Saturday, August 21
2pm

Community Gardens are transforming Baltimore. Visit garden sites, meet the gardeners & learn about these amazing spaces! After your tour, join us for a celebration of community gardening at the Duncan Street Miracle Garden.  

If you would like to take the BIKE tour:
Meet the Community Greening Resource Network at:
Duncan Street Miracle Garden
1800 Duncan St, Baltimore
Bring Your Own Bike/Rentals Available
To reserve your spot (required)
Contact CGRN: 410.448.5664 x128
community.greening@parksandpeople.org
Cost: $15  

If you would like to take the BUS tour:
Meet the Baltimore City Master Gardeners at:
Cylburn Arboretum (shuttle returns here from party)
4915 Greenspring Ave, Baltimore
To reserve your spot (required)
Contact Betsey Heuisler: 410.529.4692
betshenis@aol.com
Cost $20

The Celebration (following the tours)
Duncan Street Miracle Garden
1800 Duncan St, Baltimore
5-7 p.m.
$5 suggested donation for those attending only the party
featuring fresh local food & music!

CLICK HERE to read an article in Time Magazine about how SuperKids Camp and other programs like it are working to combat summer learning loss in students. 

For the second year, Storey Publishing is partnering with the Community Greening Resource Network (CGRN) to support Baltimore’s community gardens and gardeners. Storey is donating copies of "Dishing Up Maryland" by local writer Lucie L. Snodgrass with photographs by Edwin Remsberg, to participants at one of CGRN's upcoming meetings. Storey will also donate other titles including "Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens" and "Storey's Guide to Keeping Honey Bees".

CGRN's network of urban gardeners is part of a larger plan to increase fresh food production for use by residents and businesses in Baltimore.

"Dishing Up Maryland" includes a wide range of local recipes and features profiles of local farmers and entrepreneurs including John Shields of Gertrude's, One Straw Farm, Gunpowder Bison and more.

Description from the book jacket
"From the Chesapeake to the Alleghenies, Maryland offers a rich diversity of native foods and food traditions. Now anyone, anywhere, can enjoy the taste of Maryland’s cuisine with 150 delicious recipes, some contributed by the Old Line State’s most celebrated chefs. Corn and Quinoa Salad with Lemon Mint Dressing. Southern Fried Chicken. Roasted Turnips and Rutabagas. Rockfish Kabobs in Greek Marinade. Strawberry Shortcake with Biscuits. Smith Island Cake. And, of course, crab—deliciously featured in dips, salads, entrees, soups, and more. In addition to recipes, you’ll find food lore; advice on the best places to visit; and fascinating profiles of local food producers, chefs, restaurants, fishermen, and crabbers."

Many thanks to Storey Publishing for their generosity!

CLICK HERE to read more about "Dishing Up Maryland", or to order a copy for yourself, visit Storey Publishing and Lucie L. Snodgrass.

On July 12, Jackie Carrera, President & CEO of the Parks & People Foundation joined Senator Benjamin Cardin, Congressman Elijah Cummings, Morgan Grove of the USDA Forest Service, Baltimore City Council President Jack Young and other local leaders at a overgrown, dilapidated 9-acre parcel of Druid Hill Park in the Auchentoroly Terrace neighborhood of Baltimore.

The delegation was on hand to see first-hand how grants totaling $1.97 million in Recovery Act (ARRA) funding awarded to Parks & People was being used.  

As chainsaws roared and trees were carried out, the buzz of activity and impressive progress on the site could not overshadow the real story: jobs.  Through its ARRA USDA funding (along with other sources), Parks & People has created 35 new jobs in Baltimore City and an on-the-job green jobs training program which has already produced great success.  The majority of the workers on the site in Druid Hill Park were unemployed and unskilled before coming to Parks & People’s “Green Up, Clean Up Teams.”  Less than six months after being hired, the team members are using heavy equipment like pros – taking down trees, removing invasives and more. And this site is just one of almost 50 that they’ve been working on throughout Baltimore City since February.  

