrast plantings to help patients with low vision; plant shade trees and lush perennial shrub and herb borders to create a sense of serenity.
  • Mitigate environmental risk with organic plant health care applications, integrated pest management and sustainable plant and soil health care practices.
  • Have a winter safety and risk management plan in place for 24/7 emergency snow and ice removal services.
  • Keep grounds clean around the clock. Parking lots need to be meticulously maintained, shrubs, beds and borders should be trimmed with no overgrown plants or weeds, there should be no litter and nothing that gets in the way of making people feel better just by looking at how beautiful it is.

ELM serves the health care network across Connecticut and Westchester County, New York, including specialized and acute and primary care facilities, ambulatory centers, and major teaching hospitals.

To learn more, contact Bruce Moore Jr., president, at 203-316-5433.

Take a look at how ELM is giving a next generation of healthcare, benefit from nature.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IMuxQGIAOM

Photo: Stamford Hospital, Stamford Connecticut

Greener Pastures for Mixed-Use

The way we use flowers, plants and trees to transform spaces into places people love serve multiple purposes.  For mixed-use projects, plants open up a world of economic possibilities.  From public plazas to rooftop gardens, the ROI is better than ever as smart landscapes continue to increase property value year-after-year.

On trend 

A new way of looking at beauty is in. For landscaping, that means more nature, more natural solutions, more perennials, and more trees to help cool the air.  Conventional lawns are being replaced by eco-friendly meadows, and we’re swapping-out high-maintenance plants for plants that can go with the flow when weather shifts

We recommend 

  • Smart technologies that monitor resources and water 24/7
  • Predictive AI, analytic tools and market intelligence to identify cost effective solutions
  • Digital platforms that facilitate improved communication and reporting
  • Integrated pest management to reduce chemical applications
  • Plant and soil health programs to boost the landscape’s ability to thrive
  • Noise-reducing EV and battery powered equipment
  • Stylish planters and screening shrubs that create a sense of seclusion
  • Controller-based drip systems in containers and plants lightly fertilized with non-toxic products for minimal impact
  • Colorful annual rotation 4/x year to soften surrounding hardscape
  • Zone hardy, climate-adaptive plant material that can go with the flow when weather shifts
  • Climate-positive landscaping strategies, more plants to decrease pollution, and healthier soils to sequester carbon

Learn More

Discover the importance of ROI for sustainable decision-making. Contact Marc Angarano and Ted Marron at sales@easternland.com to learn more.

 

 

Accomplished Leader Andrew Britell Named ELM Senior Area Manager

Leaders are often asked about the best place to begin when you want to start your own business. In Andy Britell’s case, it began with a happy ending.

For every 13-year-old kid who can’t find his best four-legged friend, tracking down his lost pooch was only the beginning. What happened next changed the course of Andy Britell’s professional life.

It happens that the dog had wandered into a neighbor’s yard. The grass needed cutting. The neighbor needed help, and a lawn mowing business was born.

Andy scaled up his neighborhood lawn mowing business throughout middle and upper school, and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration & Management from the University of Rhode Island.

Andy says his entrepreneurial passions will always put him outdoors. Water and nature in summer, mountains and skiing in winter, and working with clients to improve the value they get from ELM all year long. “The smile on their faces when our clients see everything come together in their landscapes says it all.”

Andy was born in Danbury. Raised in Westport, attended Fairfield Prep, and has lived in Norwalk, CT, for the past twenty years. Over the course of his career, he’s run a waste management firm, served as Executive Director of the Norwalk Tree Alliance, and was Chief Operating officer of BPS Landscape Design Build before joining ELM Monroe as Area Manager in 2022.

His promotion to Senior Area Manager is well-deserved.  Please join us in congratulating Andy on his entrepreneurial leadership, his love of landscaping, and his ability to empower people and teams.

Meet Chak Hamra, ELM’s Irrigation & Construction Lead

“There is no better person to take ELM’s exceptional reputation in water management to the next level,” said ELM President, Bruce Moore Jr. about Chak Hamra, who joined the ELM team in August 2022 with a stellar background in Ag Engineering and Natural Resources Management. “Chak’s broad expertise and technical proficiency is not only a tremendous value-add for our commercial real estate clients, but boosts our thought leadership and brand positioning as we approach our 50th year in business.”

