Black History Month, Greening Grants, Job Opportunities, and more! |
Dear Baltimore Office of Sustainability Friends,
In honor of Black History Month, we draw attention to the long, textured history of activism and advocacy led by African American communities who demanded more, who fought for equality and advanced environmental justice. From the legacy of Frederick Douglas and Billie Holiday to the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum, Black History is embedded in the streets of our city. If you are looking for ways to explore Baltimore’s African American history and heritage, consider these options. Visit the Reginald F. Lewis Museum or explore the Black History Month Pop-Up 2022. You can always support local Black-owned businesses from across the city and those that are part of the Made In Baltimore network. Also, check out free movie screenings hosted by the B&O Museum. Film screenings will include Amistad, Harriet, and Selma - stories that depict the struggles and triumphs of Black Americans. And don't miss Baltimore's Black-Owned Restaurant Tour (BORT) Week that will take place February 21-27.
Many of you may have known Lisa McNeilly, our Sustainability Director for the past 5 years. We bid her farewell as she moves on to a new career opportunity. Her work led to significant sustainability accomplishments across the city including setting a new carbon neutrality target, adding new resources for resiliency, and launching an innovative Subcabinet to improve inter-agency collaboration while advancing sustainability and resiliency initiatives. We thank Lisa for her service to Baltimore and all of her contributions to the city. Ava Richardson will serve as Acting Sustainability Director until a replacement is found.
Keep reading to learn about the incredible JohnDre Jennings of Druid Heights CDC, a number of exciting environmental events, and tons of job and grant opportunities!
Happy Reading!
Baltimore Office of Sustainability Staff
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JohnDre Jennings -- Druid Heights CDC |
Congratulations to JohnDre Jennings who recently became the interim executive director of Druid Heights CDC! As the Director of Real Estate for Druid Heights CDC, Ms. Jennings has been working with Druid Heights' residents, the Druid Heights CDC's board of directors, and other key partners such as the Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development, the Maryland State Department of Housing and Community Development, National Fish and Wildlife Federation, the University of Maryland-College Park, and the Planning Department on a variety of projects to strengthen the economic development of West Baltimore. These projects include the successful construction and sale of six townhomes that were sold to first-time home-buyers, Gold Street Park at 529 Gold Street that remediated a former coal yard in the community, and the Elijah Cummings Nature Play Space built at 1922-1924 McCulloh St.
Ms. Jennings is a strong believer in the importance of green space within urban communities. She started her career in equitable community development by working with various initiatives as a community advocate. After receiving a B.A. in Sociology from Morgan State University, Ms. Jennings received the honor of becoming a Fulbright Scholar and served in South Korea as an English Teacher. Later in the role of Community Schools Coordinator, Ms. Jennings worked with several schools to implement and establish programs and resources for students, parents, and community members within Baltimore City neighborhoods. After working in this capacity, Ms. Jennings worked for nine years with the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development where she served as a lead project manager. In this role, she assisted communities within Maryland to gain access to resources for capital projects. Ms. Jennings continues to value the importance of working in housing and community development. Through her service, she seeks to empower communities of color within the nonprofit sector. In her spare time, Ms. Jennings enjoys reading, jazz, and traveling. Ms. Jennings lives in Baltimore with her son.
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You don’t have to be a climate scientist or city planner to help improve the sustainability and resilience of Baltimore. Everyone has a story to tell about making Baltimore a stronger, fairer, and safer place for all of us. We’ve been collecting stories on our website, and we invite you to share yours with us by posting on social media with the hashtag #EveryStoryCounts and/or by emailing us.
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Grants for Greening Projects |
Join us on Friday, February 25th at 1pm for a free virtual workshop on Grants to Help Your Greening Project. Hosted by the Department of Planning's Baltimore Green Network, learn from Greening Coordinator Kim Knox about the keys to a successful grant to help fund your greening project. You will also hear from funders on what they are looking for in a grant application. Speakers include Greg Burks of the Chesapeake Bay Trust, Brandi Welsh of B'More Beautiful, and Teresa Stephens from the Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development. Sign up here!
