Our vision

We all share something in common: the Earth. As a 501(c)(3) Non Profit Organization (NPO) we:

Convert/restore lawns and managed grass to Native Meadows
Build Capacity
- Adaptive Management and Stewardship
- Grant Administration.

Native meadows are central to our work. We collaborate with partners through every stage of project development, from planning and funding to installation, monitoring, adaptive management, and long-term stewardship. Together, we transform underutilized lawns, open spaces, and grassed agricultural land into thriving ecological assets. These ecological assets support support wildlife, strengthen communities, and demonstrate practical, cost-effective alternatives to conventional land management at practically any scale..

Building Adaptive Management and Stewardship Capacity. Because successful Stewardship requires diverse perspectives and expertise, we work alongside ecologists, foresters, engineers, restoration specialists, conservation organizations, and community partners to develop solutions tailored to each landscape. By connecting people, funding, science, and stewardship we Buid Capacity to create lasting environmental and community benefits.

Building Grant Administration Capacity. We help partners identify funding opportunities, navigate grant requirements, coordinate project teams, and document outcomes needed to advance conservation goals and sustain projects over time.We partner with organizations, landowners, and communities to secure funding and implement nature-based solutions that improve habitat, biodiversity, water quality, and long-term landscape resilience..

Because successful Stewardship requires diverse perspectives and expertise, we work alongside ecologists, foresters, engineers, restoration specialists, conservation organizations, and community partners to develop solutions tailored to each landscape. By connecting people, funding, science, and stewardship we Buid Capacity to create lasting environmental and community benefits.

Our Founder

Mark Magness

From his first part time work in the mid-1980's in lawn care and

landscaping as well as the occasional stints as a farm hand through

High School, Mark Magness has spent his entire career working in

and with nature. During his undergraduate years, Mark spent

summers working in golf course management and later was an

intern/laboratory technician in a U.S. Army Environmental Toxicology

laboratory studying environmental impacts of explosives. His interests

in soil science and the environment were further sparked by his time

completing his Bachelor of Science at Delaware Valley University, where

Mark shifted his focus to Soil Science and research. He continued with graduate

research studies in soil science, wetlands, and remediation of acid mine drainage in constructed wetlands at University of Maryland College Park, earning a Masters of Science (M.S.). Mark's professional career has spanned nearly 30 years and has encompassed implementing ecological restoration throughout the Mid-Atlantic area and leading large scale environmental and ecological investigations and restoration projects at military facilities throughout the United States.

The Connector

Sam Voss

As an Environmental Scientist for over 22 years, Sam has

extensive experience in stream assessment, terrestrial and aquatic

habitat evaluations and monitoring, wildlife studies, ecological

restoration, and land conservation. Growing up on a farm in Harford

County, Maryland, Sam took an interest in the outdoors and wildlife at

an early age. He followed those interests through high school and into

college, volunteering during summers to monitor raptor nesting

and habitat usage in Idaho, Texas, and Wyoming while pursuing a

Bachelor degree in Environmental Studies at Washington College.

For over a decade, Sam helped lead large scale environmental remediation activities throughout the east coast in support of Army Corps of Engineers, NOAA, and EPA projects. More recently, Sam has concentrated on wildlife studies and environmental restoration and conservation work. Much of his summer is spent in Wyoming conducting environmental assessments in support of energy exploration and development, and avian migration studies on the coast of Texas in the fall. Locally, Sam works with landowners interested in environmental restoration, wildlife habitat creation, agricultural improvements, and land preservation.

Our Native Plant Translator

Cara Mattlin

Cara is a horticulturalist and ISA Arborist who is experienced in

cultivating and leading operations teams to build healthy ecosystems. She

has more than 8 years' experience managing native nurseries and

overseeing the propagation, growth, and sales of millions of native plants.

She collaborates with designers and agencies to create planting plans to

build habitats that will not merely pass inspection or meet permitting
standards, but that will thrive. Cara is passionate about building teams who

are enthusiastic about environmental work and engages in educational

opportunities whenever she can.

Whether it's teaching communities the importance of using native plants

as keystones in their environment or landscape, or writing maintenance plans

that are easily transferable to a landscaping crew, Cara enjoys being in the field sharing knowledge. As part of the CGE team, Cara will foster relationships by managing projects; writing grants; and connecting with landowners, agencies, and organizations to collaborate for our common goals. Her expertise in plants and operations will come in handy to make sure all projects are executed seamlessly and to the highest standard. She performs grant, project, and construction management, with strengths in proposal
development, grant authorship, cost estimating, risk assessment, scheduling, budget
planning, resource coordination, stakeholder collaboration, regulatory engagement, and technical review.

The Visual Communicator

Sean Coomes

Sean got involved in the visual communications of CGE not long

after its inception. He loves the challenge of communicating

scientific data from growing meadows by turning it into visually

appealing, easy to understand graphics. Working closely with the

field teams of CGE has enhanced his connection to people who want

to learn more about sustaining their environments.

Sean's passion for the arts led him to the Art Institute of

Philadelphia where he earned a degree in Visual Communications.

He has worked with many companies through the years with a focus on

collaborative solutions to create the branding/marketing needed to give

them the identity they are looking for. Sean says the largest reward in

this line of work is being able to visually communicate branding and marketing strategies that accurately convey an organization's message.