Feeling like playing Johnny Appleseed?  Blue Water Baltimore needs volunteers to help plant heirloom apple trees Friday (Dec. 2) in Carroll Park, at 1500 Washington Blvd.

The area watershed group will be working with elementary school students from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to put the trees in the ground.

Assistance welcomed. Gloves, tools and training will be provided.

For more info, contact Suzie at slmerryman1@yahoo.com

(Photo:  Students from Baltimore Talent Development High School plant fruit trees in Carroll Park, 2006.  Baltimore Sun photo by Kim Hairston)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 6:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

"Take two walks and call me in the morning."  Could that be a new mantra from physicans for whatever ails us?

On Saturday, Nov. 12, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., local pediatricians will be at Herring Run Park in Baltimore to promote nature and outdoor exercise as prescriptions for fending off chronic diseases like diabetes and obesity.  Among them will be Dr. Maria Brown, of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, whose nature-therapy effort was featured last year in the Baltimore Sun.

The event is sponsored by the Greater Baltimore Child and Nature Collaborative.  Free and open to the public, it will feature nature hikes, bicycling tours, a healthy cooking demonstration, wildlife expo and more. Those families or individuals who complete a prescribed set of activities are eligible for a free prize while supplies last.

(Dr. Maria Brown; 2010 Baltimore Sun photo by Barbara Haddock Taylor)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 12:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

An autumn potpourri of things happening this weekend:

Trees: It's autumn, ideal time to plant a sapling. Baltimore County is having a big tree sale from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday.  The costs range from $20 - $30. The event will be held at the Baltimore County Center for Maryland Agriculture, 1114 Shawan Road.  For details, go here. 

Stream cleanup: The Friends of Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park plan to clean up the stream that flows through the park's Winans Meadow, from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday. There's plenty of debris to clear from the tropical storm flooding last month. Gloves will be provided. Meet at the parking lot of Winans Meadow at 4500 Franklintown Road, 21229. For additional information, call 410-566-2230.

Park reopening:  When you're done planting trees or clearing stream debris, why not head over to Robert E. Lee Park and check out the $6.1 million facelift it got while closed the past two years?  There's a new bridge, a new half-mile boardwalk across wetlands and a new dog park (though you'd better keep your pooch on leash, and clean up after him or her!)  It officially reopened today (Friday, Oct. 14), but there'll be activities Saturday as well.  On Lakeside Drive, near Falls Road.  For directions, go here.

(Walking dogs on at rehabilitated Robert E. Lee Park. Photo by Noah Scialom)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 4:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore has more than polar bears and prairie dogs to show its visitors. Just look up!

In addition to some 1,500 animals on exhibit, the lush 135-acre compound in Druid Hill Park boasts some champion trees, such as the number one osage orange in Baltmore city, seen at right.   This giant is 76 feet tall, with a trunk that's 20 feet 1 inch around.

There's also a state champion bur oak in the African exhibit, measuring 87 feet in height and 11 feet 4 inches circumference.  Plus another city champion, a white ash, and two finalists, a towering 148-foot tulip poplar and a white oak.

The trees earned their champion or near-champion status under the state's Big Tree Program, which measures trees all over Maryland and seeks to identify and preserve the biggest and most magnificent of them - most in people's "backyards."

Though its primary focus remains on its wildlife, the zoo's decided to shine a bit of a spotlight on its arboreal splendor.  It's posting informational signs by these and some other notable trees on the grounds.  Sheryl Heydt, the zoo's curator of horticulture, is holding the osage orange sign in the picture at left. 

Other trees of interest include a Turkish filbert, which Heydt says she's been told are very rare in these parts, a sapling from the Wye oak, the venerable tree destroyed by a storm in 2002, and a beech that's showing its age - with the date 1907 carved in its trunk. Such graffiti is prohibited today, but it's a reminder that the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is the third oldest in the country, established in 1876.  Only Philadelphia (1873) and Cincinnati (1874) have older zoos.

So stop by and check out the zoo's trees in addition to its animals. For those who want a more in-depth exposure, there's a tree identification walk on Monday, Oct. 10, where visitors can stroll through the grounds and learn to spot them by their leaf, bark, twig, and fruit characteristics.  The session is for early risers, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. It's free to zoo members, and registration is required. More here.