In reference to the new green jobs and their impact on Baltimore and the Chesapeake Bay, Congressman Elijah Cummings said, “We will have created a better environment for future generations; that’s what this is all about.”  

Both Congressman Cummings and Senator Cardin were there in January, 2010 when Marvell Gardener lined up with almost 300 others at the Salvation Army building in West Baltimore for a job fair to hire the new Green Up, Clean Up Team members. Six months later Marvell was the media darling of the day, giving interviews to three television stations (http://www.abc2news.com/dpp/news/region/baltimore_city/cummings%2C-cardin-visit-%27green-jobs%27-workers-at-druid-hill-park; http://wjz.com/seenon/Cummings.Cardin.Identify.2.1799739.html)about his experiences. He spoke passionately about how his job at Parks & People has not only given him a living wage and benefits, but has provided invaluable training that he’ll use at his new job working in a green job for the City of Baltimore. “We’re giving back to our communities and these blighted areas are starting to see signs of life,” said Marvell.  

The Druid Hill Park / Auchentoroly Terrace project is just one of many that the Green Up, Clean Up teams will undertake over the next 11 months. Through the aforementioned Recovery Act funding from the USDA Forest Service, the Parks & People Foundation will restore the parkland to its original condition. In addition to creating recreational opportunities for the community and reducing crime, benefits of the park restoration include improved ecosystem and forestry health, addition to the tree canopy, and improved air and water quality.  

“Partnerships like the one that Parks & People has with the USDA Forest Service are absolutely critical to the work we’re doing locally in Baltimore,” said Jackie Carrera. Check the Parks & People Foundation’s website at www.parksandpeople.org for more updates.

President & CEO of the Parks & People Foundation, Jackie Carrera, was a speaker at the Chesapeake region’s America’s Great Outdoors Listening Session and Discussion on June 25 in Annapolis. 

Ms. Carrera joined senior members of the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to discuss land conservation, recreation, and reconnecting people to the outdoors.

Starting with the White House Conference on the Great Outdoors on April 16, 2010, President Obama launched a national dialogue about conservation in America. 

Over 500 people attended the conference and there was a special listening session for young people which was attended by Parks & People environmental educators Kareen Adams and Andrew Thomas (pictured above with Ms. Carrera).

Ms. Carrera's comments centered on the importance of local parks and green space in urban communities. The following is an excerpt from her remarks:

"Another idea is to reconceptualize what we mean when we talk about Americas Great Outdoors. Are we talking about Yellowstone, Glacier, Acadia? Or are we talking about a system of parks, recreational and open space that connects us to these places by weaving their way through the lives of everyday Americans who will see our local, state and national landscapes as one. Not only do we need a way to physically and emotionally make the connections for people, but we also need a platform for ongoing collaboration among the various stakeholders—for public private partnerships to take root.  In Atlanta, they call this the Beltline, in Baltimore, we call this One Park.

But in order for this to work, we need to recognize that our local parks, rivers, trails and open spaces are a key part of the system.  It’s where 80% of our population live and we often find that cities are caught in a Catch 22. Those cities that have lost population over time have lost their tax base. Fewer tax dollars means fewer services and as a result, the infrastructure is aging and unattractive.  Bringing homeoweners and businesses back to cities would help increase the tax base which would support the aging infrastructure. But, people and businesses are making their choices about where to live based on the quality of life that a place has to offer – that our parks, trails and streams could provide –if they weren’t so unkept, shabby, dirty.  

The federal government can and must help break this cycle of disinvestment and we hope that through the AGO initiative we will begin to see that all parks are well managed and maintained. Because after all, for many, a city park is their Great Outdoors".

For more information on the America's Great Outdoors initiative, click here.

Volunteers from Gross Mendelsohn & Associates came out in force on June 23 to work with the Parks & People Foundation on a project in the Sandtown/Winchester neighborhood. The stalwart accountants and other staff braved the near 100 degree heat to plant trees, install raised beds and plant hundreds of perennials near the Community Center. 

Click here for photos of the event.

Many thanks to our friends at Gross Mendelsohn!

