Meet the Extension Specialists: Eric Buehl, Watershed Restoration

Eric Buehl knows all the breakfast specials at D & R’s Restaurant in Greensboro. As much an indoor town hall as a diner, the restaurant has hosted many a morning meeting between Buehl and Rich Covert, president of the Greensboro Volunteer Fire Company on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. As Eric and Rich explain in the “Meet the Extension Specialists” video below, University of Maryland Sea Grant Extension specialists help communities to find solutions to local stormwater problems like flooding and water pollution.

In small towns like Greensboro, expertise in stormwater management is not easy to come by. Buehl tries to fill that gap. For example, in Greensboro, he’s working with Covert on a project to reduce the amount of runoff that flows down the back parking lot of the firehouse in downtown Greensboro and into the Choptank River. And that in turn will contribute to improved water quality in the Chesapeake Bay. This and other projects in the works are in keeping with the fire company’s longtime role as a community leader. “We're a service oriented organization,” Covert says, “so if there are some things we can do to help make things better for the community, why not try it?”

On the Bay will be describing the work of other University of Maryland Sea Grant Extension specialists. Stay tuned!

Photo, top left: Eric Buehl (left) and Rich Covert, president of the Greensboro, Md., Volunteer Fire Company, discuss a rain garden project at the town’s community center. Credit: Daniel Pendick

Learn More

Find out how Maryland Sea Grant Extension watershed restoration specialists help communities.

Read these posts on Maryland Sea Grant's blog On the Bay about the Cecil County Watershed Stewards Academy:

Part 1: Stormwater Saviors: How These Volunteers Are Becoming Master Watershed Stewards

Part 2: Watershed Steward Trainees Scout for Stormwater Problems and Solutions

Part 3: A Long, Sweaty Day of Learning Stormwater Management (Photo Essay)