Parks & People engages and empowers people to care for natural resources in a way that leads to the revitalization of neighborhoods - environmentally, socially and economically. We facilitate community participation in park and natural resource restoration and stewardship projects. Our goal is for you to take advantage of the marvelous natural resources available here in Baltimore City. Click on the links below for more information about our Great Parks, Clean Streams & Green Communities initiatives.

Volunteers, transform your good intentions into tangible results and have fun while making Baltimore a greener and healthier place to live -- join us! If you are looking for a way to volunteer service for the greening of Baltimore, contact Kari Smith who can arrange a project that works for you or your group.

Community Greening Stewardship Program – We make Baltimore greener by assisting communities in planting trees and creating parks and gardens. In March 2006, Baltimore City adopted the Urban Forestry Task Force recommendation for an Urban Tree Canopy Goal by doubling the existing land area that is covered with tree canopies from an estimated 20 percent to 40 percent over the next 30 years (by 2036). This goal is in respond to the greater need for urban areas to better manage their storm water run off adversely affecting Chesapeake Bay water quality as well as achieving many other community quality of life benefits provided by trees. The goal will be achieved by the public and private sectors (and all property owners) aggressively planting new trees and better caring for existing trees. A work group is currently developing an Urban Forest Management Plan anticipated to be ready by May 2007 to aid in the goal achievement. The following are components of the program:

Street Trees – We’ll help Baltimore City residents and community organizations to plant and care for street trees. We work closely with the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks to carry out the tree stewarding program. For more information, email Jaleel Nash.

Vacant Lots – We’ll help your community create special green areas, gardens on vacant lots and other open spaces. Learn more about our experiences on the Publications page with reports about Neighborhood Open Space Management and the Guide to Neighborhood Greening. For more information, email Kari Smith.

Community Grants – We award grants to Baltimore City community groups for their greening projects, including neighborhood parks and the Gwynns Falls Trail. For more information, email Kari Smith.

Learn more about how planting trees helps to reduce crime. California Trees, a quarterly newsletter of California Releaf, Fall 2002 issue, features a story that highlights the Parks & People Foundation's efforts to create greener spaces as safer places.

For additional information about the connections between urban watersheds, the Chesapeake Bay and the benefits of tree planting, visit the Chesapeake Bay Trust website.

Gwynns Falls Trail – We support the Gwynns Falls Trail Council, a public-private partnership to develop and enhance a 15-mile linear greenway trail for hiking and biking that connects 30 neighborhoods in west and southwest Baltimore and more than 2,000 acres of parkland, recreational facilities, and historic and cultural attractions. Learn about the Gwynns Falls Watershed on our Publications page. Contact Kate Mack to become a Council member or volunteer.

Partnerships for Parks - We work closely with the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks Office of Partnerships, and the Park Conservation and Community Outreach Program of the Bureau of Parks to encourage, train and mobilize community organizations and residents to become park friends and help care for and maintain city parks. Contact a parks community organizer for more information.

Revitalizing Baltimore and the Urban Ecology Collaborative – We build partnerships among governments, businesses, community groups and academia to develop solutions for restoring and protecting our neighborhoods’ natural resources in an ecologically sustainable manner. Contact Guy Hager learn more.

Schoolyard Greening/Environmental Education - We work in partnership with the Baltimore City Public School System, Maryland Port Administration and the Water Quality Management Office of the Department of Public Works to remove asphalt and replace it with green space on schoolyards. We are also working with other non-profits and the Baltimore Ecosystem Study to assist with student ecological education to provide meaningful Chesapeake Bay experiences for urban youth. Contact Rachel Doebber to learn about the Watershed Ecology Center at Harlem Park Elementary School.

Urban Resources Initiative – We engage the resources of academic and research institutions to study and develop practical, community-based solutions to issues concerning Baltimore’s watersheds and natural resources as well as assisting the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks and the Baltimore Ecosystem Study. Contact Mary Washington to learn more.

Watershed 263 - We are assisting the Baltimore City Department of Public Works and the Watershed 263 Community Stakeholder Council to use greening or urban forestry techniques to measurably improve water quality and quality of life in an ultra-urban stormshed called Watershed 263, a 930-acre area in west and southwest Baltimore City that encompasses 12 city neighborhoods. Contact Guy Hager to learn more about how you can help with this nationally innovative project.