August 2019 Newsletter
A 90th Birthday Present for Her Community
The Baynes family has lived in the Chesapeake Bay area for over 90 years. The Bay continues to provide a wonderful life for their family and friends with boating, crabbing, skiing, and so much more. Ibby Baynes, the family matriarch, wanted to preserve what has been so integral to her family and community. In 2018, Ibby reached out to Lockheed Martin, Gunpowder Valley Conservancy, and Maryland Department of Natural Resources to inquire about stabilizing the bulkhead of Baynes Cove, the family's residence on Seneca Creek that includes a community boat launch for Bowleys Quarters residents.

Those initial conversations led to bigger plans to improve Baynes Cove. The first step? Install a rain garden on the weekend leading up to Ibby's 90th birthday! On July 27th, approximately 30 volunteers, many from Bowleys Quarters, came out to plant native flowers in the garden that will help reduce stormwater runoff from entering Seneca Creek.

You can now experience the Baynes Cove rain garden workshop yourself by viewing WJZ Baltimore's news coverage and a short video by our partner, Lockheed Martin.
"It was a beautiful, wonderful day! God worked through GVC, Lockheed Martin Company, the DNR, and the Bowleys Quarters community to improve this property for the sake of the Chesapeake Bay that we all love! I could never thank all of you enough for all of the planning and work you have done and are continuing to do!" Ibby Baynes
Save the Date: September 29th Open House
The GVC's Clear Creeks Project has been working throughout the year with Our Lady of Mount Carmel to make their campus Bay-Wise. By planting native trees and gardens, the church has also provided its parishioners and students with hands-on opportunities to engage in care for Creation.

You're invited to see what a Bay-Wise church looks like! There will be a "Blessing of the Rain Garden" ceremony. We will also have rain barrels for sale!

Sunday, September 29th
10 am - 2 pm
Our Lady of Mount Carmel
1706 Old Eastern Avenue
Essex, MD 21221
GVC Continues to Grow
Our board continues to grow. Join us as we welcome two of our newest members!
Cyrus Green is a lead manager at T. Rowe Price. He holds a B.S. in Engineering Physics from Morgan State University, a M.S. in Optical Engineering from Norfolk State University, and M.B.A. from The Carey School of Business, Johns Hopkins University. A resident of Baltimore, he spends his time outdoors camping, sailing, and hiking with his friends and family Read more .
Deborah Slawson, Ph.D. is a semi-retired Fluvial Geomorphologist most recently working with the French National Research Institute of Science and Technology for Environment and Agriculture in Antony, France, specializing in dam removals and stream channel restoration. Previously she worked with several environmental engineering firms in the mid-Atlantic area. She received a Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University in landscape ecology and a Masters degree from Johns Hopkins University in environmental engineering. Read more .
Upcoming Calendar of Events
Don't miss one of your last chances to buy rain barrels this year! Our next rain barrel workshop will be Saturday, September 7th in Kingsville. We all know Maryland's summer heat doesn't end in August! Your gardens will thank you for adding a reliable source of rain water to your property.
Saturday, August 24 : Rain Garden workshop
Saturday, August 24: Tree Maintenance
Saturday, August 31: Tree Maintenance
Saturday, September 7: Rain Barrel workshop
Saturday, September 7: Stream Clean-Up - Cockeysville
Saturday, September 14: GVC 30th on the Water
Saturday, September 21: Adopt-a-Stream training
Saturday, September 21: Rain Garden workshop
Saturday, September 28: Bayscape & Rain Garden Design workshop
Be a Part of GVC's History
Thirty years ago, the Gunpowder Valley Conservancy began to coordinate volunteer activities to improve the health of the Big and Little Gunpowder Falls. We were excited to discover this front page photograph of our founder, Ed Stuebing, doing his part to remove rusted metal from an abandoned truck in Gunpowder Falls State Park. Learn more about the GVC's history during our 30th On the Water fundraiser on September 14th . Join us as we honor our past, celebrate our accomplishments, and look towards the future of the Gunpowder watershed.
Make a Difference
Leaf litter provides valuable nutrients, habitat, and protection for forest critters. It doesn't need extra insulation from your summer drink or disposable cooler! Do your part to reduce plastic pollution on our trails! Make smarter choices when it comes to selecting convenience items. You can also make a difference by volunteering at our September 7th stream clean up or attending our September 21st Adopt-a-Stream training.
Help plant tomorrow's forest today! The GVC is seeking volunteer Reforestation Crew Chiefs for our fall tree planting season. We will train you! Read full job description here

We are also hiring a Watershed Restoration intern for September 2019-June 2020. Gain experience with rain barrels, rain gardens, tree planting, invasive plant removal, and more! Read full job description here.
Don't miss your chance to be considered for a Clear Creeks Project rain garden! We are currently seeking funding to install 30 rain gardens over the next two years in our project area (see map in middle of page). There's already a wait list of homeowners interested in a FREE rain garden assessment of their property. If you live in the Clear Creeks Project area, fill out our Clear Creeks Project pre-assessment form to be added to our wait list. Eligible homeowners can receive a 80% cost-share on the installation of a rain garden. That's only $400 for an average-sized garden! Questions? Contact Amy Young , Clear Creeks Project Volunteer/Outreach Coordinator
We're happy to share that our friends at the Old-Growth Forest Network recently unveiled their new website. Learn more about old-growth forests and then find an inspirational place to visit!