President & CEO of the Parks & People Foundation, Jackie Carrera, has been invited by to speak at the Chesapeake region’s America’s Great Outdoors Listening Session and Discussion on June 25 from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts in Annapolis.

Ms. Carrera will join senior members of the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) for a public listening session and discussion in the Chesapeake region on land conservation, recreation, and reconnecting people to the outdoors. The event is free an open to the public. 

Starting with the White House Conference on the Great Outdoors on April 16, 2010, President Obama launched a national dialogue about conservation in America. The official press release for the event reads as follows:

“America’s Great Outdoors will be broad-ranging and seek to accomplish the following: reconnect Americans, especially children, to the outdoors; build upon current priorities for conservation of natural and cultural resources and enhance their connectivity; and use science-based management practices to protect these resources for future generations.”  The Initiative will focus on building public/private partnerships and developing and maintaining urban parks and other green spaces in cities nationwide.

The Parks & People Foundation, and by extension, Ms. Carrera have been creating and supporting educational, recreational and environmental programs and partnerships in Baltimore since 1984.

Parks & People’s staff, volunteers and partners in the community continue to create innovative solutions to issues facing Baltimore including the restoration of our neighborhoods and their natural resources as well as the academic enrichment, fitness and motivation of our children.

Jackie Carrera has been president & ceo of the Parks & People Foundation since 1993. Ms. Carrera served as chair of Revitalizing Baltimore and currently serves as secretary for the national organization, City Parks Alliance and she is a board member or appointee of many local and state-wide organizations including: 1000 Friends of Maryland, the Greater Mondawmin Coordinating Council, Baltimore City Heritage Area and Baltimore Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound. In 2009, Ms. Carrera was voted one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women by the Maryland Daily Record.
 
For more information on the Parks & People Foundation, visit www.parksandpeople.org.

When: Friday, June 25th, 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm

What: Opening session with senior officials from DOI, USDA, EPA, and CEQ, expert panel discussions, and opportunities to share your ideas in breakout groups

Where: Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts
801 Chase Street, Annapolis, Maryland 21401

Who: Representatives from DOI, USDA, EPA, and CEQ will be present to hear thoughts and to participate in a conversation with you about America's Great Outdoors.

Please Register: The event is free and open to the public. To register, email cindy_chance@partner.nps.gov with your name, telephone number and primary area of interest:

• Working land and open space conservation
• Recreation and public access
• Citizen Stewardship, including youth engagement and environmental education

Please register through by 10 pm, Monday, June 21.

More Info: You can find more information on the America's Great Outdoors Initiative and submit comments on-line at: www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors/

For more information on the Parks & People Foundation, visit www.parksandpeople.org or call (410) 448-5663. 

Click here to listen to the entire story featuring our own Kevin Sargeant, an intern here at Parks & People. 

Click here to read the Spring 2010 edition of Hooked on Sports!

The Parks & People Foundation will host two grant application training workshops in preparation for the Fall 2010 round of the Parks & People Community Grants Program on Tuesday, June 15 and Thursday, June 17 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Stieff Silver Building, 800 Wyman Park Dr, Suite 010, Baltimore, Maryland, 21211.  

All potential applicants to the Parks & People Community Grants Program must attend one of the trainings, and past applicants are encouraged to send a new representative.  

Parks & People manages two grant programs and makes awards twice each year.  Neighborhood Greening Grants of up to $1,000 are awarded to community or neighborhood groups completing projects such as: tree plantings, vacant lot clean-ups and restoration, community gardens and green spaces, schoolyard plantings, water quality improvements, and environmental education activities.   Partnerships for Parks Grants range from $500-$5,000 and provide funding for park service projects, trail stewardship, playground restoration, tree planting and pruning, maintenance activities, and events supporting public parks.  Grant application deadline is Friday, July 30, 2010 postmarked or in hand by 5pm.

During the trainings, site visits will be scheduled with a staff member.  Information about the grant program, application process, and other project resources will be presented.  Refreshments will be served.  RSVP for the workshops by Friday, June 11, 2010 to Portia Smith at (410) 448-5663 x115 or portia.smith@parksandpeople.org.

