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Community Greening Stewardship Program Monthly Updates
April 2008
GROW Workshop: Sustaining Community Involvement
Monday, April 7, 2008, 5:30pm–8pm
Location: Baltimore City Recreation & Parks Administration Building, Peach Room, 3001 East Drive, Baltimore, MD 21217 (in Druid Hill Park)
Description: Join the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks and the Parks & People Foundation for fun, free, informative workshops and gatherings this spring! Attend these hour-long trainings and then stay and chat with fellow park advocates. Registration from 5:30pm–6pm; trainings held from 6pm–7pm; and networking from 7pm–8pm. Refreshments will be served.
Our speaker for this session will be Lane Victorson, a field instructor at the University of Maryland School of Social Work. While in the Peace Corps, Lane served as an Environmental Education Extension Worker where he developed an environmental curriculum for elementary schools and helped create community nurseries. As a Peaceworker, Lane worked with Neighborhood Housing Services, a non-profit neighborhood revitalization program. He was also the Healthy Neighborhoods Coordinator for the Greater Homewood Community Corporation. Discussion points for this workshop include:
"Why do volunteers get involved in community organizations? What keeps them motivated (or keeps them from being motivated)?
How do you sustain involvement through times of inactivity?
Learn how to use community organizing techniques, tactics and strategies to keep the momentum going for your park over the long haul!"
For more information or to RSVP, please call 410-396-7900 or e-mail green@baltimorecity.gov. Click here for upcoming workshop information. A downloadable flyer is available here.
Parks & People's Monthly Greening Series: Rain Barrel Construction!
**DUE TO WORKSHOP POPULARITY, WE’RE HOLDING TWO WORKSHOPS IN APRIL**
Workshop #1: Tuesday, April 8, 2008, 6pm–8pm
Location: Parks & People Foundation, 800 Wyman Park Dr. Baltimore, 21211
Cost: $60 to participate in workshop or $80 to just purchase a barrel
Description: All are welcome to join Parks & People Foundation in the construction rain barrels, an ancient technique for water conservation. All materials will be provided. Installation instruction and assistance will be provided by Parks & People Staff. This is a great way to save water while adding a beautiful masterpiece to your yard!
For more information or to RSVP please contact Jaleel Nash at jaleel.nash@parksandpeople.org or 410-448-5663, ext. 103.
OR
Workshop #2: Saturday, April 12, 2008, 12pm-2pm
Location: Carroll Mansion, 800 Lombard Street, Suite 2, 21202
For more information or to RSVP please contact Ryan Patterson at ryan.patterson@parksandpeople.org or 410-448-5663, ext. 120.
Cylburn Educational Program
BASIC GARDENING SERIES:
This spring, Cylburn is offering a four (4) session basic gardening class. This program will be geared towards beginning gardeners. The fee for each Basic Gardening Class is $8. Sign up for all four (4) sessions for $25 (Cylburn Arboretum Association Members receive a $2 discount per class, or $5 discount on the series). All workshops are 1pm–3:30pm.
Saturday, March 29. Basic Gardening 1: Evaluating your site. Good gardening starts by looking at what you have already and then planning what you can do with your yard or garden. Bring photos or drawings of your site, if you have them.
Saturday, April 5. Basic Gardening 2: Curb Appeal! Complement your house with a garden. Adding trees, shrubs and flowers will make your yard more beautiful and add value to your property. We will discuss some great plant choices and planting techniques.
Saturday, April 12. Basic Gardening 3: Vegetable gardening. Growing food is fun, easy, and rewarding. The food tastes better and it is good for you. This class will cover preparing your soil, how to grow vegetables from seeds, and the planting and care of your garden.
Gwynns Falls Trail Council Annual Meeting
Sunday, April 13, 2008 from 2pm-4pm
Location: Ross Revillon Winans’ Mansion - 1217 St. Paul Street 21201
Join us at the Ross Revillon Winans’ Mansion for a unique behind the scenes look at this famous, historic building designed by Stanford White.