Chak says his love for nature goes way back to when he was a kid and is what eventually brought him into the green industry. “I want to find ways to reintroduce more green space to counteract the density of urban sprawl. Making nature accessible to more people not only improves our collective quality of life but is a prescription for healthier communities.”

Irrigation and hydrology form the core of Chak’s passion and his commitment to protect natural resources. It’s a responsibility he takes seriously. “Our consumption of water has increased by approximately 70% from what it used to be in the 60s. I have experienced the green industry in many countries, in different parts of the world, and in different weather conditions. Each situation had unique climate challenges, regional plant species and varieties, and maintenance requirements. Best practices and knowledge have a big impact, but across all regions, I’ve found common ground on a commitment to create greener surroundings and deliver perfect service. That reflects who I am,” said Chak.

Chak earned a Master of Science Degree in Agriculture and Natural Resources Systems Management from the University of Tennessee at Martin, and a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture at the American University of Beirut.

Smart Irrigation Month highlights the social, economic and environmental benefits of efficient irrigation products and services.  This July, ELM is also honoring not only the innovations that are doing the work of water management—digitally calibrating water use, balancing hydration needs of plants, and saving water and cost—but the people who make it all possible. Technology alone may improve efficiencies, but it’s people like Chak who deliver results.

ELM received a ChangeMaker Award in Sustainability from Fairfield County, CT in 2019. With Chak and his team leading on irrigation and water management, we’ll continue to advance our commitment to sustainability and resource conservation every single day.

Welcome to the team, Chak Hamra.

Climate-Positive: Our Path to a More Sustainable Future

Eastern Land Management is committed to providing significant economic benefits through sustainable best practices that improve landscape and ecosystem health, protect and conserve resources, and enhance healthier, higher-performing commercial landscapes.

On approach to 2026–our 50th year in business–we are doubling-down on our commitment to do our part to create a more sustainable,  more environmentally-resilient,  and more climate-positive future.

The path forward 

  • Recruit, train and develop landscape and snow professionals, and technical specialists who support our commitment to sustainability and drive progress on goals.
  • Partner with the commercial real estate (CRE) community to  provide landscape services and nature-based strategies that minimize environmental impacts, support green infrastructure, and harness the unique capacity of landscape to reduce and sequester carbon dioxide.
  • Help our clients in commercial real estate and property and facility management to create sustainable value by conducting business with integrity and a shared commitment to advance climate action goals.
  • Help our commercial real estate clients achieve net zero emission goals through a range of options, including robotics, autonomous mowers, smart technology framework, and alternative fuels.
  • Help commercial real estate clients accelerate its transition to a regenerative economy through our commitment to and use of practices that drive carbon sequestration through soil regeneration, plant and ecosystem health.
  • Help commercial real estate clients achieve a climate-positive profile through ongoing improvements in water conservation, irrigation technology, smart water management, ground water health, green waste composting, integrated pest management, resource conservation, erosion control, improvements in energy efficiency, and the use of green technologies that support green building and LEED initiatives.
  • Help commercial real estate clients benefit from the ‘E’ (environmental) metric in ESG, and derive economic benefits that come from high-performing landscape and grounds management services.

Alliances

Our green framework is anchored by a network of sustainability thought leaders and stakeholders who care about these issues as much as we do.

For instance, we …

  • partner with Aquarion Water Company to increase awareness and approaches to water conservation and drought management.
  • are Premier Partners with global irrigation technology pioneer Weathermatic.
  • train with world-class EV manufacturers and sustainable snow and ice consultants.
  • are EV-certified through the American Green Zone Alliance (AGZA).
  • are active members and leaders of national and local trade associations across the industries we serve, including the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP),  Snow & Ice Management Association (SIMA), Building & Office Managers Association (BOMA) Southern Connecticut Chapter and BOMA Westchester County, and the Bridgeport Regional Business Council.
  • are certified professionals with advanced accreditation from both the Green Industry and Snow & Ice Industry.
  • have a dedicated sustainable snow/ice and winter operation at our green hub and brine-making facility, located in Monroe Connecticut.
  • provide services that support LEED criteria and work with LEED-certified properties across the CRE spectrum.
  • are experienced in navigating complex logistics for on-structure landscapes and complex commercial sites, including environmentally-sensitive watershed-adjacent, multi-grade, and elevated terrains.
  • have won national Awards of Excellence for our clients across categories, including recognition for Class A green roofs and “green cities” initiatives for urban redevelopment.
  • were recognized as a 2030 Sustainability ChangeMaker by Fairfield County for drought and water management leadership and contribution to urban sustainability.

