We Love Our Volunteers! Spotlight: Caleb DeMario
Clean Water, Strong Communities!
It takes a community of people to grow a community of trees. As another wonderful tree planting season draws to a close, Blue Water Baltimore celebrates the strong communities that work hard to clean our waterways. Check out the following spotlights to learn about some of our most dedicated partners and volunteers.
Caleb DeMario
Caleb is a longtime BWB volunteer. He first joined us way back in 2014 at a Storm Drain Stenciling Workshop. Over the years, he returned to assist with tree planting and maintenance. Caleb currently works for Compost Cab, a local business that picks up residential food scraps to create soil at Real Food Farm.
He will occasionally appear at a tree planting event with a Compost Cab pickup truck bed full of bagged compost to feed to our street trees. Thanks Caleb!
Learn more about what it’s like to volunteer with Blue Water Baltimore through our Q & A with Caleb below.
1. What do you enjoy most about volunteering with Blue Water Baltimore?
I most enjoy the satisfying moment when a tree gets stood up into place. It feels like the tree settling into their new home, also means the hard shoveling is over!
2. Do you have a favorite memory of a BWB event?
I’ve been at a lot of events over the years and love being reminded of the memories by trees while I’m collecting food scraps around the city. Especially when I go by the trees we planted at the Clifton Park Golf Course where I knocked myself out by misusing the stake pounder. Didn’t stop me from continuing to come back out!
3. Can you tell us more about the Compost Cab program and how you’re turning food waste into food for our urban trees?
Compost Cab partners with Real Food Farm to pick up food scraps from residents around the city. The compost we make mostly goes back to the farm in exchange for having space, some to customers who want it, and as much as is left over I bring to folks doing wholesome work like BWB!
3. What is your favorite type of tree?
Ginkgo Biloba. They outlived dinosaurs, if they aren’t full of magic I don’t know what is!
4. Anything else you’d like to share!
Looking forward to giving trees some winter haircuts aka pruning!
If you’re considering getting involved in volunteering, the TreeKeepers city stewardship program (via TreeBaltimore) is a great way to start learning more about trees and ways to stay engaged.
This blog will be updated regularly with additional volunteer spotlights!