In 1996, the Parks & People Foundation initiated its Community Greening Grants Program to provide valuable funds and technical guidance that enable Baltimore’s community-based groups to develop community building and beautification projects in their neighborhoods.  Community-based groups throughout Baltimore City are eligible for funding, though the program directs its attention mainly to inner-city communities proposing projects that enhance community leadership, stewardship, and pride.  Since its inception, the Community Greening Grants Program has supported 387 community-based groups in the development and implementation of 613 beautification and greening projects throughout Baltimore City.

These programs are made possible by the Baltimore Community Foundation, the Cleaner Greener Baltimore Initiative, the TKF Foundation, and the Baltimore City Department of Recreation & Parks.

For more information, contact Sarah Krones at sarah.krones@parksandpeople.org or (410) 448-5663 x 114. 

We had a terrific time at all of our Earth Day events on April 22!

In the morning, we were joined by Lt. Governor Anthony Brown and his staff, Pastor Jim Brown of Christ United Church of Christ in Locust Point and members of his congregation, students, teachers (including art teacher Joann Strickland) and Principal Mary Booker of Francis Scott Key Elementary/Middle School, Maryland Master Gardner Cathy Duchamp, Kevin Schabow of NOAA and the great Parks & People staff led by Mary Hardcastle and Sandy Robson. We planted lots of vegetables and flowers in the newly created beds at the Christ UCC church - a project that will keep both the students and church members busy! Many thanks to all the volunteers and to Keith Losoya of Waste Neutral for donating all the soil!

In the afternoon, Parks & People's staff headed out to Carroll Park to clean and green with members of the Baltimore Ravens' staff and volunteers from Athletes for Hope and M&T Bank. What an incredible effort by the intrepid volunteers who did everything from clearing unruly invasive plants along the trail to planting trees and flowers to clearing trash from the viaduct in canoes!  Mayor Stephanie Rawlings Blake even stopped by to say hello and thank the group for their important work. We thank all the volunteers for risking blisters and sunburn to help beautify this terrific Baltimore City park. 

All in all, Earth Day was a great success!  Thank you again to everyone who partipated in our events or worked on their own to make Baltimore a healthier, greener, more livable city. 

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Seedlings at Participation Park!  2pm-4pm
Location: Participation Park, 1100 Forrest St., Baltimore, 21202
Join us in this CGRN workshop to learn different techniques for how to grow plants from seed and begin to prepare seedlings to be distributed to CGRN (Community Greening Resource Network) gardens at the May Give Away Day. To reserve a spot in this workshop and for more info contact: community.greening@parksandpeople.org or 410-448-5663 x128.

Baltimore Green Week’s Ecofest at Druid Hill Park, 12pm-6pm
Location: West End of Druid Hill Reservoir
Parks & People will construct an awesome Natural Play Space and have an information table and several great items for sale.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Baltimore Honey Beehive workshop,  5:30-7pm
Location: 6115 Stanton Ave., Baltimore, 21210
The City allows beehives! What a great way to observe wild animals, care for important pollinators, and harvest some very local honey. Rick Hobbs from Irvine Nature Center will discuss beekeeping basics and issues for city-living. This is also a great chance to learn about Bmore Honey and how they can help get a beehive in your area of the city (www.bmorehone.org). This workshop is in the garden behind the house. Bring a hat and a chair. This is free for CGRN members and $5 for non-members. RSVP to Sarah Ritter at 410-448-5663x128, sarah.ritter@parksandpeople.org.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Druid Hill Park Volunteer Event, 9:30-1:30pm
Students from Calvert Hall will participate in volunteer service for the environment by mulching trees. This is a TreeBaltimore/Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks project for which Parks & People will be providing the support of our AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) crew to lead the volunteers.

Barclay Elementary School Family Health and Science Night
Parks & People will staff a table featuring a watershed model and rain barrel demo.