Advocacy

  • We believe landscape professionals are uniquely situated to advocate for and lead on sustainability, and  will continue to collaborate with clients, suppliers and allied professionals to champion better ways to make Connecticut and Westchester County, NY, water smart, green smart, and healthier, more beautiful places to live, work and play.

For more information on ELM’s path to sustainability, go to: Sustainability | Eastern Land Management | Commercial Landscaping CT & NY

References:

https://www.easternland.com/meet-elms-silent-weapon-in-climate-positive-noise-reduction/

https://www.easternland.com/elms-green-infrastructure-program-is-tackling-urban-stormwater/

https://www.easternland.com/from-the-ground-up-why-soil-regeneration-leads-to-healthier-landscapes/

https://www.easternland.com/elm-is-driving-the-e-in-esg-heres-why-that-matters/

Sustainability is Not Just for Summer: Meet the Earth-friendly practices that protect your landscape through winter.

Greg Gross, branch manager at Eastern Land Management’s “Green Hub” in Monroe, Connecticut, says that sustainable practices during peak growing months is the best way to prepare and protect your landscape for winter. That’s why he’s hosting the firm’s fourth annual Snow Rodeo, a two-day, all-hands winter management training and preparedness program, held this year on October 26-27.

“Winter weather is becoming harder to predict,” Greg says, “so prep, preparedness and contingency planning is more important than ever. The additional stress winter brings to plants and trees, and the operational stress it brings to property and facility managers—cost control, risk management, rising expectations, and liabilities linked to the environment and pedestrian safety—require us to continually improve our game.”

ELM has a long-standing commitment to cut down on chlorides and the firm’s organic-based liquid ice melt products, and its own brine-making facility in Monroe, significantly decreases the amount of traditional salting methods that harm and pollute waterways.

ELM’s snow rodeo addresses these challenges and more, including best practices in storm response, resource allocation, materials and equipment safety, new plow technologies, shoveling techniques, and ways to make sure that plants, landscapes, and people are protected from the hazards of winter.

    • Pre-winter landscape protection with mulching, pruning, fall clean-up, winterized irrigation systems
    • Full property inspection and pre-winter game planning
    • Proactive planning with client to keep commercial properties, college campuses and schools, HOAs, hospitals and senior living facilities safe and accessible, operational, and open
    • Strategies for constant communication, predicted weather events, impending storms, and regular updates
    • Consistent equipment and training on repeat
    • Proprietary weather forecasting, online weather resources, and data models
    • High-performance equipment and advanced technologies
    • Proprietary brine solutions that use less salt per square foot and protect waterways, landscapes and the environment
    • Earth-friendly snow and ice melt solutions
    • Organic, non-chloride applications that reduce corrosion and cost of spring clean- up and repair on architectural building details and hardscape
    • Seasonal snow and ice contract options so you always know how much to budget for winter
    • Hazard mitigation, risk management, pedestrian and vehicle safety, sidewalks and parking lot management that address liability concerns
    • Year-round weather readiness, alerts and warnings
    • Year-round plant health care and sustainable approaches
    • Year-round commitment to do what it takes to keep safety first, no matter the weather, the season or the unexpected

Severe weather is a fact of life in the Northeast. Snow and ice storms, blizzards, freezing temps, and reduced visibility are powerful and damaging. Spring may be the best time to think about what your landscaping and environmental strategies will look like in summer, but failure to prepare can be costly.

To learn more about ELM’s sustainable snow and ice services, winter management and winter safety program, contact ELM President and Advanced Snow Management Professional, Bruce Moore Jr. at (203) 316-5433.

ELM is an active member of the Snow & Ice Management Association (SIMA) and certified as Advanced Snow Management Professionals.

Photo: ELM Monroe Connecticut facility and “Green Hub”, host of ELM’s annual Snow Rodeo and winter safety training event.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Merritt 7 & ELM Win Another Award of Excellence from National Association of Landscape Contractors

Merritt 7 Corporate Park, a LEED-Gold certified Class A property owned by Clarion Partners LLC and managed by Marcus Partners CT Management, received a Silver Award of Excellence in Landscaping from the National Association of Landscape Contractors (NALP) on behalf of Eastern Land Management (ELM), M7’s landscape partner since 2013.  M7 and ELM received a Silver Award of Excellence in landscaping in 2018.

