West Baltimore’s unique landscape of parks and gardens feature everything from a monument to Francis Scott Key to innovative bioswales for sustainable stormwater management. The best way to get to know all these local treasures? Hop on your bike and join us for a free National Trails Day ride through West Baltimore parks!
West Baltimore Parks by Bike
Saturday, June 2, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
RSVP today! Meet at the Francis Scott Key Monument – Eutaw Place and Lanvale Street.
Parking – Street parking available in surrounding area. Transit - UB/Mt. Royal Light Rail Station, the State Center Metro Station, or MTA Bus.
Together with our partners Baltimore Heritage and Bikemore (a new citywide bike advocacy group), we’ll take an easy two-hour ride visiting over 10 small parks and gardens across west and southwest Baltimore. Whether you love community gardening, Civil War history or soaring historic churches, this ride will have something for you. This family-friendly six-mile ride will be led by experienced guides. Don’t forget to bring water and a snack!
The West Baltimore Squares Spring Celebration is supported by the Partnership for Parks program from the Parks & People Foundation and the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks. Learn more about National Trails Day events across Maryland from the the American Hiking Society.
Thanks to Shannon LaDeau for a guest post on a new project being conducted by collaboration among Baltimore Parks and People Foundation, University of Maryland, and the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. For more information, contact Shannon LaDeau at LADEAUS@caryinstitute.org.
This summer a research group from the Baltimore Ecosystem Study and University of Maryland will be out in West Baltimore neighborhoods looking for the invasive Asian tiger mosquito. Researchers will be in your area this summer to help confront this menace – and will specifically be surveying alleys and yards for breeding habitat and knocking on doors in some neighborhoods to get residents’ feedback on mosquito issues. Interested residents may be asked to participate in citizen scientist activities to help collect mosquito samples, as well as in focus groups and/or interviews to evaluate the effectiveness of education materials and methods.
We are undertaking this project to improve local management of the invasive Asian tiger mosquito in urban environments. The Asian tiger is a common mosquito species that has recently invaded many northeastern urban areas. The Asian tiger mosquito bites during the day, feeds predominantly on humans, and may transmit disease. Even in cities with active mosquito control programs, abatement efforts are often ineffective against the Asian tiger mosquito because it can reproduce successfully in most any water-holding container.
The goal of this project is to train citizens to recognize and remove mosquito breeding habitats in their yards and shared spaces. Researchers will:
- evaluate citizen understanding of mosquito biology,
- monitor adult and larval mosquito populations in residential neighborhoods within the watershed and
- develop ‘citizen science’ strategies.
Our intent is to help communities reduce the numbers of containers and adult mosquitoes by promoting lasting behavior changes. A key goal of this work will be to better understand what types of mosquito education materials and training promote citizen involvement in better mosquito risk management.
This project is funded by the Northeastern Integrated Pest Management Agency and the Baltimore Ecosystem Study.
Open letter to Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake from the Baltimore Recreation and Parks Advisory Board
The Advisory Board for the Department of Recreation and Parks has shared the following public letter to Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, expressing concerns of Advisory Board and several recommendations for action. Members of the Board are requesting a meeting with the Mayor as soon as possible to discuss their recommendations.
April 23, 2012
The Honorable Stephanie Rawlings-Blake
Mayor, City of Baltimore
Dear Madam Mayor:
The purpose of this letter is to reach out to you and your administration at a time of budgetary crisis to lend leadership and support on an issue near and dear to our hearts: Baltimore City’s children.
In 2008, our Recreation and Parks Advisory Board adopted a work program that outlined what we thought would become a guide to developing policies and standards to direct the Department’s future. We asked for a meeting with you in order to see if our suggestions were in line with your thinking and vision. Instead met with Deputy Mayor Kaliope Parthemos, who did not provide us with a vision or a proactive plan.
Since our Advisory Board was appointed four years ago, the Department of Recreation and Parks has had three Directors and faced at least three budget reductions. Last year, the citizens of Baltimore were threatened with recreation facility closures right before the height of the summer season. This year, seven of thirteen pools are slated for closing. While we certainly understand the demands of a budgetary crisis, we are concerned that the continued threats to our recreation and parks system send the wrong message to our citizens about our priorities, particularly when the Department of Recreation and Parks is already in a precarious position. Rather than placing the department under attack, we are suggesting that we use this crisis to galvanize support from the public, corporate and non-profit sectors by implementing a strategy designed to unify our city around delivery of critical services to our children, while protecting their access to pools this summer.