(Photo at top of osage orange courtesy Maryland Zoo in Baltimore)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 9:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Some environmental groups are panning the debt reduction deal struck by Democratic and Republican leaders in Washington.

Friends of the Earth called for members of Congress to reject the plan to cut nearly $1 trillion in federal spending now, with another $1.5 trillion in debt reduction to be worked out later. Friends President Erich Pica contended that if only cuts were made, they would undermine enforcement of environmental laws, among other federal functions.

"It is likely to mean more people drinking poisoned water and breathing polluted air, and a slower transition to a clean energy economy," Pica said.

The Wilderness Society also warned that the deal would slash spending on conservation and environmental programs.

Others said environmental spending doesn't seem to take a major hit right away in the deal, but could in the second round of debt reductions.

Gov. Martin O'Malley, for instance, said he worried that environmental protections would suffer without a more "balanced" approach of raising revenues as well as cutting spending.

Speaking to reporters after addressing a national environmental conference in downtown Baltimore, O'Malley said of the deal: "It could undermine the progress that we are working towards not only in the jobs recovery but also in the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay.

"Cuts sound great," he added. "Members of Congress, some of them like to pound their chests, look into the camera and say ‘cuts, cuts, cuts,’ But there are certain things that we can only do together, and protecting the environment, protecting our nation’s borders, protecting our homeland security, these are things we have a federal government to accomplish."

(Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. speaks to press in Capitol. AFP/Getty photo

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 6:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Maryland's ocean and Chesapeake Bay beaches ranked 16th cleanest for swimming and wading in the latest nationwide survey by the Natural Resources Defense Council. Delaware's Rehoboth and Dewey beaches, though, earned "superstar" ratings for the quality of their water and their monitoring.

Overall, seven percent of the water samples taken last year at the state's 70 coastal beaches exceeded health standards for bacteria that could make bathers sick, the national environmental group reported in "Testing the Waters," its 21st annual report on beach water quality.

Tolchester Beach Estates in Kent County was the worst, with 43 percent of samples registering unsafe bacteria levels, followed by Elk Neck State Park in Cecil County (26 percent) and the YMCA's Camp Tockwogh, a youth camp in Kent County.

The NRDC rated Ocean City's beach in the top tier of water quality, with just 3 percent of the weekly water samples there showing high bacteria counts. But NRDC noted that its "superstar" beaches like Rehoboth and Dewey had tallied zero bacteria exceedences in the past three years.

In the Baltimore area, unsafe bacteria levels were detected in 7 percent of the samples taken at Anne Arundel County beaches, and in just 2 percent of tests done at Baltimore County's beaches - though one beach there, in the Hammerman area of Gunpowder State Park, had swimming advisories in effect for 24 days.

The 7 percent of high bacteria measurements at Maryland's beaches last year represented an increase over 2009, the NRDC reports, when just 3 percent of samples exceeded daily maximum bacteria standards.

Maryland's beaches generally rated a little cleaner than the national average, according to the NRDC report, which found that 8 percent of samples exceeded health standards.

But beach closings and swim warnings nationwide shot up last year, the NRDC said, to its second highest level in the 21 years the group has been collecting beach water quality data. It said there were a variety of reasons for the increase, including heavy rains in Hawaii, the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and unknown sources of contamination along the California coast.

While the offshore drilling rig blowout forced beach closures in the Gulf, the main sources of contamination nationwide are storm-water runoff and weather-related sewage overflows, the NRDC says. It urged the federal government and states to do more to curb runoff, including requiring the use of porous pavement and installation of rain gardens and green roofs to soak up rainfall, rather than letting it wash pollutants into nearby streams.

"We still have a lot to do to clean up America’s beaches," said David Beckman, the NRDC's director of water programs. "A day at the beach doesn’t have to mean getting skin rash or dysentery as a souvenir of your vacation."

To see the entire report and a state-by-state breakdown, go here.

(Ocean City, Baltimore Sun photo by Gene Sweeney Jr.)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 10:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

Sunday is the 9th annual Tour Dem Parks, the yearly bike ride through Baltimore’s parks and neighborhoods.

