Ahead of the March 13 reopening of the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, a crew from the Parks & People Foundation will head over to help the clean-up effort.

Clean Up, Green Up teams will clear debris, care for damaged plants and do some minor building repairs.  The teams are groups of young people hired by Parks & People to prepare for envrionmental careers.

Four teams of five members will head to the zoo tomorrow and Friday.  

They teams were formed last month. They are funded hrough U.S. Forest Service stimulus money. They will also retore urban habitat and watersheds and help with other tasks in community forrestry, trail maintenance, horticulture, landscaping, light construction, invasive plant species removal and trash clean ups and removal during the next 18 months.  The projects aim to help restore the Chesapeake Bay.

“We thought this would be a good way to help out a neighbor and show the spirit of community that Parks & People tries to instill in all of its programs,” said Guy Hager, Parks & People’s Director of Great Parks, Clean Streams and Green Communities, in a statement. “This will be a great opportunity for the teams to get their hands dirty and help out one of our partner organizations.”   

For more information on the Parks & People Foundation’s Clean Up, Green Up teams and other programs, click here or call 410-448-5663.

Baltimore Sun file photo of the Maryland Zoo's Maryland Wilderness Exhibit after being damaged by the snow/Algerina Perna