Today we’d like to introduce you to Robert Jenkins.
Hi Robert, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for sharing your story with us – start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
I was 19 and in need of a job for the summer when I began working at a nursery part-time. I was attending U of MD and enjoyed what I was doing so much that I switched majors to Horticulture. While particular classes were informative and helpful, for the most part, I found the coursework to be more research-oriented. I left there before completing my degree and began working full-time at the Nursery.
Over the course of the last 32 years I:
• Worked for 5 years at the initial nursery, gaining experience in both retail and production
• Worked for 2 years at a Topiary Garden
• Worked for 20 years as a Grower at another Nursery, focusing specifically on perennials, but working with all types of nursery stock
• Went back to school in 1997 to finish my BS-Biology
• Obtained my Master’s in Environmental Science in 2015, had the opportunity to intern with Blue Water, and assist with the water quality monitoring program.
• Began working for Blue Water Baltimore 5 years ago as the manager of Herring Run Nursery, Blue Water’s native plant program
The vast majority of what I have learned about plants/planting has been through the practical work I have done within the green industry. The coursework for my Master’s gave me a much broader knowledge base on water quality and issues within urban/suburban ecosystems. The internship with Blue Water inspired me to work with an organization (such as them) that was impactful in so many ways.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The road has generally been smooth. It was challenging to work full time and go to grad school in my 40’s, all while raising a family. Fortunately, my spouse and kids are awesome, and the places I have worked have always been very supportive and understanding.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
Blue Water Baltimore’s focus is on water quality within the watersheds leading to the Inner Harbor and building up strong community interest and engagement. Herring Run Nursery specializes in plant material native to the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The use of natives is of paramount importance in building/re-building our local ecosystems and helping to improve water quality.
Natives:
• Are adapted to local soil and climate conditions
• Have deeper root systems than non-natives
• Are better at nutrient/pollutant uptake, and carbon sequestration
• Require less maintenance (chemicals) than non-natives
• Are the center of the food web for native species of fauna
I am very proud that Blue Water is nationally recognized for our work in water quality monitoring and especially proud that we are a regional voice for accountability, equity, and environmental justice. Programmatically, I am very pleased that the Nursery has become one of the most visible “faces” of the organization, that we continually provide information, education, and quality native plants that encourage our customers to not only implement impactful native gardening practices for themselves but within their communities as well.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
I don’t know that I can key in on one particular memory. . . I have always loved being outdoors and active in some capacity. I have many fond remembrances of spending endless hours riding my bike through the neighborhoods in the city where I grew up, swimming at our local pool, sledding in the winter.
Pricing:
- Perennials/Grasses/Sedges/Ferns- $7/qt pot, $10.75/gallon pot
- Trees/Shrubs- $17/gallon pot
- Trees/Shrubs-$26/2 gallon pot
- Trees/Shrubs-$38/3 gallon pot
- Trees/Shrubs-$95/7 gallon pot
Contact Info:
- Email: nursery@bluewaterbaltimore.org
- Website: https://bluewaterbaltimore.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bluewaterbmore/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlueWaterBmore, https://www.facebook.com/HerringRunNursery/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlueWaterBmore
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BlueWaterBaltimore
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/herring-run-nursery-baltimore