“The M7 ideas-driven team deserves all the credit,” said Bruce Moore, Jr., ELM president. “It’s a spectacular site with multiple elevations and revitalized open spaces that interweave nature and art, and reduce critical resources such as energy and water. It’s a smart urban showcase for sustainable performance and we’re proud to be part of its award-winning success.”

Key environmental features include its adjacency to the Norwalk River watershed, the use of digital technologies that control and conserve water use, batter-powered noise reducing equipment, green waste recycling, and landscape maintenance practices that support Merritt 7’s climate action goals.

The NALP Awards of Excellence program celebrated its 50th year in 2019, and recognizes the best projects in commercial and residential design, installation and maintenance across the nation. Winners will be recognized at NALP’s annual meeting in Dallas, Tx, Sept 10-13, 2023.

Gensler served as Merritt 7s revitalization partner in 2022.

Merritt 7, located in Norwalk, Connecticut, at 1.4 million sq. ft., is the largest and most prominent corporate park in Fairfield County. It features 35,000 sq. ft. on-structure landscaping, a green roof plaza, and 2,500 linear feet of water-smart streetscape.

Chris Keogh, ELM area manager, oversees ELM’s M7 crew.

About Eastern Land Management

ELM is a premiere CRE landscape and snow and ice management partner based in Stamford CT, with a green hub and snow training center in Monroe CT, and Westchester County service hub in Armonk, NY.

The firm is an active member of NALP, the Snow & Ice Management Association, a member of BOMA SoCt and BOMA Westchester County, the Bridgeport Regional Business Council, and Westchester County Executives. President Bruce Moore Jr. is a member of the Board of Corporators for First County Bank in Stamford, supports Fairfield County Hospice House, and active in urban renewal efforts and community outreach throughout Connecticut and Westchester County.

ELM received a Fairfield County Sustainability ChangeMaker Award for its work in drought and water management, and since its founding in 1976, has been recognized for its excellence from the industries it serves.

For more information, please contact ELM President, Bruce Moore at (203) 316-5433 or bmoorejr@easternland.com

Green is the color of second chances.

Underutilized office properties have found new life in greener pastures. With the addition of diverse amenities, enhanced sustainability, and tax incentives, landlords find that converting tired properties into dynamic new communities is environmentally more sustainable, more practical, and more cost-efficient than building new.

This is good news on a lot of levels. As sustainability becomes more of a strategic imperative and less of a service, landscaping will play an ever greater role in optimizing the environmental impact of adaptive reuse by decreasing the intensity of carbon, reducing debris and waste, and creating lively outdoor spaces that people want to live, work, shop, socialize, and play in.

Eastern Land Management has worked closely with its CRE clients over the years to green up both old and new properties, helping its clients forge a vision for greener footprints–enhancing plant-filled college campuses, nature-rich downtowns, and pedestrian-friendly outdoor spaces–where our collective passion for nature, excellence and renewal can improve the quality of life.

We think revitalization is the future of urban living with its focus on water, resource and energy conservation,  and drought-tolerant landscaping that is chosen as much for visual interest as it is forage for the birds and the bees.

ELM won an Award of Excellence for Downtown Stamford urban beautification from the National Association of Landscape Professionals in 2022, and a Fairfield County ChangeMaker Award for Sustainability in 2019, but our change journey didn’t stop there. Our diverse segment portfolio is steeped in awards and success stories, with landscaping that compliments riverfronts, waterways, trails and bike paths, corporate plazas and college dorms, university athletic fields, hospitals, HOAs and senior communities; and on-structure ‘green roof’ landscapes featuring recreational amenities and bocce ball courts where you’d least expect to find them.

Nature isn’t nine-to-five and neither are we. We’re working 24/7 to increase asset value through better, faster and smarter ways of delivering value and working with commercial property thought leaders to green light a healthier future.

Bruce Moore Jr., president of Eastern Land Management, is an active member of the greater business communities of Connecticut and NY Metro.  He is a member of SoCT BOMA Board of Directors, and a member of Westchester County BOMA.  To partner with ELM on green building strategies or to learn more, contact Bruce at 203-316-5433.