With the heat easing off, it's a great chance to enjoy the city's green gems, like Carroll, Leakin, Patterson, Clifton and Druid Hill parks. There's a choice of routes to match riders' abilities, from a 12-mile "family" jaunt up and down the Gwynns Falls Trail to the 64-mile Metric Century that's for serious road warriors indeed.

There are rest stops at Patterson, Herring Run, Druid Hill, and Leakin parks, with complimentary snacks, Gatorade and water, plus toilets or port-o-johns and even bike mechanics to help keep you rolling. And when you finish, there's a barbecue and live music at Carroll Park to wind down.

Cost is $20 for children 15 and younger, $40 per adult. Even though it's fun, it's also a fund-raiser, okay? The money goes to help gussy up the parks, print trail maps, create rain gardens and the like. For more on that, go here.

Rides start in Carroll Park, 1500 Washington Blvd, and run from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Go here to register in advance. If you'd rather not ride but want to be part of the scene, they're looking for volunteers to staff registration and rest stops.

(2008 Tour Dem Parks, Baltimore Sun photo by Algerina Perna)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 12:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

With Memorial Day approaching, summer is almost upon us - a great time to get outdoors and explore some of the many parks around us.

What are your favorite places for hiking, picnicking and enjoying the outdoors? One of mine is Swallow Falls State Park, boasting some of the most gorgeous scenery in Maryland.

Near Oakland in Garrett County, it's a 3 1/2 hour drive from Baltimore, a bit beyond Deep Creek Lake, but worth it. It's an awesome place of rushing mountain streams, majestic forest and roaring waterfalls. Muddy Creek Falls, seen above in a short video I shot recently, is the state's highest free-falling waterfall, with a 53-foot drop.

Swallow Falls also harbors the state's largest remaining stand of Eastern hemlocks, towering evergreens that once covered much more of the landscape. A 40-acre patch of hemlocks there somehow escaped the logger's saws, making it one of just a handfull of old-growth forests in Maryland. You can also hike along scenic and wild Youghiogheny River.

The park has a picnic area, pavilion, playground and nature programs during the summer, as well as tent camping. A few miles south is Herrington Manor State Park, featuring a 53-acre lake, boat rentals and 20 cabins for rent.

If you're wondering what parks are near you, outdoor gear maker North Face has a handy web locator. And as part of its annual "Explore Your Parks" promotion, the company offers a free state park day pass with purchase of any of its products.

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 8:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Green Week has begun in Baltimore, and it's already sprouting some interesting activities.

On Wednesday, students, parents, staff and volunteers started a "vertical garden" at Kennedy Krieger High School, planting seeds in soil-filled pouches hanging on a chain-link fence. It's a great way to grow in a small urban space.

Woolly Pocket provided a grant and the pouches, while local gardening outfit Baltimore Contained provided technical assistance. If you'd like to see vertical gardening demonstrated, there'll be another chance on Sunday, April 17, from 2-4 p.m. at the school, 3825 Greenspring Ave.

Today (Thursday, April 14), there's a multidisciplinary art exhibition, entitled " Regeneration," focused on the theme of balancing the needs of people, the economy and the environment. Fifteen local artists will present works on various media, some using reclaimed building materials. Appropriately, the exhibit is at Second Chances, which sells salvaged materials, at 1400 Warner St., south of M&T Bank Stadium. It's from 5 to 10:30 pm. and free. Curated by Jason Meyer.

For more Green Week events, go here.

(Photo courtesy Baltimore Green Works)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 9:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

As if you need an excuse to spend a day at the beach, Assateague Island National Seashore is waiving entrance fees during National Park Week from April 16 through 24.

Normally, the seashore charges $15 for a seven-day vehicle pass, $10 for motorcycles or $3 per individual for the day - and no charge if on foot or bicycle.  There'll be ranger-led programs all that week in both the Maryland and Virginia portions of the seashore south of Ocean City, and April 23 is National Junior Ranger Day.

It won't be just Assateague that'll be free that week.  The entire National Park system is waiving entrance fees to encourage visitors. Its motto: Healthy Parks, Healthy People.  For more, go here.

