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LINDSAY NICOLL

Manager, Environmental Restoration

  • Education

    B.S., Marine Biology, College of Charleston, 2000

  • Where’s the most interesting place you’ve been?

    Yosemite National Park. The natural beauty and the diversity in that beauty has stuck with me. From the exposed rock formations to the meadows to the Sequoias, all amazing to a self-proclaimed nature nerd.

  • What are some of your hobbies?

    Hiking, mountain biking, playing in streams, and swimming and bodyboarding in the ocean.

  • What are three things you can’t live without?

    My water bottle, some type of physical activity, and my family.

  • What's something you'd like to learn?

    Lately, I’ve been working to nurture my inner artist. My son is almost four and Play-doh, painting, sidewalk chalk, and drawing are all regular activities in our house. All this artwork presents an opportunity for me to debunk the idea that I’m not artistic. While my creations are not going on display anywhere anytime soon, I’m learning that it’s more about embracing the act and expression of it than the end result.

Bio

Growing up, Lindsay was always drawn to nature and spent her youth playing and hiking along the streams by her house. This bond has continued throughout her life and into her career. She believes the fieldwork and outdoor physical activity required, especially early on in her career, really stoked her love of the industry. Back then, Lindsay felt at ease in the field, and the long and sometimes grueling days allowed her to develop a camaraderie with coworkers, including times she sang "Indigo Girls" with Scott Lowe and getting stuck thigh-deep in the mud with Mike Miller.

 

At McCormick Taylor, Lindsay works on environmental restoration projects, primarily stream restoration. In her own words, she quite literally gets to "play in streams for a living." The days that she and her team come together and brainstorm ways to work through a site or design are the ones that she gets the most fulfillment from her job.

 

Lindsay's favorite project is the TMDL Stream Restoration at Rosaryville State Park in Upper Marlboro, MD, for which she served as the Project Manager. She's currently working on a few projects that are starting construction, and she enjoys being involved in the construction oversight for nearly all the designs she works on. Construction is nerve-racking because the sites are so vulnerable to storm events but seeing the sites vegetate and fully re-establish following construction is rewarding.

 

"The best compliment is for a site to look like no work was ever done," Lindsay says.

 

Lindsay feels fortunate to work with a team that truly feels like a work family. Her favorite McCormick Taylor memory comes from the annual Baltimore office golf outing and crab feast combo, where she participated in some intense badminton matches and had fun times in the pool. 

 

June is Pride Month which celebrates the voices and inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community. As a member of this community, Lindsay holds Pride Month very dear to her heart. Throughout the month, she and her wife try to be more present to the community, help raise awareness, or make contributions to support others. The first Pride Lindsay attended was in Washington, D.C. To her, Pride represents feeling comfortable in her own skin and accepting her true self.

 

"It was so eye-opening and inspiring, to feel so free in my own skin and see others so expressive and free in theirs," Lindsay says. "It’s hard to put into words what that felt like. I even get emotional reflecting on it. It was many years ago, but I guess there was just a core feeling of relief in finding and experiencing such overwhelming acceptance."  

 

Despite not being able to participate recently due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lindsay enjoys going to Pride events. For those who have never attended a Pride Month event, Lindsay describes the experience as a lot of rainbow decorations and a diverse, joyous crowd coming together. While she doesn't have plans to attend any physical events this year, Lindsay's family outfitted their dog with a rainbow bow tie for the month of June. 

 

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