At our meetings on the third Wednesday evening each month , we listen as staff presents marginal program successes despite reductions in staff and resources. We listen to residents who express frustration over a department that is not meeting community needs. Enough is Enough!!!!
As you know, our most recent Director left the position just after two years. And while the dedicated staff continue to do great work, we believe that the lack of sustained leadership of the Department, coupled with a lack of sustained support by local government, have been an issue for two decades, threatening to destabilize the few successes that we have been able to achieve. Our children cannot afford it. Our City cannot afford it. Enough is Enough!!
Therefore, we are putting forth our recommendations along with our commitment to support you and your administration in their implementation:
- We recommend that the $1.27 million allocated to Baltimore City Recreation and Parks from Program Open Space (POS) be used mostly in the 2013 Operating Budget to improve and support pools.
- We recommend that the remainder of the POS funds be used to plan, design and build splash pads to replace what staff might determine as antiquated and unsafe walk-to pools.
- We recommend that the Department immediately begin an in-depth evaluation process of its financial, programmatic, personnel and management policies and practices using the accreditation guidelines as set forth by the Commission on Accreditation for Parks and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA).
- We recommend that the Department be held harmless, in the 2013 budget, without cuts in cuts in direct services to children and seniors.
- We recommend that priority be given to fully support technological requirements that will enhance internal communications between recreation and park facilities as well as enhance greater access to facilities and services by its customers.
- We recommend that a full audit be performed by an outside auditor.
- We recommend that the Advisory Board have some input into the selection of the next Director.
- We recommend that the next Director’s contract include job performance measures that include progress on CAPRA and full citizen participation in the development of the annual Capital Improvement Program.
Your BCRP Advisory Board is dedicated to doing the best job possible in guiding this Department to greatness. However, support and dedication from you, Madam Mayor, your leadership team and the BCRP staff is critical in making Baltimore citizens proud of our recreational offerings and programs.
Sincerely,
The Recreation and Parks Advisory Board
Carolyn D. Wainwright, President
Daniela Amzel, Member
Tracey Ward Durkin, Member
Vernon Reid, Member
Gary Sever, Member
Join neighbors in Hollins Market, Power In Dirt and the Community Greening Resource Network (CGRN) for a spring volunteer work day at the Boyd Street Garden! We’ll be spreading soil, digging up weeds and much more:
- spread out top soil and manure that was dropped off from city in new space
- shovel crushed stone into the new bed for planned pathway
- dig up transplant day lilies
- build raised beds
- dig up weeds in one area
- prune fruit tree branches
- clean up paved walkway around perimeter of fenced-in area
- stones to cover exposed pond tarp
- get chicken coops ready
Volunteer Day at the Boyd Street Garden
Saturday, April 28, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
Boyd Street and Mt. Clare Street, Baltimore, MD
For more information, contact Anna Evans-Goldstein at Anna_Evans-Golstein@bshsi.org.
Saturday, May 5, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
Stieff Silver Building, 800 Wyman Park Drive
Enter on the ground floor, east side of Druid Hill Park at the rear of the building. Light lunch and networking to follow the workshop. Please RSVP to Anna_Evans-Golstein@bshsi.org.
The purpose of this workshop is to assist community residents in Watershed 263’s eleven neighborhoods to better understand different greening techniques available for improving vacant lots, community spaces, and backyards (including existing green spaces) that can improve water quality and quality of life. Identification of resources available for community projects will be outlined. Technical resources will be available for neighborhoods to work on a simple clean water community action plan (2 page list of priority projects that can be undertaken by residents with available funding assistance.)
This workshop will integrate several initiatives including Power in Dirt, Clean Water Communities, and the Watershed 263 project.
- Watershed 263 is a 930-acre storm drain area in west and southwest Baltimore City that encompasses part of 12 urban neighborhoods from Sandtown-Winchester in the north to the Carroll-Camden Business Park in the South. Storm run-off water carries trash and pollutants, which collects on streets, alleys, vacant lots, roof tops and backyards that flows into Baltimore’s Harbor after traveling through a 43-mile storm drain system that converges into one outfall pipe near the mouth of Gwynns Falls, in the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River.
- The Watershed 263 project focuses on revitalizing urban communities by concentrating on strategies that improve both water quality and quality of life using greening or urban forestry projects. The restoration plan includes: planting trees; cleaning and greening vacant lots; reducing litter; cleaning streets and alleys; creating community gardens, improving city parks and greening schoolyards where asphalt has been removed; increasing recycling; and supporting community stewardship and involvement.