(Wild ponies at Assateague Island National Seashore.  2009 Baltimore Sun photo by Kim Hairston)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 10:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Funding for preserving open space and farmland remains uncertain as the Maryland General Assembly races to finish its 90-day session by midnight.

The House of Delegates opted to take the property transfer tax revenues traditionally earmarked for preservation to help balance the overall state budget. But as they did last year, the delegates proposed replacing the transferred revenues with borrowed money - from a bond issue.

The Senate, on the other hand, apparently has followed the advice of legislative budget analysts in taking most of the transfer-tax revenues outright, and not replacing them with bond funds.

If the Senate gets its way, all funding for state purchases of parkland (projected to be $4.4 million) would be eliminated, according to Kelly Carneal of 1000 Friends of Maryland.  So would all funds for the Rural Legacy land preservation program ($14.1 million) and all the nearly $4.4 million that would have gone to the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation.

The two chambers did agree not to whack open-space funding for local governments, meaning counties and municipalities will still be able to buy land and fix it up for ballfields and local parks. But if the Senate prevails, there'll be a lot less land preserved in the coming year.

Some lawmakers have argued that the state can't afford to be buying parkland when so many other things are being cut to balance the budget. But environmentalists counter that this is the ideal time to be preserving, when land prices have softened as a result of the recession.

House and Senate must resolve their differences before the day is out.

"It's down to the wire, of course," Carneal emailed me this morning.

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 10:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Friends of Blackwater, the volunteer group supporting Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge on the Eastern Shore, are atwitter over the imminent hatching of as many as three baby bald eagles there. 

You can join their vigil, via the group's Eagle Cam, which gives onlookers a bird's eye view of the nest.  The group has been watching the nest for a bit, and earlier recorded three eggs in it. They're expecting the first hatch any time now, though no obvious cracking has been spotted yet.  It'll take the chicks up to 24 hours to work their way out of the shell, so you can check in and out.  The cam gives new snapshots every 15 seconds.

The Friends have cameras tracking eagles and ospreys at the sprawling refuge, and they've got a neat blog explaining what's been happening and what to expect.  There's also video, which you can catch on YouTube.   Watch the male eagle bringing food to the female as she sits on the eggs, and other action around the refuge.

For those who can't get enough of our national bird, the refuge is having an Eagle Festival March 12.  Check it out here.

(Photos courtesy Friends of Blackwater)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 11:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

One of the wild horses at Assateague Island National Seashore was shot and killed over the weekend during an authorized deer hunt there, the National Park Service reported today.

The 28-year-old bay mare was found Saturday by a hunter and reported to a park ranger the following day. Superintendent Trish Kicklighter was quoted in the release saying that she hoped the shooting was accidental, but an investigation is under way.

While most national parks do not allow hunting, it was authorized by Congress when it created the national seashore in 1965. Several hunts are held there every fall and winter to help control populations of white-tail and sika deer on the barrier island.

Sika deer were introduced in 1920, and park service officials say without hunting to limit their numbers the non-native deer would harm the island ecosystem. While there's been concern about the wild horse population outgrowing the resources of the seashore as well, the park service has been controlling that by treating mares with contraceptives.

The National Park Service is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to arrest of the individual (or individuals) involved in killing the horse. Even if the shooting was accidental, failure to report it violates federal regulations. Anyone with information is encouraged to call Chief Ranger Ted Morlock at 410) 629-6055 or email ted_morlock@nps.gov

For more on the seashore and its horses, go here.

(Wild horses at dusk at the old ferry landing, Assateague Island National Seashore, 2003 Baltimore Sun photo by Algerina Perna)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 3:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

The long wait is over.  Chevy Volts are starting to roll into Baltimore.  Randy Schilling of Catonsville recently became one of the first - if not numero uno - in the area to get the plug-in car that's "more car than electric," as the Detroit carmaker's ad pitch goes.   So far, he says he's loving it.

Schilling, 36, took delivery of his "cybermetallic" gray Volt last week from a dealer in Fredericksburg, Va.  He needed the gasoline engine to get it home - the driving range of the battery is about 50 miles under ideal conditions, less in cold weather like we have now.  

Since then, though, he reports he's been able to rely on battery power for the bulk of his driving around town and for getting to and from work at Fort Meade, where he's commander of a military police detachment.

