Nature is constantly being shaped and molded by human activity to fit society’s needs. Our landscapes have been largely modified by urbanization, without much consideration for the natural world surrounding us. For an industrial city like Baltimore, urbanization has degraded the health of our streams. Most of this urbanization means more concrete and paved surfaces….
Just miles from bustling downtown Baltimore City, Stillmeadow Community Fellowship sits on 10 acres of serene, undisturbed forest land. The land serves as a community peace park—with open trails and thousands of healthy trees. In the Fellowship’s parking lot and back areas, rain barrels and cisterns collect rainwater, repurposing it to water trees and plants…
Happy Black History Month! There is a lot to celebrate this month, and as an environmental organization, we would like to highlight Black Americans’ long and continued history in the push for environmental equity. The Roots of Environmental Justice The Environmental Protection Agency recognizes environmental justice as “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of…
Featured image: Volunteers pose with their work at College Manor. Courtesy of Shannon Light Jump to: Policy wins New green infrastructure Community tree plantings 2020 was full of challenges. Despite the tumultuous year, we still managed to carry on our mission of clean water, strong communities. We planted 557 new trees across Baltimore’s many neighborhoods….
Street Trees Save Lives The life of a street tree isn’t an easy one. Urban trees face stress resulting from the heat island effect, concentrated air & water pollution, compacted soils, and vandalism resulting from vehicle and pedestrian traffic – to name just a few. Yet street trees are a crucial part of city life….
If you follow our work at Blue Water Baltimore, you know that we are all about trees. Why? Trees clean our air and water, reduce flooding, lower temperatures and energy bills, improve public health and social cohesion, and beautify our neighborhoods. Planting trees is a critical part of our work to restore the health of…
What are native, non-native, and invasive plant species? Native species have co-evolved in specific ecosystems for thousands of years. Native plants are anchors of healthy, biodiverse communities. They have adapted to local soils and climate conditions. Each species plays a necessary role in the delicate web of life and preserves the balance and beauty of…
What is mulch? The most common type of mulch is recycled wood waste in the form of wood chips. However, there are many varieties of mulch, both organic and inorganic. Blue Water Baltimore recommends sticking with natural, organic mulch derived from plants such as hardwood and softwood bark, leaves, and cocoa hulls. Mulch decomposes at…
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22nd, Blue Water Baltimore held our second annual Afternoon With Your Waterkeeper event to release our 2019 water quality data. In response to current global events, we took the event online and held our very first large-scale webinar! Our water quality monitoring program hit…
Michel Anderson and John Marra of Blue Water Baltimore’s Ecoliteracy Team spent an evening in doing the mash…the F.O.G. monster mash! What does that mean exactly? We gave a great hands-on presentation on fats, oils, and grease at Mama Shirley’s Cultural Arts and Wellness Center. An initiative of the Youth Resiliency Institute (YRI), the Center…