Sustain B'more
February 2021 | Issue 9
Celebrating Black History
Dear Baltimore Office of Sustainability Friends,

In recognition of Black History Month, the Office of Sustainability wanted to highlight Black history both in Baltimore and the environmental community, acknowledging that the sustainability field traditionally falls short in addressing racial justice. It can be difficult to find stories celebrating Black environmentalists locally, nationally, and globally, and this should tell us something about the voices that are historically centered and/or erased in the environmental community. The Intersectional Environmentalist does a fantastic job breaking down the exclusionary history of environmental movements and provides tools to "dismantle systems of oppression in the environmental movement."

To begin to shed light on Black leaders in the sustainability community, we encourage you to start by reading about Dr. Robert Bullard, known as the father of environmental justice. Hear from our local youth about their work, including about Shashawnda Campbell of the South Baltimore Community Land Trust, or read about Jacqui Patterson’s work on energy justice at the NAACP. Start planning visits to area landmarks from the Arch Social Club to the Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum. The Baltimore Sun has been doing a series entitled Black History Month Voices featuring commentaries from Black Baltimore-area leaders, and ​Mayor Brandon M. Scott is showcasing Black leaders and civil rights activists from Baltimore with a series of social media posts this month.

Our 2019 Sustainability Plan states, “we cannot meaningfully work for sustainability without deliberately addressing enduring social, economic, and environmental disadvantages that people experience based on their race, ethnicity, and class.” In order to do this work well, we commit to understanding the history of these inequities and of those who have long fought to remedy them, not just this month, but every month all year round.

In reflection and celebration,
Baltimore Office of Sustainability Staff
Community Spotlight
Atiya Wells, pictured on the left, with her team. Photo c/o Backyard Basecamp.
Atiya Wells - Backyard Basecamp
This month we are celebrating local pediatric nurse, nature educator, and urban farmer, Atiya Wells. In 2018, Atiya started Backyard Basecamp, a project to inspire Black, Indigenous, and all people of color across Baltimore City to find nature where they are, and to inspire them to explore further. Since then, she's piloted environmental education programs in public schools, offered training to educators on outdoor education, and developed BLISS Meadows Urban Farm.

BLISS Meadows is a 10-acre land reclamation project in Northeast Baltimore City that was created by weaving together public and private lands to create an urban farm and environmental education center. In partnership with the Baltimore Food Policy Initiative, Atiya and her team have so far distributed over 22,000 pounds of food to neighbors in need during the COVID-19 Pandemic. They are currently in the midst of a capital campaign to renovate a vacant farmhouse on their property.
Ms. Hubbard releasing a monarch butterfly with her students. Photo c/o Ms. Hubbard.
Adreon Hubbard - William Paca Teacher
We are also featuring Adreon Hubbard and congratulating her on her retirement! Ms. Hubbard was an English as a Second Language (ESOL) teacher at William Paca Elementary School and recently retired in January after 30 years of working for Baltimore City Public Schools. In addition to teaching ESOL, she was a long-time greening champion and sustainability ambassador at William Paca, dedicating much of her time to establishing school gardens and creating environmental education opportunities for her students.

Ms. Hubbard says, "My involvement in the greening projects…has been one of the most rewarding parts of my career and provided meaningful experiences for students." Her dedication to the greening of city schools will be missed! Check out the slideshow she has shared with us to see some of her happy, greening moments over the years.
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.
Office Happenings
Two Resiliency Hubs Receive Solar + Battery Storage Systems
Rooftop solar power and battery storage systems were recently installed at two of our Community Resiliency Hub partner sites: Stillmeadow Community Fellowship in the Beechfield neighborhood of Southwest Baltimore and City of Refuge in the Brooklyn neighborhood of South Baltimore. These installations were made possible through a grant from the Maryland Energy Administration and a partnership with Groundswell, Inc., A.F. Mensah, and Suncatch Energy. 
 
Community Resiliency Hubs are frontline community-based and faith-based organizations located in low-income communities of color that partner with the City to help their neighborhoods become more resilient to the impacts of climate change and other hazards. They seek to provide community-centered emergency support, resources, and services to their most vulnerable neighbors. The solar and battery storage capabilities serve to lower utility costs for the organization, improve their ability to remain operational and serving their community during power outages or crisis situations, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and bring renewable energy and back-up power to communities that might not otherwise have access.
 
This is an exciting advancement for the Baltimore City Community Resiliency Hub Program! If you have any comments or questions about the Program, please reach out to Aubrey Germ, Climate and Resilience Planner, at [email protected].
The new solar panels at City of Refuge Baltimore! This project was coordinated through the city's Community Resiliency Hub Program, which is managed by our Office. Photo c/o BoS Staff.
Welcome to our Office Interns!
Lauryn Countess is our Website and Communications Intern. They will be helping update our website and keeping our social media accounts active through the spring season. They are currently an undergraduate student at Oberlin College majoring in Environmental Studies.