"She has been definitely turning heads and getting me lots of smiles and thumbs up while I am driving," he emailed me this week.

Volts are trickling into the Washington area as they roll off the assembly line, and dealers told me in November they had waiting lists.  Schilling says he lucked out - a buyer ahead of him from Florida backed out, enabling him to join the ranks of pioneers in what he predicts will be a revolution in the electrification of transportation. 

"At some point in time we've got to start easing our dependence on foreign oil," said Schilling, who's been to Iraq.  And he says his commitment to going electric has only grown with the recent rise in gasoline prices to around $3 a gallon.

What's nice about the Volt, he says, is it's more than a gas-sipper - it's fun to drive.  He traded in a Lexus RX400 hybrid for it.  "It doesn't drive like a hybrid,"  he says. "Driving on pure electric, it just takes off."

He paid nearly $43,700 for his Volt, a sticker price larded with options, including heated leather seats.  A year from now, he can take a $7,500 credit on his federal income taxes.  He's also eligible for a state tax credit of up to $2,000.

Price aside, Schilling says he believes electric cars are here to stay.  "I'm sure this is going to kick off a major trend," he says.  "Once people can see .. it's not pokey, they 'll catch on."

That's not to say he wouldn't be willing to pay less to be a pioneer.  The all-electric Nissan Leaf sells for about $10,000 less fully loaded, but it's been slower to make its way to the East Coast.  "Maybe I'll buy a Leaf next year," Schilling said.

Continue reading "B'more goes electric, with a Volt" »

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 6:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

Workers for the Parks & People Foundation and volunteers pitched in Thursday to remove invasive vines and brush along Gwynns Falls Trail in Westport.

The shore along the northern edge of the south Baltimore neighborhood has been badly overgrown for years, making it hard to know there's even a stream there, much less get to it. 

This cleanup project is one of a number lately in Westport, where a massive mixed-use development is planned near where the Gwynns Falls empties into the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River.  Others involved in the project were Enterprise Holdings (the rental car company) and Westport Community Partnerships, an initiative backed in part by Turner Development Group.

(Spoon Smith, 34, left, from Baltimore, and Kevin Alexander, 55, from Brooklyn, members of Parks & People's Green Up, Clean Up team clear out invasive vines along the Gwynns Falls Trail in Westport. Baltimore Sun photo by Gabe Dinsmoor.)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 12:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Capt. John Smith was the Chesapeake Bay's original tour guide, sailing and paddling with his crew of English settlers over 3,000 miles of water then teeming with forests, fish and wildlife - not to mention native Americans.

Smith's early 17th century travels, recorded by him in maps and writings, are now officially memorialized as the nation's first water trail, authorized by Congress in 2006.  It's still a work in progress, though, and now the National Park Service has drawn up a comprehensive management plan that weighs how to improve public access to the trail and how best to use it to educate people on the bay's natural history and its native culture.

One idea - the park service's "preferred alternative" - is to flesh out a land route complementing Smith's water travels. That would ensure that the trail isn't reserved solely for hardy outdoors types in kayaks and canoes -a  big plus.  But it also could add appreciably to the trail's expense and change the experience, too. 

The plan also talks about placing more historic signs and education centers around the bay and preserving those bits of the landscape that still resemble the wilderness Smith traveled through 400-plus years ago.

Members of the public have until Nov. 5 to share their views about how they'd like to see the trail developed and managed over the next 20 years.  To learn more about the trail, go here and here.  To see the plan and comment on it, go here.

("Smiths Falls" historic marker on Route 222 north of Port Deposit, where explorers paddled up Susquehanna River until stopped by rocks.  2005 Baltimore Sun photo by Kim Hairston)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 6:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, a stunning expanse of marsh and wildlife on the Eastern Shore, is getting a bit bigger.

Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin, D-MD, announced today that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is buying 766 acres on the eastern portion of the refuge, at a cost of $2.4 million.

The 27,000-acre refuge in Dorchester County holds a third of Maryland's tidal wetlands and provides major habitat for migratory waterfowl, bald eagles and other wildlife.  The 766-acre "Spicer tract" expansion was accomplished in cooperaiotn with the Conservation Fund, which bought the land last year and then sold it to the federal government. 