Students Plant Vegetable Starters and Native Perennials
Location: William Paca Elementary/Middle School

Storm Drain Awareness & Community Outreach Workshop, 5:30pm
Location: William Paca Elementary/Middle School
This Parks & People sponsored event is the kick-off to a series of educational workshops about improving watershed health by decreasing the amount of trash in neighborhood storm drains.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Volunteers from the Baltimore Ravens Foundation, Athletes for Hope and M&T Bank will work with Parks & People on a local environmental restoration and tree planting project. 

Members of CGRN (Community Greening Resource Network) will work with volunteers from Constellation Energy and Port Discovery to plant and care for seedlings that will be given away at an upcoming CGRN give-away day.

Baybrook Community Garden
Members will be planting and tending their new community garden. This is a partnership between Curtis Bay Elementary Middle School, Community of Curtis Bay Association, the Brooklyn/Curtis Bay Coalition, Child First, Changz after-school program, and Parks & People.

Locust Point Community Garden Installation With Lt. Governor Anthony Brown,  10am-2pm
Location:  United Church of Christ, 1308 Beason St., Baltimore 21230
This is the launch of the very first community garden in Locust Point, a partnership between Francis Scott Key Elementary Middle School, Christ United Church of Christ and Parks & People. Lt. Governor Anthony will be our special guest, working in the garden alongside our students, community members and church members! 

Franklin Square Elementary/Middle School Trellis Project
Parks & People’s afterschool environmental education programs KidsGrow (grades 2-5) and Project Blue (middle school) are installing garden trellises.

Franklin Square Elementary/Middle School Storm Drain Awareness & Community Outreach Workshop, 5:30 PM
This is the 3rd in a series of educational workshops about improving water quality.

Baltimore Freedom Academy
Volunteer events all day!

Patterson Park Celebrates Earth Day!
Community garden clean-up, storm drain stenciling, and tree surveying and mulching.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Community Greening Resource Network (CGRN) Volunteer Workday: Your Rainbarrel and You, 10am-12pm
Location: Hampstead Hill Academy, 500 S Linwood Ave., 21224
CGRN offers lots of opportunities to construct rainbarrels for saving rainwater from running into the bay and storing it for later use. However, putting this tool to work for you can be a challenge if you don't have a proper set up. Join a surly crew of runoff avengers to learn some key points about rainbarrel installation, and then put your skills to work assisting in the installation of rainwater harvesting structures for the Hampstead Hill Academy garden. Children are welcome to attend with their parents. Contact the CGRN Coordinator Sarah Ritter at community.greening@parksandpeople.org, 410-448-5663 x128.

Tree Give-Away and Tree Planting Project; 9am-12pm
Walter P. Carter Elementary School and Recreation Center, 820 E. 43rd St., 21212
This is one of many TreeBaltimore/Constellation Energy sponsored events with Parks & People as a partner providing staff support, a NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) crew and tools.

Parks & People Community Greening Coordinator, Sarah Krones, will be speaking at the Towson University Environmental Conference from 10-11am on Baltimore’s urban agriculture and community gardening with Juanita Garrison from the Cherry Hill Community Garden.

Parks & People is partnering with Baltimore City Public Schools to implement Earth Day garden projects.  Often when we plan projects, a common theme emerges. This year raised bed gardens became the popular theme. We added the idea of planting peas and constructing bamboo trellises as a way to combine art and ecology!   

Curtis Bay Elementary/Middle School, Francis Scott Key Elementary/Middle School, Franklin Square Elementary/Middle School, Harlem Park Elementary/Middle School and William Paca Elementary School have built or will build new beds over the next few weeks. 

In addition to Parks & People, key partners will be the Community of Curtis Bay Association, the Brooklyn/Curtis Bay Coalition, Child First, and the Changz after-school program. 

On Earth Day, students will assemble the trellises and place them on the beds to celebrate the growth of their plants, their team work and their love of the Earth!

Click HERE to watch! (WMV)

Parks & People has a new Public Service Announcement (PSA) running on Comcast cable channels throughout the greater Baltimore. 