Sara Kaiser is serving as a Baltimore Public Allies Fellow in the role of BoS Youth Environmental Leadership Coordinator. She is supporting the Youth Environmental Leadership Team and working on promoting youth engagement with the Baltimore Cities Connecting Children to Nature Initiative.

Brianne Martin is the STATS Intern in our Office. Her role is to work on the new Sustainability, Transparency, and Accountability Tracking System (STATS) database for the purpose of tracking the implementation of the Baltimore Sustainability Plan and other BoS plans and programs. She is pursuing her Master’s of Science degree at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering.
Our awesome interns Lauryn, Sara, and Brianne!
Sustainability Highlights

City Partnership with E-Waste Recycler Helps Close the Digital Divide
Earlier this month, Mayor Scott and the Baltimore City Office of Information and Technology (BCIT) announced a new partnership with e-waste recycler PCs for People. Through this effort, BCIT will collect more than 900 computers and other equipment from city agencies to be refurbished by PCs for People. They will then be donated to low-income students and families in Baltimore City. Devices will be distributed in partnership with agencies including the Housing Authority of Baltimore City and Baltimore City Public Schools. This is an exciting partnership that allows technology retired from use by city agencies to be diverted from landfills while also helping address inequitable access to technology.
Free Recycling Carts for Baltimore Residents
Mayor Brandon M. Scott recently announced that the Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) will provide free recycling carts to all eligible city households this spring. This is made possible in collaboration with The Recycling Partnership and the Baltimore Civic Fund. He stated, “I am pleased to work and collaborate with The Recycling Partnership and the Baltimore Civic Fund to bring equitable opportunities to recycle to Baltimore. I am committed to moving Baltimore toward zero waste. The only way we can do that is if we increase the number of households that recycle. This investment will drastically increase recycling and reduce waste in our city.” 
What We Are Reading
Books + Articles our Staff are Reading
Stories, Personal Essays, and Articles -- The Intersectional Environmentalist
"When looking at the sociology of the US, it is rather clear that black and brown families practiced sustainability before it was cool."

"Grassroots environmental movements like this aren’t new. But in contrast to prior decades when large organizations focused on national legislation dominated the conversation, these local fights are increasingly crucial - and recognized as so - in today’s political environment."
 
Read the full text of the recent Executive Order from The White House Briefing Room.
Local Opportunities
Events + Volunteering
  • Sustainability Commission Monthly Meeting: Wednesday, February 17th from 4-6 pm. The theme is Stories and Tools for Resilience. Commission meetings are on the third Wednesday of each month & always open to the public. Click the link to join the WebEx meeting or call-in at 1-408-418-9388 and use meeting number 1798794700.

  • Planning Your Urban Garden Virtual Workshop: Thursday, February 18th from 6-7 pm. Bmore Beautiful and the Baltimore City Master Gardeners are holding a free weekly online workshop series on urban gardening on vacant lots! The first session will cover planning your garden, with more workshops on the next three Thursdays through March 11th covering soil testing, propagation and crop planning, and pollinator gardening.

  • Blue Water Baltimore Tree Pruning Party on North Avenue: Wednesday, February 24th from 10 am-1 pm. Join Blue Water Baltimore’s Forestry Team to help prune and maintain street trees in West Baltimore communities along North Avenue. Novice volunteers and expert TreeKeepers alike are welcome to attend. This event counts toward your TreeKeepers certification. See the link above for sign-ups, information on how to prepare, and details on COVID-19 safety protocols. Keep checking BWB's event calendar for additional Tree Pruning events in March.

  • TreeKeepers 301: Botanical Nomenclature for Tree Identification: Wednesday, February 24th from 6:30-8 pm. This class will provide an overview of botanical nomenclature, or scientific naming, centered on trees. First-generation TreeKeepers are being invited to re-certify by completing a 300 level TreeKeepers course. All are encouraged to participate! Further, all who are interested in becoming a Baltimore TreeKeeper by becoming certified for tree planting and tree pruning are encouraged to join the 100-level classes and 200-level workshops to be offered later this spring by TreeBaltimore.

  • Baltimore Green Space Medicinal Gardens 101 Workshop Series: Wednesday, February 24th and March 24th from 6-7:30 pm. Baltimore Green Space and Master Gardners are offering a 3-part workshop series on medicinal plants and gardening. This is the second workshop in the series, where Master Gardner Cinnamon Brown will teach how to create your own medicinal garden. See the link above for more information about the workshop sessions and how to register.

  • Environmental Inequities: Public Health Impacts in Baltimore City: Thursday, February 25th from 6-7:30 pm. Combating Toxic Injustices: Grassroots Solutions for Healthy Communities is a storytelling series to understand environmental injustice in Baltimore, the rich history of grassroots organizing, and solutions built by the community for the community. This panel discussion will be the first event of the series, featuring health experts from around the Baltimore area. The first hour will be a facilitated dialogue, centered around the negative health impacts experienced by South Baltimore residents due to many years of disproportionate industrial pollution. The last 30 mins will be set aside for interactive audience Q&A.