In geographically related news, plans are taking shape for the Harriet Tubman State Park Visitor Center near the refuge, the state Department of Natural Resources announced.  The center is scheduled to be built by 2013 on the 17.3-acre tract that the state acquired in a swap with the federal wildlife service.  The DC-based Conservation Fund played a role in that deal as well.

The center is to feature interpretive exhibits recounting Tubman's life growing up in slavery on the Shore, her work with the Underground Railroad to free other slaves after she'd escaped at age 27 and her civil rights advocacy.  The park is to include a walking trail, reflecting pond and pavilion.

Cardin, Sen. Barbara Mikulski and Rep. Frank Kratovil, D-MD, have introduced legislation to create a national historical park honoring Tubman.

(Baltimore Sun photos of Blackwater: aerial view, 2005, by Doug Kapustin; bald eagle, 2002, by Jerry Jackson)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 2:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

On this day in 1860, Baltimore's Druid Hill Park was dedicated, making it the third oldest public park in the country.  

After serving as an encampment for Union troops during the Civil War, the former estate became a green magnet for generations of Baltimoreans to stroll, drive and play, acquiring a minaret-topped bandstand and conservatory.  The city's first public park is also home to the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore.

Festivities marking the park's anniversary concluded over the weekend, but it's not too late to enjoy its 745 acres of natural splendor - or to contribute to it by paying to plant a tree.  For more on the park and how to help green it, go here.

(Youngsters enjoying tennis lesson during Druid Hill Park's 150th anniversary festival.  Special to the Baltimore Sun by Colby Ware)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 8:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

All paths lead to Linthicum today, as nearly 200 outdoor enthusiasts and officials are expected to convene there for Maryland's first "trails summit."

The daylong event will feature presentations and brainstorming on how to improve - and improve access to - all the trails used by untold thousands of hikers, bikers, pet lovers, horse riders, paddlers and even commuters. It's an outgrowth of four reigonal roundtable discussions held this summer to mull the future of the state's trails system.

"System," though, may be a generous term, as no one seems to have a handle on how many trails there are overall in the state. The state Department of Natural Resources maintains more than 1,000 miles of land-based trails, plus another 600 miles over water, according to John Wilson, DNR's trails coordinator. But there are many more that have been blazed by federal and local governments and by nonprofit groups, he says.

It's too late to register for the summit, but go here to learn more about it and have your say.

(Bicyclists ride beneath Carrollton viaduct on Baltimore's Gwynns Falls Trail. 2008 Baltimore Sun photo by Algerina Perna)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The first weekend of fall brings yet another celebration/fundraiser for a local green group. 

This one's for the Gunpowder Valley Conservancy, which for nearly 21 years has been working to preserve land and safeguard streams in the 450-square-mile watershed that furnishes 61 percent of the Baltimore region's drinking water.  The Gunpowder River drains portions of Carroll, Baltimore and Harford counties, and even a bit of York County, PA.

The conservancy's putting on "An Evening in the Woods" Saturday (9/25) from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Camp Puh'Tok in Monkton.  There'll be food, local wines, a silent auction and live music.  Tickets are $65 each.  For details, go here.

(Jericho Road covered bridge crossing Little Gunpowder Falls; 1995 Baltimore Sun photo by Algerina Perna)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 11:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Events, Parks, Volunteer
        

Here's your chance to get back to the beach -- or at least to help keep it clean and safe, wherever you live. 

Saturday (9/25) is the 25th annual International Coastal Cleanup, when hundreds of thousands of volunteers pick up millions of tons of trash and debris that's either on the shore - or destined to wash up there, after it gets dropped in a parking lot, street or vacant lot.

Last year, nearly 500,000 volunteers worldwide collected more than 7 million pounds of trash, according to the Ocean Conservancy, which coordinates the cleanup efforts of local environmental groups.  Here in Maryland, about 45,000 individual pieces of debris got rounded up.

There are about two dozen cleanups planned across Maryland, from Ocean City and Assateague Island to Antietam Creek near Hagerstown.  Ten of them are in the Baltimore area - three in the city, two in Baltimore County, three in the Annapolis area and one each in Harford and Howard counties.  The city cleanups are at Fort McHenry, Fells Point and the Jones Falls trailhead.

