Parks and People


	Tour the set and stage during “A Night At The Wire,” an event that benefits the Ella Thompson Fund of Parks & People. This great event allows fans to meet their favorite stars from the HBO award winning drama “The Wire.” Tickets are already on sale at this link, so hurry before they are sold out!



	Donate your old cell phones and inkjet cartridges to Parks & People! This spring, instead of throwing away your old cell phone or inkjet cartridge, donate it and prevent toxic chemicals from going into our landfills. Look for our sign in the window of your favorite coffee shop or drop off your old cell phones and inkjet cartridges at our office in the Stieff Silver Building today! Participating coffee shops and bookstores: Barnes and Nobles in Charles Village Charma’s Café Clayton Bookstore Evergreen Café The Mail Stop in Towson One World Café Starbucks on Roland Ave. Xandos



	Sixteen teams rounded the mounds with enthusiasm and excitement to mark the beginning of the 2007 season. Since 1992, the Baltimore Baseball League has used sports as a vehicle for Baltimore City Public School students to reinforce academic achievement for boys and girls beginning at the elementary school level and progressing to teams in middle school.



	As the weather gets warmer, the Gwynns Falls Trail Council is encouraging citizens, community groups, and students to volunteer by cleaning up areas on the Trail. The Gwynns Falls Trail Council Annual Meeting on May 24, 2007 will start off with a tour of the Crimea Estate in Leakin Park, and surrounding areas. The reception and meeting will follow the tour. In addition to the meeting and clean up events, this spring there will be several activities planned in preparation for “Art On the Trail,” which is opening on Saturday, June 2, 2007. Check our events calendar for more details!



	To kick off Baltimore Green Week, the EcoFestival on May 4 in Druid Hill Park will focus on sustainability and the best practices for a clean, healthy Baltimore. This event brings together citizens and activist to celebrate the upcoming season. Parks & People Foundation will be displaying a watershed model at the festival to show the harmful effects of pollution on the Chesapeake Bay.



	To make a donation, contact Jennifer Bedon at 410-448-5663, ext. 124, or click the box below to make a secure credit card gift to the Foundation.

Spring 2007

Flowermart Showcases Our Work

The Parks & People Foundation will be presenting the “Urban Forest,” a participatory walk-through demonstration showcasing examples of an urban stream valley, school yard greening, vacant lot restoration, a recreational trail and much more at the 2007 Flowermart in Mt. Vernon. The exhibit will be open on Friday, May 4, 2007 from 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, May 5, 2007 from 11:00 a.m. –7:00 p.m..

The Parks & People Foundation’s “Urban Forest” will provide educational opportunities for thousands of Flowermart attendees about the importance and benefits of green spaces and caring for our urban environment. In addition, the exhibit shows that help from community members and residents can make our parks and green spaces lively and well maintained places where people can enjoy the outdoors.

This innovative project demonstrates the potential to transform a community into a healthy, vibrant, sustainable neighborhood where people want to live, work, learn, and play! The Parks & People Foundation exhibit will be located in the circle of the Washington Monument at the corner of Charles Street and Monument Street in Mt. Vernon. As an added bonus, visitors will receive a free tree seedling to plant at home!

Students Take the Lead on Arbor Day

Despite the rain, students from four schools close to Farring Bay Brook Park picked up their shovels and went straight to work helping to plant 100 trees in the park in honor of Maryland Arbor Day on April 4. Some of the children involved had never planted a tree, others were seasoned gardeners who helped their parents plant every spring. Regardless of skill, the level of excitement was felt by Home Depot volunteers who guided the children and ensured that safety was the first priority. By mid-day the rain subsided, but the smiles on the students’ faces had not.

On April 27, 2007 KidsGrow students at Franklin Square Elementary School will be learning about the importance of trees in addition to caring for the existing trees at the school. Students will have a chance to mulch and water the growing trees that were planted in the fall during a Parks & People school yard greening. New trees will also be planted in the school yard as a tribute to National Arbor Day.

Green Gathering Teaches and Encourages Stewardship

In honor of the spring season, Parks & People organized a Green Gathering on March 31, 2007 and invited local residents, gardeners, park stewards, and community activists to the Amazing Grace Lutheran Church for hands-on workshops, training sessions and networking. Attendees learned the basics about Baltimore’s urban trees, constructed rain barrels, and participated in workshops on recruiting volunteers, green space and gardening.

Special thanks to Mayor Sheila Dixon, Connie Brown and Jennifer Morgan from the Department of Recreation and Parks, Tim Almaguer with Friends of Patterson Park, and Peter Bruun from Art On Purpose for speaking at this great event! In addition to the speakers, thank you to all of our partners, funders and in-kind donors for their support.

Partners:

Amazing Grace Lutheran Church

Civic Works

Greater Baltimore Master Gardeners, University of Maryland Cooperative Extension

Funders:

The Clayton G. Baker Trust

The Coleman Foundation

The Lockhart Vaughan Foundation

The TKF Foundation

In-Kind Donors:

Giant Food

Safeway

Zeke’s Coffee

Zia’s Café in Towson

Baltimore Subway Systems

SuperKids Camp Honored with Learning Award

Johns Hopkins University Center for Summer Learning honored SuperKids Camp with the Excellence in Summer Learning Award for 2007. According to the Center, “ the Excellence in Summer Learning Award recognizes summer programs that demonstrate excellence in accelerating academic achievement and promoting positive development for young people.”

The award is given once a year and SuperKids Camp was chosen from programs across the country. To find out more about this award, visit this link.

Every summer over the past 10 years, the Parks & People Foundation has operated SuperKids Camp, a six-week highly intensive literacy-based program for elementary school students in the Baltimore City public schools. Now celebrating our 11th year of service to the Baltimore City community, SuperKids Camp has served more than 13,000 children. SuperKids Camp 2007 will take place from June 25 th through August 3, 2007 serving rising 2nd and 3rd grade students.

Baltimore Middle School Lacrosse League Learns Tips and Tricks

Thanks in part to the Trilogy Foundation, Blak Lax, Inc., and Gilman School, the Baltimore Middle School Lacrosse League participated in a clinic that helped them improve their ball control, ground ball pickup, passing and stick skills. The clinic took place in Patterson Park on March 24, 2007 to mark the beginning of the Baltimore Middle School lacrosse season.

Each player received lunch and a free T-shirt to help them remember the day. The teachers at the clinic were members of the Trilogy Foundation who played lacrosse in college and have continued their passion for the sport to this day. Parks & People runs the Baltimore Middle School Lacrosse League for 250 students in Baltimore each spring.

McCormick Spice Company Make A Difference

About 30 volunteers from McCormick Spice Co. spent March 15, 2007 constructing rain barrels and painting two murals in the gym of the Oliver Recreation Center. For one volunteer, the day was particularly meaningful. She played at Oliver Recreation Center as a child growing up in the neighborhood and never thought she would have an opportunity to return and give back - until now.

Fifteen rain barrels were made and two giant murals were painted all in a days work. The murals were of the center’s mascot, Oliver the Owl. The giant owl encompassed two large walls in the gym and helped to transform the space, in addition to honoring the community symbol. Leaf stencils were used on the barrels, giving them an artistic aesthetic as well as functioning as a great way to conserve water. Volunteers had a great time decorating each barrel their own way while assembling each piece.

By placing a rain barrel in your garden, you could potentially make it through some of the hottest summer months with a green garden without worrying about your water bill!