Baltimore Trails Summit
January 28, 2012, 10am – 12pm
Vollmer Center, Cylburn Arboretum
4915 Greenspring Ave Baltimore, MD
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Baltimore City Recreation and Parks Department is holding a Trails Summit on Saturday, January 28th from 10am – noon at the Vollmer Center in Cylburn Arboretum

Baltimore is home to many miles of trails from paved to stream valley foot paths.  Trail users, stewards and partner organizations are invited to attend the Trails Summit to learn more about Baltimore City trails and get involved.

Agenda includes:

• Introduction from Bill Vondrasek, Chief of Parks
• Update on Jones Falls and Herring Run trail construction, improvements and schedule
• Where volunteers are making improvements
• Additional volunteer opportunities
• Planning for National Trails Day

RSVP to molly.gallant@baltimorecity.gov

From the Patterson Park Audubon Center:

Join us downstairs at Bistro Rx on January 26th, 2012 from 4-9.

A portion of dinner and drink sales will be donated to urban environmental education programs at Patterson Park Audubon Center. Be sure to mention Audubon to your server!

2901 East Baltimore Street, 1st Floor
Baltimore, MD 21224

To learn more about the Patterson Park Audubon Center, CLICK HERE.

Post Holiday Swap Party!
January 24, 2012, 7pm
Village learning Place
2521 St. Paul Street
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A great idea from Village Learning Place:

Why shop when you can swap? Ready to purge your unwanted holiday gifts? Got a bunch of junk you’ve been meaning to dump on someone else? Join us at the Village Learning Place library for a neighborhood swap! All unwanted items will be donated to the Goodwill.

The Adultlescents will provide: light refreshments

*Please note that this event is only for those 21 years of age and older!*

This event is brought to you by the Adultlescent Effort. Founded by VLP staff and fellow Charles Villagers, The Adultlescent Effort’s goal is to create programming that engages kids (of the 70′s and 80′s, that is), and spread awareness of the VLP’s impact on the community.

To learn more about Village learn Place, CLICK HERE.

State of Our Earth Eco Conference
Sunday, January 22, 2012, 10am
Cost: FREE
American Visionary Art Museum
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From the American Visionary Art Museum:

In conjunction with the American Visionary Art Museum’s current original exhibition–ALL THINGS ROUND: Galaxies, Eyeballs & Karma–we will be hosting an all day, visionary, ECO CONFERENCE that will be held on the third floor of our Jim Rouse Visionary Center. Featuring keynote speaker Dr. Sandra Steingraber–an authority on environmental links to cancer, and author of the acclaimed book Living Downstream: An Ecologist’s Personal Investigation of Cancer and the Environment. The conference will also feature speakers Dr. Susan Shaw, a marine toxicologist, Doctor of Public Health, and Founder/Director of the Marine Environmental Research Institute (MERI) speaking about the state of our oceans, as well as Dr. Shira Kramer, an epidemiologist and expert witness who founded Epidemiology International–an international organization that focuses on using scientific data to improve community health. Among these top scientists and activists, the voices of indigenous and Native American artists sharing their respective prophetic visions for the upcoming year 2012 will also be heard. The evening program will feature screenings of award-winning films, tours of the Maya-centric gallery in “All Things Round,” and much more!

To learn more, CLICK HERE.

Speak up for Maryland waterways since they can’t speak up for themselves!

From Blue Water Baltimore:

Watch That WIP!

The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) will be hosting meetings around the state to take comments on recently filed Watershed Implementation Plans (WIPs). The MDE is under pressure from all sides to weaken the WIPs, which detail how to reduce the pollution that flows through our waterways and into the Bay.

We have a HUGE opportunity with the comment period coming up, Jan. 15 – Mar. 1. We need volunteers to attend the in-person meetings hosted by MDE and the Agro-Ecology Center and offer comments about how important it is to have strong WIPs. You do NOT need to be an expert– being a concerned citizen who simply shows up and goes on the record is of enormous importance! If you have even an inkling of interest, email Mike Aaron or call 410-254- 1577 x107 (he gets very excited when he gets calls).

To learn more about Blue Water Baltimore, CLICK HERE.

Community Tool Drive
January 15, 2012, 11am – 4pm
Parks & People Foundation
800 Wyman Park Drive, Baltimore
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The Parks & People Foundation, Community Greening Resource Network (CGRN) and Power in Dirt are hosting a Community Tool Drive to collect tools for to be used for vacant lot restoration and the maintenance of community gardens in Baltimore City.

All donated tools will be placed in free tool banks throughout the City that community groups can access in order to implement neighborhood projects related to gardening, park maintenance and community greening.

For more information, please email Katie Dix or call her at (410) 448-5663 ext. 128

BGW’s WINTER GREEN ANNUAL MEETING & HAPPY HOUR
January 11, 2012, 6 p.m.
Red Maple Restaurant & Lounge
930 N. Charles Street, Baltimore 21201
$10 suggested donation

Come celebrate the New Year with BGW.  A chance to sit by the fire while catching up with old friends and a few new.  It’s a great time to make plans for the coming year as we sip on hot drinks and snack on delicious local foods prepared by Chef Colin Innes.

Mid-Week Morning Ride From Downtown to Patapsco Trails

B’More GREEN Ride
Biking In Baltimore Meetup
Wednesday, Jan 4, 2012, 8:45 AM
Panera Bread
600 E Pratt St MAP IT

From Biking in Baltimore:

From B’more Bikes:

Baltimore’s 2nd winter time bike counts are coming up January 10th, 11th & 12th.  While 2 people at each location/time would be ideal, there are some locations/times still vacant.  We need a few more volunteers to help, especially at

Wednesday, January 11, 2012, 7:30-9:30 a.m
Pratt & South
Keswick & Wyman Park

Wednesday, January 11, 2012, 4:00-6:00 p.m.
Keswick & Wyman Park

Thursday, January 12, 2012, 7:30-9:30 a.m.
Keswick & Wyman Park

To sign up, CLICK HERE.

From the Baltimore Department of Public Works:

DPW will provide Christmas tree mulching Monday through Saturday during the entire month of January 2012. Mulching services will be offered from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Reedbird Avenue Citizen Drop-off Center, 701 Reedbird Avenue. Residents may bring their own bags or containers if they wish to collect mulch for their own use. Community groups are also encouraged to bring bags or containers and collect free mulch for neighborhood gardens while supplies last.

For residents who cannot bring their trees for mulching, the Bureau of Solid Waste will offer curbside tree collection from Tuesday, January 3, 2012 through Tuesday, January 31, 2012. Residents should set out trees on their regularly scheduled trash collection day at the same location where their trash is collected. All tinsel and ornaments must be removed from trees before they are set out for curbside collection or mulching.

For additional information, please call 311