Since 2020, Temple X Schools has mobilized faith institutions and forests to foster childrens' academic and socio-emotional growth through experiential learning. Founder Terris King II credits his background as a second-generation preacher's son here in Baltimore City, his time abroad in China, and his work as Education Coordinator for Act Now Baltimore for contributing to his decision to quit his job as a classroom teacher and start bringing Black boys, whom he saw were stuck inside because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, on nature walks. Temple X Schools now works with seven Baltimore City Public Schools, five private schools in the city and Baltimore County, and seven local churches to develop and lead nature-based learning opportunities for students, curate and steward sacred spaces, bring together children from different backgrounds who would otherwise likely not meet, and show how transformation can come from partnerships between City Schools and faith institutions, with the ultimate goal of Black liberation. You can join Temple X Schools for the free Baltimore Forest School every Saturday morning at the beautiful Stillmeadow Peace Park in southwest Baltimore.

Join us! In March, the Office of Sustainability will host three virtual workshops to discuss community visions for moving climate action forward in Baltimore as part of the city's Climate Action Plan Update. Each of the 3 virtual workshops will be in the same format with discussions around the same topics, so please sign up for just the one workshop that is most convenient for you. Workshop #1 is currently full but the other 2 have plenty of space available:

• Workshop Option #2 Registration Link: Saturday, March 18th, 2023 from 11-1 pm
• Workshop Option #3 Registration Link: Wednesday, March 22, 2023 from 6-8 pm

Please click a registration link above and sign up to reserve your space. All workshop attendees can choose to be compensated for their time at a rate of $25/hour. To ensure we have the necessary information to process your payment, please follow these steps:

1. Register for a date and time above;
2. Fill out, sign, and send in a W-9 to climate@baltimorecity.gov with the subject line “W-9 Workshop #1, 2, or 3” before the workshop and; 
3. Actively participate in the virtual workshop you signed up for. 

Checks will be mailed to the address provided on the W-9 in the weeks following the event you attend. If you need assistance filling out your W-9, please email climate@baltimorecity.gov and we can work with you.

We will also be hosting an upcoming in-person workshop in April that will build off of the virtual workshops so stay tuned for more information. We appreciate your time and look forward to your engagement with us! Your participation will help us create a plan that reflects your community priorities and lived experiences.

The Baltimore Commission on Sustainability currently has vacancies to be filled. The Baltimore Commission on Sustainability is an awesome group of people that collectively oversee the implementation of the Baltimore Sustainability Plan. The Commission is made up of members representing environmental groups, community organizations, labor unions, public health and environmental justice interests, and private industry. Those interested in serving on the Commission may apply at this link to be considered for appointment by the Mayor. Interested residents who are part of demographic groups that have been historically excluded from or unacknowledged for their role in advancing sustainability in Baltimore are encouraged to apply, particularly those engaged in work related to local business, organized labor, nature, or transportation. Please send any questions to Amy Gilder-Busatti, Sustainability Manager, at amy.gilder-busatti@baltimorecity.gov.

Toxic Communities: Environmental Racism, Industrial Pollution, and Residential Mobility by Dorceta Taylor -- NYU Press

Baltimore's youth sustainability leadership team, organizing as Baltimore Beyond Plastic, is reading Toxic Communities by Dorceta Taylor this spring to better understand the connections between racist public policies, the environment, and public health here in Baltimore (which is used as an example in the book), with plans to hold a community talk on the topic in April (more info to come!).

Appalachian Hillsides as Black Ecologies: Housing, Memory, and The Sanctified Hill Disaster of 1972 -- African American Intellectual History Society

"On Wednesday, December 14, 1972, one hundred and fifty people were ordered to evacuate their homes on Sanctified Hill in Cumberland, Kentucky. [...] Instead of providing federal disaster relief directly to disaster victims, local and federal agencies attempted to use the opening of the disaster to turn Black people who had previously owned their homes into permanent renters." This article is part of Black Perspective's "Black Ecologies" series, all of which are worth exploring as well.

BP Dials Back Climate Pledge Amid Soaring Oil Profits -- The Washington Post

BP is scaling back its climate goals and furthering its investments in oil and gas, creating new doubts about big oil companies’ promises to embrace clean energy.

Living sustainability is becoming easier as technology improves ways for people to connect. The Buy Nothing Project exists as a global reuse economy with 128,000 Buy Nothing communities around the world! In these communities, people offer up things they don't need in return for things they do or just so that those items don't end up in the landfill. The spirit of the movement is to give items away to build community connections, save money, and reduce waste. In this TikTok, a Buy Nothing community member trades some homemade Focaccia bread for a printer! The video also provides some information about how the movement began and what it looks like now. What began as a collection of Facebook groups (the Baltimore Buy Nothing Facebook group can be found here) is now so much more. There's an app that can facilitate offering up items as well as a podcast that chronicles the most interesting and emotional stories of Buy Nothing exchanges. While it can sometimes feel like technology is anything but environmentally friendly or sustainable, it feels good to participate in a project which exists "to build resilient communities where our true wealth is the connections forged between neighbors."