  • Weed Warriors Spring Certification Class Series Pre-Registration: Dates and times to be announced. Weed Warriors is a city-wide program focused on restoring Baltimore's urban forest through the removal of invasive plant species by environmental stewards. Certified Weed Warriors are volunteers and advocates permitted to work in parks and remove invasive vegetation without the supervision of park employees. Use the link above to pre-register and be notified when dates and times for workshops are announced. Classes will include a combination of live webinars and outdoor field experience workshops with a limited number of participants. Masks required.

  • The Maryland Insurance Administration Virtual Open House: Thursday, February 25th from 11 am-2 pm. You will have the opportunity for a one-on-one conversation with an expert to discuss issues or questions about home, flood, auto, life, health, renters, and commercial insurance. You can register for this event on Eventbrite at the link.
Funding + Jobs

  • Community Engagement Mini-Grants: The Chesapeake Bay Trust Community Engagement Mini-Grant provides up to $5,000 to non-profits, community associations, faith-based organizations, and others that lead activities such as tree plantings, rain garden installation, stream cleanups, and other projects to enhance communities and improve natural resources. Requests are accepted on a rolling basis until funds are expended.

  • FY21 Chesapeake Bay-Watershed and Training (B-WET) Program: This funding opportunity is from the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office and it focuses on one of the following two priorities: 1) increasing local school district capacity to plan for and deliver curriculum-embedded environmental education and 2) implementing system-wide MWEEs in school districts. Applications are due by March 1st, 2021.

  • Care-A-Lot Grant Program: This program provides support for Baltimore City non-profits or community organizations with 501c3 status who are able to mow and help maintain vacant lots in the City during the "Growing Season." Organizations can receive up to $22 per lot for up to 25 lots for a maximum of 10 mows per year. The deadline to apply is March 1st. For more information, email [email protected].

  • The Chesapeake Bay Green Streets, Green Jobs, Green Towns (G3) Grant Program: This opportunity is funded by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Chesapeake Bay Trust with support from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The goal of this grant program is to help communities develop and implement plans that reduce stormwater runoff, increase the number and amount of green spaces in urban areas, improve the health of local streams and the Chesapeake Bay, and enhance quality of life and community livability. Local governments such as municipalities, non-profit organizations, neighborhood/community associations, and other nonprofit entities can apply. Awards range from up to $15,000 for conceptual plans, up to $30,000 for engineered designs, up to $100,000 for implementation projects, up to $50,000 for community greening projects, and up to $20,000 for white papers. The deadline to apply is March 4th, 2021.

  • The RAY Diversity Fellowship: This fellowship for recent graduates is a two-year (1-year with 1-year renewal), full-time position with partner conservation and clean energy organizations with the goal of increasing and facilitating environmentally-related career pathways for emerging leaders of color. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis through March 15th, 2021.
Turtle Tip of the Month
Photo c/o Baltimore City DOT.
Road Salt and our Waterways
When it snows, a massive amount of salt (sodium chloride) can be applied to our roads. While the salt makes roads safer for driving, it can wreak havoc on our waterways. The Maryland Department of Transportation has actually been working with municipalities to reduce the use of road salt by encouraging the use of a brine mixture (22% salt and 78% water). Here are some simple tips from a Blue Water Baltimore blog post on how you can reduce your own salt use this winter:

  • Shovel, shovel, shovel. The less snow and ice in your path, the less salt you will need to put down.
  • Do not apply salt at temperatures less than 15˚ as it will not melt ice at such low temperatures.
  • Use less than 4 pounds (4 large coffee cups) of salt per 1,000 square feet (6.5 parking spaces).
  • Avoid sodium chloride. It is best to use sand or sawdust to add traction and avoid road salts altogether, but if you do buy de-icer, make sure it does not contain sodium chloride.
  • When the snow melts, sweep up any leftover salt. If you don’t, water will pick it up and carry it to a stream through our storm drain system.

Check out https://snow.baltimorecity.gov/ for more information on snowstorm preparedness in Baltimore.
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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.
Stay in touch!
417 E Fayette St, 8th Floor
Baltimore, MD 21202
Editor-in-Chief: Aubrey Germ, Climate and Resilience Planner

Newsletter Contributors: Bruna Attila, Coastal Resources Planner + Acting Floodplain Manager; Abby Cocke, Environmental Planner; Amy Gilder-Busatti, Environmental Planner; Kim Knox, Green Network Coordinator; Lisa McNeilly, Sustainability Director; Anika Richter, Youth Sustainability Coordinator; Lauryn Countess, Communications Intern; Sara Kaiser, Baltimore Public Allies Fellow; Brianne Martin, STATS Intern