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Spring 2020 Newsletter
One Small Tree Makes a Difference
Thirty years ago, on a rainy Earth Day, a group of Kingsville residents, Boy Scouts, and local politicians came together to plant a single tree. It was the first tree planted by the Gunpowder Valley Conservancy (GVC).
Many of you reading this newsletter have helped the GVC plant more trees-- close to 32,000 -- in subsequent years. Together, we have restored over 180 acres of forested land and wildlife habitat within the Gunpowder watershed. And we did it one tree at a time.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused us to cancel our April and May tree planting events this year. We hope that you are able to stay at home and take care of yourself and loved ones. Our thoughts are also with all the essential workers out there in the community. When it is safe again to work outdoors in groups, the GVC will be ready to continue our important environmental restoration work.

Be a part of the solution . Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, which focuses on the theme of climate action, by supporting your local watershed organization.
  • A $25 donation helps plant one native tree that will absorb up to 40 pounds of carbon from the atmosphere.
  • A $50 donation in honor of the 50th Earth Day covers the cost of installing one rain barrel.
  • A pledge to volunteer costs nothing but is invaluable to the GVC. We will need extra volunteers ready to help to make up for lost time.

We thank you in advance for your support of the Gunpowder Valley Conservancy!
Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day
Earth Day connected millions on its first observance in 1970 and is now a global effort. The 50th anniversary of Earth Day is a momentous time to continue and strengthen the efforts to restore the natural resources of the world in which we live, now and for future generations.

It is essential that we maintain connected to the spirit of Earth Day, especially as we are now being called to "Think Globally, Act Locally" for the sake of public health.

We invite you to celebrate Earth Day Anyway throughout the month of April with our curated list of actions you can perform from home. Together, our individual actions will add up to a better tomorrow.

Want to share your discoveries or your Earth Day pledge? We'd love to see your photos on social media with #EarthDayAnyway.
Slow Down. Learn about your Watershed.
Spring usually marks the beginning of the Gunpowder Valley Conservancy's busy season. A time when the weather warms up and volunteers gladly spend their weekends planting trees, clearing invasive vines, and removing trash along streams. Most weekends, we offer between 2 - 4 environmental stewardship activities!

This spring, however, COVID-19 circumstances outside our control require us to slow down. All Gunpowder Valley Conservancy events have been cancelled through April 30 ; future events will be evaluated in upcoming weeks.

While it might be a slow spring, it will definitely not be a silent one! As you celebrate #EarthDayAnyway , we challenge you to make nature observations and learn more about the Chesapeake Bay. What better place to start than your own backyard? How are YOU connected to the Bay?
By learning your home watershed, you can better visualize how water (and potential pollutants) flows from your property to local streams, rivers, and ultimately the Bay. A great local resource is My Neighborhood Baltimore County . Once you enter your home address, scroll down to the "Environmental" section to determine the name of your home watershed.
Make a Difference: Spring Better Waterways
GVC Stream Captains---Because our normally scheduled April Project Clean Stream event has been canceled, we encourage you instead to get outside, with your small family group only,  for what we are now calling a "Spring Better Waterways Clean-up." 

Collect trash from your streams anytime from now through June and send Darcy Herman , GVC Associate Program Manager, your trash result forms and photos of any unusual items you find. We would love to share some good news of stream stewardship with the GVC community in a subsequent newsletter!

Please note that these activities must be limited to the people in your household. Non-family volunteers are not supported by GVC at this time due to COVID-19 recommendations.