Urban Resources Initiative - Current Projects

Baltimore Ecosystem Study - Social and Ecological Research and Community Engagement

URI organizes the Baltimore Ecosystem Study's annual community open house in October in conjunction with the BES Annual Science Meeting. People attending the open house talk to BES scientists who display posters and answer questions about their research projects, and explain what their findings mean for residents of the Baltimore region. URI is also coordinating plans for two urban research and education field stations, at Carrie Murray Nature Center in Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park and in Washington Village/Pigtown in Watershed 263. These field stations provide opportunities for students and adults to learn about social and ecological research, and work with scientists in field research setting.

URI has also been working with social and natural scientists from BES on research to understand the ecological and social roles of small urban parks as part of a collaborative project with the Baltimore Ecosystem Study (BES) and the Central Arizona-Phoenix (CAP) Long-term Ecological Research sites. The project combines social and natural science methods to study biological and human-generated forces affecting vegetation and wildlife in urban parks, focusing on how these impacts vary by social, cultural and economic characteristics of surrounding neighborhoods.

BRANCHES

BRANCHES (Building Resources and Nurturing Community Health & Environmental Stewardship) is a youth park forestry pilot project providing training and summer jobs for economically disadvantaged high school and college youth with training and employment experience to develop useful job skills that lead to long-term opportunities in tree care related professions. The BRANCHES program is a collaboration between the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks and Parks & People Foundation. BRANCHES will address two vital needs in Baltimore City -- the need for meaningful employment and career opportunities for economically disadvantaged youth and the need for more resources to care for our parks and their woodlands.

Garden Mosaics

Garden Mosaics is a multi-city project that connects youth and elders to investigate the mosaics of plants, people and cultures in community gardens, to learn about science concepts and practices, and to act together to enhance their community. Baltimore is one of 12 cities taking part in Garden Mosaics, including Allentown, Boston, Chicago, Greensboro, Ithaca, Philadelphia, Sacramento, St. Paul, and San Antonio. Garden Mosaics is a science education and community action program for youth ages 10-18. The activities take place in urban community gardens, as well as in home and school gardens. Youth learn from community gardeners about their garden and its role in the neighborhood, and explore the culture and science behind their gardening practices. Garden Mosaics is funded by the National Science Foundation Informal Science Education Program and by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University, and led by Dr. Marianne Krasny of Cornell University.

Green Career Ladder

The Green Career Ladder Program is a collaboration between Parks & People, the Washington Village Pigtown Neighborhood Planning Council and the Baltimore Ecosystem Study to introduce youth from the Washington Village/Pigtown neighborhood to career and education opportunities in environmental science and management. During the school year, the Green Career Ladder provides after-school enrichment programming focused on environmental issues for middle school youth. During the summer, the Green Career Ladder provides paid summer employment for youth to take part in neighborhood greening and park restoration projects such as the BRANCHES program.

Neighborhood Green Infrastructure

URI is working with several urban neighborhoods to conduct inventories of their "green infrastructure," including neighborhood parks, community gardens, street trees, vacant lots, and schoolyards. These inventories track the number, species and health of trees, locations and characteristics of vacant land, and other environmental indicators. With this information, we can create maps that allow neighborhood residents to assess their natural resources and develop plans for revitalizing and restoring these assets.