Production of the spot and airtime have been generously donated by the Comcast Corporation.

Thanks also to Waganer Digital Video for production assistance.

Plant a Seed of Giving In Your Community Today!

Finally, after a long and snowy winter, the sun is shining and flowers are blooming. Spring has finally arrived and here at the Parks & People Foundation we are working hard! There are trees to plant, communities to green, events and workshops to teach and children who are eager to begin another year of summer camp.

We need your help.

A donation to the Parks & People Foundation does more than help beautify our city. Your gift helps to support and improve parks, gardens and green spaces throughout Baltimore and provides enriching programs and recreational activities for children.

Your Gift to the Parks & People Foundation Supports:

• Community gardens and gardening workshops – learn to grow your own food, construct a rain barrel or start composting.
• Tree plantings on city streets and in local parks – help reduce your carbon footprint.
• A great camp where students can improve their academic skills during the summer through fun activities like sailing and performing arts.
• Green jobs training – teaching people the skills they need to earn a living while protecting the environment.
• Lacrosse, soccer baseball and volleyball leagues for Baltimore City middle school students in underserved communities.

Just a little bit goes a long way. Make a donation to Parks & People today and give back to your friends, your neighborhood and your community.

Thank you!
Jackie Carrera
President & CEO

PS: Join us as a first-time donor at the $25 level or above and receive a recycled Parks & People tote bag as our gift!

Donate online today and put your gift to work right away! Or, if you'd like to make a donation by mail, click here to learn how.

As part of Parks & People's continuing partnership with Barclay Elementary/Middle School, staff and students are working to create a community tool library and greening demonstration project. What was formally a simple shipping container is being outfitted with a special "butterfly" roof for capturing rainwater, rain barrels and possibly a mini green roof complete with living plants.

After the students got a lesson in how rainbarrels work, Ryan Patterson, Parks & People's Community Arts Coordinator, helped the students design the roof for the top of the container.

This is just one of many projects that Parks & People and Barclay are working on together and one piece of a much larger committment to environmental education in communities throughout Baltimore.

BALTIMORE, MD – More than 150 players from the Parks & People Foundation’s Baltimore Middle School Lacrosse League (BMSLL) attended the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic at M&T Stadium on Saturday, March 6.  Tickets for the players were generously donated by the Baltimore Sun and Inside Lacrosse.  As an added bonus, 20 lucky players served as ball boys during the third game.  

The Parks & People Foundation has run the lacrosse league since 2000 serving over 1,000 young people, many of whom would never have had the opportunity to play lacrosse without the BMSLL. Many of the schools that participate in the league represent Baltimore’s most economically disadvantaged and underserved neighborhoods.  In addition to learning lacrosse skills, players learn valuable lessons in character development, teamwork, reliability and commitment.  The league’s current participating schools include: Dickey Hill, Bluford Drew Jemison East and West, Franklin Square, Kipp Ujima, Cross Country, Francis Scott Key, Booker T. Washington and Calverton.  

The Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic featured three games: Maryland vs. Duke, Princeton vs. Johns Hopkins and Loyola vs. Notre Dame. Since its inception four years ago, the event has marked the traditional start to the lacrosse season.  

“This event is a terrific opportunity for our players to experience the best that collegiate lacrosse has to offer – live and in person. For many of our players, this is be the first live lacrosse game they’ve seen,” said Bernie Shephard, Sports Program Manager for the Parks & People Foundation.

The Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic will also be the unofficial kickoff of the league’s exciting expansion plans.  Parks & People is partnering with the Baltimore City Police Department, led by lacrosse enthusiast Police Commissioner Fred Bealefeld, to bring lacrosse to even more young people in Spring 2010 and subsequent seasons. “We want to bring this great sport to schools that could never afford it otherwise and hopefully impact families and communities through the players’ participation,” said Commissioner Bealefeld. Members of the Baltimore police department will provide mentoring and assist with coaching and recruiting for the expanded league with the goal of improving the relationship between the Police Department and the teams’ communities.