ELM was a Bronze Sponsor for June 9, 2023, Westfair Communications Annual Real Estate event, “The Conversion of Commercial Properties: What are the creative options?”

Marc Angarano Returns to ELM to Lead North Region Sales

Commercial landscaping sales executive Marc Angarano has returned to ELM to lead the growth of ELM’s regional operation in Monroe, Connecticut. He joins an ELM business development team that also includes Stamford, Connecticut south region sales lead, Ted Marron.

“We’re in a period of great opportunity to create solutions that create value, offer a better use of technology, and ways to drive green performance. With our upcoming 50th anniversary in 2026, Marc will play a critical role in shaping what that looks like,” said company president, Bruce Moore Jr.

Before joining ELM, Marc served as a business development executive with BrightView, and held account and operations management positions with The Brickman Group.

“Marc’s passion for sustainability and his insight on competitive advantage will help us align our mission and operations to directly support our clients’ objectives,” added Bruce.

Please join us in welcoming Marc back to ELM.

Contact Marc at mangarano@easternland.com

The ABCs of RFPs: what CREs need to know about finding a landscape partner

If you’re a commercial property or facility professional, RFPs – Request for Proposals – will sooner or later fall within your task bucket.

As a procurement tool, RFPs can be a great leveler. But they also don’t tell the whole story; they can feel like tedious wheel reinvention for both parties, and when they’re ‘kitchen sink’ approaches – or ask for everything but, there is no room for differentiation.

We think there’s a better way.

With spring start-up season just around the corner, here’s our advice for tailoring your landscape services RFP to give you the best partner for the job.

Why RFPs can be a race to the bottom

Service companies that respond to RFPs essentially engage in a bidding way, ending up in a pool of contractors who compete on price. When landscape companies compete on price, it’s because they often look for cheaper options to deliver on apples-to-apples specs. The bad news for property and facility professionals who contract landscaping services through RFPs is that you get what you pay for – a hamster wheel of RFP-won contractors who cut corners on innovation to offer price instead of value.

We believe that value is a competitive advantage. When you eliminate value, you lose the upside value brings. In the ever-increasing, ever-complex world of collaborative service partnerships, an ill-conceived RFP can yield more problems than solutions.

How to make RFPs a win-win   

For both landscape services contracts and complex landscaping projects—those with upgrades, renovations, and performance and environmental improvements—a well-written RFP can be effective at filtering out weak players. To create a consistently good RFP and RFP process, think about shaping your RFP as an RFV – or Request for Value.

In addition to describing what you and your commercial property or facility needs and your expectations for delivery, include specs for your sustainability goals and context for what the landscaping itself will meet, such as: key site performance indicators for carbon neutral or LEED.  Include the ‘need to haves’ and the ‘nice to haves’, criteria for curb appeal and improved asset value, and communicate actual timelines with a realistic deadline for the contractor to respond.

Avoid generalities, proof-read for typos, edit for clarity, and eliminate redundant questions and contradictory requirements. If your RFP-issuing team is not clear on specs, risk mitigation, and expected outcomes, go back to the drawing board to make it better and tighter.

A cautionary note about AI-enabled technology:  When the RFP response process is automated, do the math.  While automation offers efficiencies and fills out things at a much quicker pace, the scope piece – when compared to non-automated bids – may not add up. Always double check to make sure you’re not getting apples-to-oranges.

If you’re looking to save cost, remember: low-bid doesn’t tell the whole story. The best return on investment will always be calculated by actual and perceived value, and the long-term value that comes from a strong relationship.

We do our best work when we work with people—face to face, building connections, friendships, and opportunities to gain trust.  Our advice? Use your RFP as a solid starting point. A way to open the door and start a conversation, and a way to make sure you’re getting more than a team of qualified vendors, but a strategic partnership where value is created and delivered every step of the way.

Spring is the time of renewal in nature and in the procurement office. If you’re renewing your contracts, seeking to find a new landscape partner, or interested in keeping the conversation going, give us a call.

We’re listening.

Contact President Bruce Moore Jr. (203) 316-5433.

Bruce Moore Jr. is a second-generation landscape industry leader and President of Eastern Land Management, a full-service commercial landscaping business serving the property and facility market in Fairfield County Connecticut and Westchester County New York.

Bruce is an active member of BOMA Westchester County and BOMA Southern Connecticut. He currently serves on BOMASoCt board of directors.

www.easternland.com