Adam Blumenthal, Executive Director of the Baltimore Architecture Foundation will speak about the features of the house and Guy Hager will share a brief history of the Winans family.
Enjoy an afternoon of tea and cookies. The tour is open to all Gwynns Falls Trail Council members and includes a short business meeting.
You can become a member at the door starting at $20 or join online now. Enter a raffle to win “The Houses of McKim, Mead and White,” which includes the Winans mansion. Hard to find book! $75 value.
Tour made possible by Agora, Inc. Parking available.
Please RSVP by April 11, 2008 to 410-448-5663, ext. 113 or email info@gwynnsfallstrail.org to find out more!
Cleaner, Greener, Better Exhibition
Exhibition runs from April 16-27, 2008
Opening Reception & Community Event will be held Friday, April 18 from 5:30pm-8pm, see schedule below.
Location: The Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
Description: Join Art on Purpose for an evening that includes the Baltimore Department of Recreation & Parks presenting Treasures in Parks, and Parks & People Foundation’s From Grassroots to One Park, a presentation on community greening. On view will be maps created by the Druid Hill Park, Patterson Park and Tuscany Canterbury communities, which illustrate the value of parks and greening initiatives for Baltimore communities. These maps will be on display at the Walters Art Museum from April 16 to April 27, 2008.
For more information go to www.artonpurpose.org or call 410-243-4750.
Reception & Community Event Schedule:
Friday, April 18, 2008 5:30pm–8pm
5:30 – 6:00 – exhibit viewing & refreshments
6:00 – 6:30 – Gallery Conversation
6:30 – 7:15 – Treasures in Parks & From Grassroots to One Park
7:15 – 8:00 – networking & exhibit viewing
RSVP: Free and open to the public. For more info, call 410-243-4750.
Gwynns Falls Trail Artist Walk
Sunday, April 6, 12pm-2pm
(Site walk from 11am-12pm)
Location: Meeting at the Parking Lot at Winans Meadow (Trailhead 2) 4500 N. Franklintown Road
Description: Open to artists, teachers, musicians, and creative individuals of every experience and background. Come join the Gwynns Falls Trail Council and the organizers of the 2008 Art on the Gwynns Falls Trail for an on-site visit to where this year’s Art on the Trail will be held. Check out prospective sites for sculptures and brainstorm about your potential projects for this year’s exhibit with the organizers and Trail staff on hand to answer any questions or supplement any ideas you may have. Art on the Trail is a free and public sculpture exhibition placed in a completely natural environment open to artists from all backgrounds and skill levels. This year, Art on the Trail will be held September–November 2008 and we are hoping this timeframe will allow artworks to interact with the changing of the seasons and encourage greater community participation from local schools and universities. Please come spend the afternoon on the Trail and share your ideas on what we can do to make this year a success. We will walk on a portion of the Trail to see the site from 11am-12pm. The walk will be followed by an informal group brainstorm & discussion about what types of sculptures, workshops, and activities can be proposed for this year. Pens, pencils, and paper will be on hand but feel free to bring your favorite drawing/writing tools. Light refreshments will be provided.
For more information please contact Ryan Patterson at 410-448-5663, ext. 120.
Watershed 263 Meeting
Saturday, April 26, 2008, 10am–12pm
Location: This month's meeting will be at the EcoFestival. Please contact Sabrina Hudson at 410-448-5663, ext. 111 or sabrina.hudson@parksandpeople.org for more information or to register.
Description: Calling all residents and community associations in Watershed 263 for the monthly meeting of the watershed to discuss greening opportunities and community cleanups for the year. Please bring the calendar of events for your neighborhood or community association with you to the meeting for a combined calendar of events to be listed on the Parks & People’s website. To find out if you are located in Watershed 263 or to learn more about the Watershed 263 project, please visit our website.