- The Power in Dirt Initiative is one of four new all-volunteer run initiatives from the Baltimore City Mayor’s Office’s stepUP! Baltimore Campaign addressing some of Baltimore’s most pressing issues. Power in Dirt concentrates on urban blight, specifically the overwhelming presence of vacant lots in many neighborhoods. Each vacant lot presents a problem for watershed health. Vacant lots are often sites of illegal dumping and their soil is so compact that soil permeability is quite low. Through this initiative we can focus on removing the impervious surfaces by amending the soil and establishing an appropriate green land cover with native plants, grass and trees.
- The Clean Water Community Initiative aims to engage residents in taking small actions for cleaner watersheds and healthier communities. Through this initiative, Parks & People, Blue Water Baltimore, Waterfront Partnership, and Baltimore Community Foundation are working together with communities to achieve the Healthy Harbor goal.
Baltimore City has set a goal of a Fishable, Swimmable Harbor by 2020, to expand the tree canopy and reduce impervious surfaces. Baltimore neighborhood watersheds can play an essential role in achieving this goal. The health of our waterways and the health of our neighborhoods are connected.
Workshop is funded in part by grants from the Chesapeake Bay Trust and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund).
Thanks to Bmore Dog for organized a successful Baltimore Community Pitbull Day at Franklin Square Elementary/Middle School. Over just a few hours, the group of volunteers vaccinated 45 dogs, including 25 pit bulls! Special thanks to veterinarian Dr. Johnny Slaughter who performed the vaccinations, while Vet Techs Erika, Carol and (Honorary Vet Tech) Steve wrangled the dogs and prepared the vaccines.
First-time Community Pit Bull Day volunteer, Donna, shared her experience helping to educate West Baltimore’s dog owners–
“One thing I did learn from volunteering at this event is not to judge a book by its cover. After talking with many of the owners I realized that a lot of the problem is just plain [not knowing]. What I have perceived as “no common sense” or “not caring” is actually a lack of education. Most were open to advice/suggestions without becoming defensive. All seemed so grateful that we were even there. It was just as much a learning experience for me as it was for them. I left there feeling somewhat ashamed of myself for being so judgmental in the past.”
Thanks again to B-more Dog, Franklin Square Elementary/Middle School and everyone who help to make this event happen!
All funding for B-more Dog comes from private fundraising efforts. Donations are welcome and tax deductible! Send checks payable to B-More Dog, P.O. Box 8858, Baltimore, MD 21224 or donate via PayPal to b_moredog@yahoo.com.
The Parks & People Foundation, in partnership with Power in Dirt, have joined forces to offer a new mini-grant opportunity for community groups in Baltimore City. Awardees will receive a $500 gift card from the Home Depot to support their project.
Love Your Block projects should create or significantly improve spaces for community members to gather, play, learn and grow. Some examples of projects that may receive funding include: installation of play spaces, outdoor art projects or the creation of ornamental, edible, or rain gardens. Only one project per block can receive an award and there are some limitations on what may be purchased with the Home Depot gift card.
For information on how to apply, visit the Parks & People Foundation website, email Valerie Rupp or call (410) 488-5663 x114.
Sasha Gallant at Harlem Park Elementary/Middle School has another update on the Harlem Park/Sandtown Community Garden. Check out our past posts about the garden or read on for details on upcoming events.
As we begin to see some warmer weather, it’s time to get down to business in the Harlem Park/Sandtown Community Garden! We’ve received several grants to help us pursue the next stages of our project (thank you to the Baltimore Community Foundation, the Chesapeake Bay Trust, BVU’s GIVE Program, Blue Water Baltimore and Parks & People Foundation) and we’re ready to get our hands in the dirt. April’s going to be a very busy month for us, and we need your support and participation to ensure the success of this project.
A quick schedule of what’s to come:
- This Friday, April 13th from 10am-3pm, Parks & People will be running a volunteer day with the University of Baltimore to sheet mulch the outdoor classroom site. Parents, families and community members, please come out and join us over the course of the day!
- Next Wednesday, April 18th at 5:30pm, we’ll be holding our first Community Meeting of 2012. Please join us to discuss design, finalize plans for the months ahead, plan our next work days and programs, discuss grants and partnerships, and vote on a name for the garden (finally!)
- Earlier on the 18th, from 10am-1pm, the Environmental Education Team of Parks & People will be working with Baltimore Talent Development HS and Harlem Park ES/MS staff and students to plant about 90 plants in the outdoor classroom space. Again, please feel free to stop by.