Not all are on the waterfront, you say?  That's because the bulk of the trash that winds up on our beaches starts out being dropped or dumped inland, then gets washed into a nearby storm drain or stream and on into the ocean or Chesapeake Bay.

The cleanup by the manmade wetland at Fort McHenry - already has all the volunteers it can handle.  But the rest, I'm told still could use some volunteers.  The weather promises to be fair.  To find and sign up for a cleanup near you, go here.

(Cleanup by Fort McHenry, 2009. Photo by Geri Schlenoff, state coordinator, Int'l Coastal Cleanup)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 8:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Chesapeake Bay, Events, Parks, Volunteer
        

Speaking of young people doing good green work, 305 of them "graduated" last week from Maryland's Civic Justice Corps, after five weeks of park restoration work, team building and learning about the natural world.

Five-member crews did trail maintenance, tree planting, beach cleanups and other restoration work at Gunpowder, Patapsco Valley, North Point, Assateague, Seneca Creek and Susquehanna state parks, plus Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary.  It wasn't all chores, as they also got time to hike, camp, canoe and do some artwork.

The program, an offshoot of the Maryland Conservation Corps, provides paid summer work and learning opportunities for at-risk youths from Baltimore city and elsewhere.  Now in its third year, it's nearly tripled in size.  The Sun's outdoors writer, Candus Thomson, highlighted their work recently in a nice feature story. 

(Baltimore Sun photo by Candus Thomson)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 9:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Obama administration officials are slated to come to Annapolis Friday to hear from the public on how to promote conservation and stewardship of the nation's lands and waters.

It's another in a series of "listening sessions" the administration is holding around the country on its "Great Outdoors Initiative," which aims to hear from Americans on how to protect those treasured places they love and how to work cooperatively to reconnect people to nature. 

The event will be from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, 801 Chase Street in Annapolis. Senior officials from the U.S. Interior and Agriculture departments (Ken Salazar taking a break from keeping his boot on BP's neck?) the Environmental Protection Agency and the White House Council on Environmental Quality are scheduled to be there. 

Among those planning to give them an earful will be advocates for increasing public access to the Chesapeake Bay, and for preserving more of its special places.  For more on the Chesapeake Gateways network, go here.  For more from from conservation activists, go here.

(2007 Baltimore Sun photo, kayaking on the Eastern Shore, by Lloyd Fox)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 10:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

For a different way to spend a summer Sunday - or something to do while waiting for the Ocean City traffic to clear - how about a leisurely tour of the scenic farms, parks, preserves and historic homes of the Eastern Shore?

The Eastern Shore Land Conservancy - celebrating its 20th anniversary this year - kicks off its summer tour series this Sunday (June 20) by providing directions to some choice spots in Talbot County - including ones rarely if ever open to the public. Don't know if the itinerary takes you to picturesque Neavitt (harbor seen at left), but there's a mix of historic homes and at least one park, all preserved through the conservancy's work.

"It’s a great opportunity to look past all of the development on the Eastern Shore and appreciate the rural areas that are thriving,” Rob Etgen, ESLC Executive Director, says on the group's website.

It's also a bit of a fund-raiser. The $25 ticket price covers all five tours, though, which are offered through the summer and into the fall.  Sites to be visited are open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Tours are self-guided, and tickets must be purchased before maps and directions are provided. To join the tour this Sunday, contact Jennifer Pollard at 443-480-0282. For later tours of Cecil, Queen Annes and Caroline, Dorchester and Kent counties, reach her at 410-827-9756 ext. 155 or go here.

(2007 Baltimore Sun photo, Neavitt MD by Barbara Haddock Taylor) 

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 1:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Saturday is National Trails Day , and in its honor, the Gwynns Falls Trail is getting some new bike racks and a new trail audio tour.

(There are lots of trail day events, if you're looking for one somewhere else in Maryland.)

On the Gwynns Falls, Sen. Ben Cardin will be on hand Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Baltimore Visitors Center, 401 Light St. He'll be joined by officials from the Gwynns Falls Trail Council and Baltimore City Parks & Recreation. 

Donation were used to purchase the bike racks. They will be installed at the Baltimore City Visitors Center, where the Gwynns Falls Trail, the Jones Falls Trail and the Harbor Promenade meet.