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Baltimore Planning Academy -- Applications Open |
The Baltimore City Planning Department is now recruiting participants for their Spring Planning Academy cohort! The Baltimore Planning Academy is a FREE, six-week course that aims to build community leadership around urban planning, policy, and development challenges through a Baltimore lens. Workshops will be held on Wednesday evenings for six weeks beginning April 20, 2022. Workshops will be held primarily virtually, with some in-person outdoor sessions. No experience is necessary; we are seeking community members that are curious and enthusiastic about the topics and Baltimore City!
Please invite your friends and neighbors to apply. Applications open on February 14, 2022, and will remain open through February 25, 2022. Visit this link for more information and to apply. In addition, please check out this link for FAQs on the Academy.
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Sustainability Highlights |
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Compost Bin and Rain Barrel Sale |
To help enable residents to participate in the sustainable practices of home composting and rainwater reuse, Baltimore County will be hosting an online pre-order sale for compost bins and rain barrels. Baltimore City residents are also eligible to participate.
Residents are able to order products online through Thursday, March 31. All orders will be delivered directly to residents’ homes between March 15 and April 30. The following prices include tax:
- Compost bins - $55 each
- Rain barrels - $65 each
- Flat rate delivery charge - $25
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Books + Articles our Staff are Reading |
Visit Black Wallstreet markets, take The Lost History of Frederick Douglas Tour, or learn about state-level efforts to address historic injustices related to the criminalization of cannabis as Maryland considers legalization.
The Port of Baltimore was awarded a $1.8 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the Port’s Diesel Equipment Upgrade Program, which replaces older cargo-handling equipment and dray trucks with newer, cleaner, and more efficient models.
After sputtering late in last year’s General Assembly session, efforts to pass wide-ranging environmental legislation in Maryland have resumed - and lawmakers say they’re optimistic they can find common ground.
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Choose Native Plants for Spring Planting |
As spring approaches, you may be thinking ahead to plan for a garden or other greening project to beautify your outdoor environment or neighborhood. In addition to the beauty that all plants offer, native plants offer extra benefits for our local environment. Native plants are the plant species that occur in an area naturally, rather than being introduced to an area by humans. Native species have evolved to support local wildlife and have adapted to local soil and weather conditions. Using native plants can provide beneficial food sources for pollinators and can require less water and maintenance than non-native plant species.
Whether you are an experienced gardener or just getting started, here are some resources you can use to select plants that are native to the Baltimore area:
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Native Plant Species Selection Guide - A guide that covers the importance of using native plants, when and how to use them in projects, and sources to find and purchase native plants.
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University of Maryland Extension – UMD Extension offers a list of recommended native plants and other information about native plant gardening.
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Patterson Park Audubon Gardening Webinars – PPAC will be offering several sessions of their Intro to Wildlife Gardening and Bird-Friendly Garden Design webinars on Zoom this spring.
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Herring Run Nursery - Blue Water Baltimore’s Herring Run Nursery specializes in plants native to Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The Nursery offers more than 250 native species.
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We Love Feedback
Tell us what you want to hear! Do you have ideas on newsletter content? Or would you like to nominate an organization or person to be featured? Email us at sustainability@baltimorecity.gov.
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Our Mission
The Office of Sustainability develops and advocates for programs and policies that improve Baltimore's long-term environmental, social, and economic viability.
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417 E Fayette St, 8th Floor
Baltimore, MD 21202
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Lead Editor: Aubrey Germ, Climate and Resilience Planner
Newsletter Contributors: Bruna Attila, Coastal Resources Planner; Joanna Birch, Floodplain Manager; Valerie Bloom, Youth Sustainability Coordinator; Abby Cocke, Environmental Planner; Aubrey Germ, Climate and Resilience Planner; Amy Gilder-Busatti, Environmental Planner; Kimberley Knox, Green Network Coordinator; Ava Richardson, Acting Sustainability Director; Kas Tebbetts, Climate Community Engagement Fellow
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