Your guide to managing open space inside Baltimore County’s Urban-Rural Demarcation Line just got even better. Introducing The Open Space Guidebook Spring 2021 Edition. Our tool, originally released for the Fall of 2020 to help residents and organizations improve land in their communities, has now been through its first semi-annual touchup. Along with the small edits that were made throughout the guidebook, the funding sources were updated and the entire Scouts BSA contact list was updated as well. Additionally, purchasing your native plants/trees just became much easier with a revamped map and contact list focused specifically on native, non-wholesale options in the Baltimore Area. Most importantly though, a nonprofit section was added with a map for watershed groups, a chart of services provided and descriptions of twelve organizations, including seven new additions.

In creating the nonprofit section of the guidebook, we spoke with several of our partners, as we discussed their role in helping community members manage their open space. County residents may be surprised to know which groups are willing to help out and how.

For one, some major progress was made in the east County where resources tend to be scarcer than Towson or Catonsville. We spoke with Bill Richardson, co-chair of the Baltimore Port Alliance (BPA) as well as an Environmental Manager at the Maryland Port Administration. Bill said that the BPA, given their connection to the port community, would definitely be willing to help organize gardening and community cleanups in the Dundalk area. Meanwhile, Joshua Shetterly, with Churches for Streets of Hope, is working on a putting together a new progressive initiative where homeless individuals would receive stipends to help clean up the community.

Meanwhile, in Towson, we have strengthened our relationship with the Green Towson Alliance and now have a joint-cleanup planned at 10:00 A.M. on Saturday, April 17 ^th at Ridgely Manor Park. The Green Towson Alliance, for those who do not know, is a g- to contact for all community environmental work in the Greater Towson Area.

A few surprise additions to the guidebook came with the City-based organizations, Living Classrooms, The National Aquarium, and Patterson Park Audubon Center, all of whom have previously worked in the County and are willing to do so again. My conversations with Curtis Bennett (Aquarium), Lorraine Warnick (Living Classrooms), and, Erin Reed (Audubon), made it clear that all three organizations have a major focus on environmental education, and would be ideal partners for community workshops.

When it comes to connecting residents with groups that can help manage their community open space, however, the watershed groups are likely able to provide the most assistance. Looking at Back River Restoration Committee (BRRC), Blue Water Baltimore (BWB), Gunpowder Valley Conservancy (GVC) and Patapsco Heritage Greenway (PHG), all four conduct volunteer events for invasive plants and trash removal, all four do tree plantings, and all four host workshops. Additionally, all except GVC host native tree/plant giveaways, which is often the most convenient way to acquire native species for your open space.

BWB, is a frequent partner, who we are in constant contact with and is a no-brainer for any resident in their service area to connect with. GVC is also a frequent partner, but a conversation with Executive Director, Lou Etgen really illuminated some of their cooler efforts, including rain barrel and bird house building workshops that they host. A somewhat less frequent partner than the other two, PHG, is another wonderfully run organization. Speaking with Aaron Shapiro, its Executive Director, it became clear that its annual grants program, which typically offers $25,000 in local funding, and some of Aaron’s ideas for future environmental workshops (of which I will not spoil) put them on the cutting edge. Lastly, it was fantastic connecting with Desiree Greaver of BRRC, another effective group that offers much needed environmental assistance in the East County.

We hope the new additions to The Open Space Guidebook will further help with all of your open space needs. Enjoy and check it out: The Open Space Guidebook Spring 2021 Edition