EcoFestival
Celebrate sustainable living with food, music, information and fun for the family and everyone! Saturday, April 26, 2008 from 12pm-5pm.
Location: Druid Hill Park
Celebrate sustainable living with food, music, information and fun for the family and everyone!
For more information visit www.baltimoregreenweek.org.
Friends of Druid Hill Park Meeting
Wednesday, April 9 (second Wednesday of every month), 7pm-8pm
Location: The Park House (2600 Madison Ave.)
The Friends of Druid Hill Park is a young group made up of a broad spectrum of folks who are working NOW to bring more activities and events to the park, and to ensure quality maintenance and beautification through hands-on projects and lobbying.
For more information, go to www.druidhillpark.org or contact friendsofdruidhillpark@gmail.com.
Project Clean Stream
Saturday, April 5, 9am–12pm
Description: Project Clean Stream 2008 is here! Pull on your waders and gloves, grab a trash bag, and head out to your neighborhood stream as part of this wonderful annual stream cleanup event! Project Clean Stream is an annual April stream clean-up held in Central and Eastern Maryland. In 2007, over 2,500 volunteers turned out at more than 100 clean-up sites! Since its inception in the Jones Falls Watershed (by Irvine Nature Center) over 30 years ago, this annual event has grown from a local trash pick up to encompass about 100 sites around Maryland. New sites are brought on each year as we expand. Partners include local watershed associations, who help coordinate volunteers and sites in their region, and local government staff, who coordinate trash removal by providing dumpsters or curb-side pickup. We need volunteers to participate as site captains, coordinating a local clean up site; as well as general helpers on the action day. Wear clothes and shoes that can get muddy.
For more information go to the project website for more details on volunteering for Project Clean Stream 2008. For specific questions, or to register a site for a clean-up crew, contact Ashley Traut at Herring Run Watershed Association at 410-254-1577 or atraut@herringrun.org, or Kate Dowling at the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay at 410-377-6270 or kdowling@acb-online.org.
Shape Up Parks Day
Saturday, April 5, 2008, 9am-12pm
Plan or volunteer for a park service project in a park near you!
Join Baltimore City Recreation and Parks for Shape Up Parks, our bi-annual volunteer service day, and help get a jump start on spring cleaning.
Come out to mulch, weed, clean, and paint our parks and playgrounds!
If you are an individual volunteer or a school, church or business group, contact us so we can help connect you with a park project that fits your needs.
If you are a park stewardship group, get in touch with us and we can assist your group in registering your project, planning your activities, and finding additional supplies and volunteers.
Other Resources
Neighborhood Design Center
Application for Project Assistance - Due April 1
The Neighborhood Design Center (NDC) was founded in 1968 by Baltimore’s leading architects to help communities rebuild from years of urban decline and riots. Over the subsequent decades, NDC has provided pro-bono planning and design services to over 1,400 community initiatives in Baltimore that have helped communities build new playgrounds, reclaim vacant lots and abandoned buildings, revitalize commercial districts, create community master plans, and beautify their neighborhoods.
The pro-bono services that the Neighborhood Design Center provides are tools for community engagement, empowerment, and investment – fulfilling NDC’s mission to strengthen citizen participation in neighborhood development initiatives, educating the public about the value of good design, planning and preservation as community revitalization tools, and increase investment in the sensitive rebuilding of neighborhoods.
For more information please contact NDC at 410-233-9686 or e-mail your questions to info@ndc-md.org.
America the Beautiful Fund
America the Beautiful Fund is offering grants of FREE SEEDS to community groups striving to better our world through gardening. Grow fresh nutritious food for the hungry. Teach children about the wonders of nature in a habitat garden. Beautify parks, roadways and neighborhoods. Promote environmental stewardship in your community. There are a thousand ways to improve your community’s quality of life through gardening! Be sure to read the other side of this flyer and be inspired by some last season’s projects.
For more information please visit their website.
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