Climate Action Plan Updates, Camp Small, New Date for Sustainability Open House, and more! |
Dear Baltimore Office of Sustainability Friends,
This last month has been a time of reflection for our office. While there are a lot of challenging world events happening around us, we have been spending some time looking inward to strategize how our office can expand our impact and continue enhancing our work to make Baltimore a more sustainable, equitable, and resilient city. Our staff retreat in April gave us the perfect opportunity for this, and we are extremely grateful to Cylburn Arboretum and Camp Small for hosting us!
We also want to let you know that the date of Baltimore's annual Sustainability Open House has changed. It will now be held on Tuesday, June 14th from 4-7 at Shake and Bake Family Fun Center. The event will feature updates from the Climate Action Plan, environmental justice efforts led by local community-based organizations, plus fun, educational, and engaging activities for all ages. The theme of this year's event is The Art of Climate Action. Come to learn about the efforts taking place across Baltimore to make the city more sustainable, more equitable, and more resilient. Please register here! We are also seeking artists to showcase their climate/environment-themed work at the event. If you are interested, please fill out this form and we will be in touch! We will be offering small stipends for all artists.
Happy Reading!
Baltimore Office of Sustainability Staff
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BOS staff retreat at Camp Small. |
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Camp Small -- Diverting Wood Waste from the Landfill |
Tucked away off of West Coldspring Lane just past Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, Camp Small is a wood waste reutilization yard run by the Baltimore City Department of Recreation & Parks. For many years, downed trees and branches on public property have been taken there to be stored, turned into wood chips, and removed. Now, the best of those logs are also being turned into everything from firewood to benches to garden beds to cladding used in the recent renovation of the Cahill Fitness & Wellness Center in Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park.
The Baltimore Office of Sustainability helped write the proposal that started up the Camp Small project in 2016. Since then, it has been capably run by Shaun Preston and Nick Oster of the Recreation & Parks Department's Forestry Division. The pair have expanded operations at the site with a sawmill, a kiln for drying boards, and a variety of smaller woodworking tools, allowing them to offer an extensive product list open to the public, with discounts for projects at schools or on other public sites.
In April, Baltimore's Office of Sustainability staff visited Camp Small to make coat hooks as a part of our spring staff retreat. The coat hooks consisted of two pegs fixed to a rectangular piece of wood. Before getting started, Shaun explained that the team would be using Ashwood, which is readily available due to many Ash trees being killed by the invasive Emerald Ash Borer. To make things accessible, Nick set up stations for drilling, sanding, wood burn branding, and staining. The experience was very engaging for everyone and gave us insight into the complexity of the work happening at Camp Small. We encourage you to check them out and take advantage of their wonderful work!
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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, safer, and more equitable place. 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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Welcome to Tara Josberger -- Climate Action Plan Outreach Intern |
Tara Josberger is the latest addition to our Climate Action Plan team and is serving as an Outreach Intern focusing on youth engagement. Tara is a recent graduate of Loyola University Maryland, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Biology. She is currently a graduate student at Johns Hopkins University studying Environmental Science and Policy. She even recently traveled to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands to study and observe the incredible biodiversity and beauty of the islands! Tara has worked previously in the Science Education field with students across Baltimore and she is excited to continue to work in education by creating outreach materials to further our community's understanding of climate change in Baltimore.
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Get Involved in our Climate Action Plan Update! |
Our Climate Action Plan team is making progress on our work to update Baltimore's Climate Action Plan (CAP)! A Climate Action Plan sets the strategy for reducing harmful emissions associated with fossil fuel consumption. The original CAP was developed in 2012 and now, 10 years later, the City has set new and ambitious greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets that include achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. Thus, we are in the process of creating a roadmap to carbon neutrality that can benefit all Baltimore residents. We are still in the community engagement phase of this planning effort and have a number of ways that we hope you will engage with us:
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Sustainability Highlights |
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Baltimore Blueway Master Plan Survey |
The Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore is currently seeking public input on the Baltimore Blueway water trail master plan. The organization is looking for feedback from anyone who is interested in water recreation in Baltimore City. The 5-minute survey is available in English and en Español.
The Baltimore Harbor water trail (Baltimore Blueway) is envisioned as an in-water paddling trail around the Inner Harbor, Harbor East, Fells Point, and Middle Branch in Baltimore. With this water trail, the Waterfront Partnership hopes to provide an on-water amenity for exploring and enjoying the ecology, beauty, and rich history of our local waterways. Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore and its partners in the region have begun a planning study to assess the waterfront for the best options for the future water trail. They are excited to include the community in this process and look forward to your input in the survey above.
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Books + Articles our Staff are Reading |
“The history of African-descended people is a history of belonging to nature. But a Google search or scan of mass media, including major environmental publications, would not make evident these truths. In fact, Black Americans are rarely seen in nature settings...This fabulous photo exhibit is filled with heart, soul, and uplifting stories of Black Americans and their deep and fundamental connections to nature.”
"Essayists examine a variety of U.S. places - ranging from New Orleans and Charlotte to Milwaukee and Detroit - exposing racism endemic in the built environment and acknowledging the widespread erasure of black geographies and cultural landscapes... Black people have built and shaped the American landscape in ways that can never be fully known. Black Landscapes Matter is a timely and necessary reminder that without recognizing and reconciling these histories and spaces, America’s past and future cannot be understood."
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Impact of Hurricane Agnes in Harrisburg, PA due to the overflow of the Susquehanna River. 1972. Photo by Paul Vathis/AP. |
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Hurricane Preparedness Month |
This summer marks the 50th anniversary of Hurricane Agnes, one of the most devastating hurricanes to ever hit the state of Maryland. This storm happened relatively early during hurricane season in the month of June. Some locations in Maryland reported water levels as much as 40 feet above normal, and unfortunately, the storm claimed the lives of 19 Marylanders. Now is the time to prepare for the beginning of hurricane season. Be informed by signing up to receive weather and emergency alerts. Create or review your family emergency plan. Assemble an emergency kit. Prepare yourself for possible power outages. Lastly, know that flood losses are not typically covered under renter or homeowner's insurance policies. Consider purchasing flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
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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; Durmon Jones, CAP Outreach Intern; Tara Josberger, CAP Outreach Intern; Quentin Klein-Alfano, CAP Outreach Intern; Kimberley Knox, Green Network Coordinator; Ava Richardson, Acting Sustainability Director
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