Celebrating CA’s Open Space Village Crews
Behind every village in Columbia is a CA Open Space crew working hard to keep it clean and beautiful for the community 💚.
Earth Month is the perfect time to put the incredible dedication of CA’s village crews front and center. Rain or shine, their daily efforts play a major role in the quality of life we enjoy in Columbia. Thanks to our Open Space team, grass is cut, plants planted, litter cleared, weeds weeded, pathways cared for and the CA amenities we love – from tot lots to pools – taken care of with sustainability top of mind. While each crew is specifically designated to two villages, all of our team members are quick to lend a hand wherever it’s needed the most (which is just one of the many reasons our Open Space team is awesome).
Meet the village crews working behind the scenes in your own village – and don’t forget to say “thank you” next time you see them out and about!
Town Center/Wilde Lake
Rafael, Manuel, Ray (back), Kyle (front) and Martin.
Meet Rafael, Manuel, Ray, Kyle and Martin. The Town Center/Wilde Lake village crew takes extra pride in caring for the heart of Columbia: the Lakefront. Their specialty? Prepping the Lakefront for 70+ Lakefront Live events – and then making it look like nothing ever happened the next day!
The same goes for CA’s annual July 4th celebration at the Lakefront. Each year, this crew arrives at 6am and puts in a 20-hour day (collaborating with other crews as well) to welcome tens of thousands of visitors to the Lakefront. They take pride in teaming up with the Special Projects crew on a regular basis to ensure that community events run smoothly.
River Hill/Dorsey’s Search
Frank, Marvin (front), Allen and Doug.
Meet Frank, Marvin, Allen and Doug. While the River Hill/Dorsey’s Search village crew is made up of only four team members, they have 84 years of experience at CA between them! Shout-out to Marvin (front and center), who just celebrated his 35th anniversary at CA.
Harper’s Choice/Hickory Ridge
Javier, Jose, Mildred, Ray and Scott.
Meet Javier, Joe, Mildred, Ray and Scott. In addition to regular village upkeep, the Harper’s Choice/Hickory Ridge crew takes pride in keeping the Columbia SportsPark and DogPark well-maintained for the community. They play a key role in keeping these areas clean and immaculate, lending a hand with supplies (like water and mutt mitts) and making sure that fencing is super secure for all furry visitors.
Oakland Mills/Long Reach
Mark, Mike, Jerome, George (back) and Thang.
Meet Mark, Mike, Jerome, George and Thang. The Oakland Mills/Long Reach crew not only ensures the maintenance of their villages, but also that the CA amenities in Oakland Mills and Long Reach (including the Art Center and Long Reach Tennis Club) are in tip-top shape. They love being able to support such a variety of places in the community, from the arts to recreation.
Owen Brown/King’s Contrivance
Tony, Santos, Jose, Susas, Luis and Gilberto.
Meet Tony, Santos, Jose, Susas, Luis and Gilberto. For the Owen Brown/King’s Contrivance crew, Lake Elkhorn Park is considered “their baby” – keeping this 23-acre park clean and beautiful is one of their top priorities. They love taking care of Owen Brown and King’s Contrivance throughout each and every season.
Special Projects
Alvaro, Noel, Ruth Gabriella, Rudy and Pascual.
Meet Alvaro, Noel, Ruth Gabriella, Rudy and Pascual. CA’s Special Projects crew is unique because their work extends throughout all of the villages. Because they are responsible for the set-up and breakdown of community events (such as Festive Fridays and Lakefront Live), they often collaborate with the Town Center/Wilde Lake crew. One particular point of pride is making sure that Columbia’s 41 ponds and three lakes are clean and healthy. If you ever spot CA’s aqua mowers gobbling up vegetation in Lake Elkhorn, Lake Kittamaqundi or Wilde Lake, you’re witnessing the Special Projects crew in action!
Landscape Services
Brian, Justin, Geo, Bradley, Jackson and Phil.
Meet Brian, Justin, Geo, Bradley, Jackson and Phil. Just like the Special Projects crew, their work taking care of Columbia’s landscape covers all 10 villages (including the areas around Lake Kittamaqundi and Wilde Lake). This team beautifies CA’s open space wherever they go. Their efforts to plant native plants and flowers goes beyond aesthetics, too – every decision is made with the ecosystem in mind, and they take special care to nurture and support pollinators.
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