- On Saturday, April 21st from 9:00am-12:00pm, we’ll be joined by about 50 volunteers from the GIVE Program of BVU. These young businesspeople are coming in (with supplies, materials and grant funding!) to pick up trash, construct the tables for the outdoor classroom space, plant trees and help us prep the space for Sunday’s community work day! Following the work day, we’ll head over to the West Baltimore Squares Spring Celebration in Franklin Square – please join us!
- Last, but perhaps most importantly, on Sunday, April 22nd (Earth Day!) from 11am-4pm, we will host our first Community Construction and Clean-Up! We’ll be building 15 raised beds for community planting, cleaning up and beautifying the lot, laying mulch and woodchips, and, if time allows, beginning to plant! Please speak with any of your community or religious groups in the area – all families, partners, community members and congregations are invited to attend! Come one, come all – we’ll have refreshments and activities for all ages.
We can’t wait to work with you in the weeks ahead. Please feel free to call or e-mail sasha.gallant [at] gmail.com with any questions, comments or concerns, and spread the word!
Brie Teaboldt and Erika Gaines
Thanks to Adriane Thomas for sharing this guest post on the new Shopping Matters tours at the Westside Shopping Center. The next scheduled tour date is Saturday, April 14th at 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM. All tours are approximately one hour in length and begin at the store entrance. The Food Depot is located in the Westside Shopping Center at 2495 Frederick Avenue. For questions or to register, please contact Adriane Thomas at 215-913-5288 or e-mail at agethom@gmail.com.
Erika Gaines, manager of The Hezekiah Movement, is a passionate leader in Southwest Baltimore and is interested in bringing awareness of healthy eating to her community. She was one of three women who attended a recent shopping tour, called Shopping Matters, of the Food Depot in the Westside Shopping Center. After the tour, Erika commented–
“The Shopping Matters Tour at Food Depot was a great experience. It is important for supermarkets in poor urban communities to offer something other than a poor quality selection of food. It is also more important for the people in the community to be introduced and informed about healthy cost effective options when shopping.”
Shopping Matters (created by Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters) is a free, guided grocery store tour that teaches adults how to get the most nutrition for their budget. Key shopping skills are taught like buying fruits and vegetables on a budget, comparing unit prices, reading food labels and identifying whole grain foods. Everyone who participates also receives a free shopping bag, a workbook with recipes and a $10 gift card to Food Depot. The tours are offered in partnership with Johns Hopkins’ Center for Livable Future, Operation ReachOut Southwest, Food Depot, Bon Secours Community Works and the University of Maryland Baltimore. Christian Larsen, one of the University of Maryland Baltimore Medical students who lead the tours, explains–
“The tours are really about helping shoppers overcome some of the common barriers to eating healthy and answering those questions people are afraid to ask. They have provided a really great non-judgmental environment for people to share their own tips for saving money. I feel like I learn just as much as the participants every time.”
Johnny Aiken, Alice Aiken, Christian Larsen, Aaron Jackson and Shirley Scott.
Along with these tours, there are additional changes happening at Food Depot, which is apart of an overall project with Johns Hopkins’ Center for Livable Future called Eat Right, Live Well!, all in an effort to improve Food Depot and help shoppers choose healthy groceries. Some additional store changes are: promoted healthy products on sale, shelf labels on foods with health benefits, taste tests, 10 for $10 on healthy alternative, and the Eat Right, Live Well! section in the circular.
The main event in our West Baltimore Squares Spring Celebration is Docs in the Parks in Franklin Square! This is a great chance for young people and families from all across West Baltimore to come together and celebration our West Baltimore Squares. This is also a birthday celebration for Franklin Square first established on April 23, 1839 and Lafayette Square on April 28, 1857. Come out and wish all of our West Baltimore Parks many more years of health and fun!
For more information on Docs in the Parks, contact Michael Dorsey at (410) 448-5663 or michael.dorsey@parksandpeople.org. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Eli Pousson at info@westbaltimoresquares.org.
Docs in the Park in Franklin Square
Saturday, April 21, 11:00 am to 5:00 pm
Franklin Square Park, 1300 W. Fayette St., Baltimore, MD 21223
Have you heard about doctors prescribing nature and outdoor activities for their patients? Doctors know that spending time in nature relieves stress, combats obesity, and reduces asthma and ADHD in children. Join local healthcare professionals & GBCAN partners for a family friendly day of fun activities and educational opportunities.
The Greater Baltimore Children and Nature Collaborative (GBCAN) encourages partnerships and provides information to foster connections between children and the natural world. Recognizing that contact with nature is important for everyone, GBCAN focuses special attention on children, re-connecting them with nature and ensuring the well being of both.