“Our hope is to expand the Parks & People league from 6 teams to 24 teams in the next three years,” said Parks & People Director of Youth Programs Monica Logan.  

Commissioner Bealefeld along with other committed lacrosse proponents A.C. George, Geoff Brent, Bill Boykin, Guy Matricciani and the Trilogy Foundation are providing leadership for the initiative and working to raise the funds necessary to continue and expand the league.

Ongoing funding for Parks & People's Baltimore Middle School Lacrosse League is provided by the U.S. Lacrosse Foundation.

For information on the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic, visit http://insidelacrosse.com.

For more information on the Parks & People Foundation’s sports programs, visit http://www.parksandpeople.org/play/youth-sports or call (410) 448-5663.

From The Baltimore Business Journal - by Ryan Sharrow Staff

The Parks & People Foundation will use federal stimulus funds to help the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore clean up from damages caused by nearly 50 inches of snow last month.

Four teams of five Parks & People employees will work at the Zoo on March 4 and 5 clearing debris, caring for damaged plants and doing minor building repairs. The zoo suffered more than $2 million in damages from twin snowstorms that blanketed the region in early February.

On Tuesday, the Zoo — one of the city’s top tourist attractions — said it will reopen March 13. It was scheduled to open March 1 for the spring season.

The Parks & People employees will be paid from $1.1 million in stimulus funds the Baltimore nonprofit received from the U.S. Forest Service.

The foundation’s “Green Up, Clean Up” team will work over the next 18 months on restoring urban habitat and watersheds; trail maintenance, horticulture, landscaping and trash clean-ups. The effort is aimed at restoring the Chesapeake Bay.

Courtesy of the Home and Garden Information Center of the University of Maryland Extension Service

1. When branches are covered with snow, should I knock it off?
Natural snowfall is nature’s great winter insulator, protecting frozen branches and roots from extreme temperatures and its weight seldom causes damage. Even when bent double by snow, the resiliency of most plants is astonishing to witness, as they spring back upright when snow is gone. However the weight of ice and very heavy wet snow can break branches. When snow removes easily by lightly brushing branches with your hand or a broom—brush upward!--doing so will not damage your plants. However, partially melted snow that has refrozen or icy snow adheres tightly. Knocking them off can cause worse breakage.  The motion of shoveling, snowblowing or plowing snow causes it to become more dense. Try to avoid piling this heavier kind of snow on plants.
Plants already encased in natural snow should be somewhat protected from the added weight. Also avoid shoveling snow mixed with salt onto plants.

2. Snow and ice broke branches off of my trees and shrubs. What should I do?
Unless there are hazardous conditions, do not immediately prune your plants. Wait until the end of winter. At that time follow the instructions in our publication, Pruning Ornamental Plants. Cut all broken wood to the branch collar of the next healthy branch or a quarter of an inch above a live bud. Being broken does not mean that the plant will die. Broken plant material is best removed and an effort should be made to make what is left of the plant as aesthetically appealing as possible. Many plants, such as azaleas, rhododendrons, holly, nandina, forsythia, abelia, can be cut all the way to the ground if need be and they will regrow and can be better than new. Call our hotline (800-342-2507) or fill out the contact form
http://www.hgic.umd.edu/faq/sendaquestion.cfm to ask about specific plants.

Additional resources:
1. First Aid for Storm-Damaged Trees - University of Missouri:
http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=G6867#victim
2. Storm-Damaged Residential Trees: Assessment, Care and Prevention - University of Tennessee:
http://www.utextension.utk.edu/publications/spfiles/sp575.pdf

We had a huge turnout for the Grow It, Eat It! workshop on March 6!  If you missed the  presentation,  would like to attend again, or want to send your neighbors, coworkers, and families, we'll see you on Saturday, April 10 from 10:30am-12:30pm at the Waverly Library for another presentation on growing a successful vegetable garden.  Join CGRN for continuous resources, connections, and education.

For more information, please contact: Sarah Krones at sarah.krones@parksandpeople.org, 410-448-5663 x114.

To read a copy of the Power Point presentation, click here.