The Gwynns Falls trailhead is at the I-70 Park & Ride and generally follows the Gwynns Falls watershed to the Middle Branch the Patapsco River and the Inner Harbor. It's about 30 miles.  

Baltimore Sun file photo from the Gwynns Falls Trail/Algerina Perna

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Parks
        

"Cleaner, greener" is back, or did it ever leave?

The city is reopening Swann Park in South Baltimore this Saturday (see story here), and it's extending the hours of operation at some of its drop-off trash and recycling centers beginning May 31.

The Bureau of Solid Waste will extend hours all summer at three locations where citizens can take residential waste, bulk trash, recycling and ecycling. New hours will be Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. These hours will remain in effect through Sept. 4.

Locations include: Western Sanitation Yard at 701 Reedbird Ave., Eastern Sanitation Yard at 6101 Bowleys Lane and Northwest Sanitation Yard at 2840 Sisson St.

As for Swann Park, you may recall it was closed three years ago because high levels of arsenic were found. Officials removed the worst of it and covered the rest with fresh dirt. They also added bleachers, lights, fencing and dugouts.

The Department of Recreation and Parks plan a ceremony Saturday at 10 a.m.

Baltimore Sun file photo of workers laying sod at the new Swann Park/Karl Merton Ferron

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: News, Parks
        

What better way to spend a May weekend than outdoors, exploring one of the largest urban woodland parks on the East Coast?

On Saturday, CampFire USA Baltimore is offering guided hikes in Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park, followed by music and refreshments.  If you haven't been there before, it's a sylvan, streamside retreat on the city's West Side, with stone dwellings and other remnants of Baltimore's history tucked away amid the trees.

It's for a good cause - or causes, actually.  Proceeds from the Urban Hike benefit CampFire USA Baltimore, which provides after-school programs for city kids that are meant to help kids learn about the environment, work together and manage conflicts.  It'll also help your kids connect with nature - something studies show they're not getting enough of, and are poorer for it.  

Admission is $15 for adults, free for kids under 12. The hiking begins at 9 a.m., at the Winans Meadow trailhead, with celebration lasting until noon at the Cardin Pavilion.  Go here for tickets, directions or other details.  For more info, email info@discovercfusa.org or call 443-524-2591.

(2002 Baltimore Sun photo Gwynns Falls Trail by Jerry Jackson)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 8:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Looks like the sun may peak out this weekend, which makes it a great time to explore the river on which Charm City was founded.

The Friends of the Patapsco Valley and Heritage Greenway are organizing a guided bike ride Saturday and guided paddle Sunday of a stretch of the Patapsco that flows through Baltimore's western suburbs on its way to the harbor and the Chesapeake Bay.

The bike ride starts at 10 a.m. and goes from Ellicott City to the BWI trail near Hanover and back again.  It's about 25 miles roundtrip and should take three to four hours, depending on how hard you pedal or how much you dawdle.  Organizers suggest folks who want to shorten the ride should carpool with another rider and leave one car near Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.   Each rider will get a local trail map.    Riders are to gather at 9:30 in Parking Lot A next to the Trolley Stop restaurant on Frederick Road in Oellla, just across the river from Old Ellilcott City.  Cost is free to members, with a $5 donation asked of non-members.   Registration is required, though, which you can do online here. 

On Sunday, the Friends are offering a guided paddle from noon to 3 p.m. , ranging upriver from the Daniels Dam then below it to the Old Frederick Road iron bridge.  Bring your own kayak or canoe, plus water shoes and PFD (life vest).  Water is two to four feet deep, with some mild Level 1 rapids below the dam.  A car will be available to shuttle paddlers back to the put-in at Daniels Dam.  This event also is free to members, $15 per person for others, adults only.   To register, go here.  

For more info on these or other Patapsco events, go here.

(Baltimore Sun file photo by Elizabeth Malby)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 8:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

A new waterfront park is in the works on South Baltimore's Middle Branch.  The National Aquarium unveiled the artist's rendering above at a ceremonial seeding of the park Monday.  Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and other dignitaries donned gardening gloves and tossed handfulls of grass seed onto the bare riverbank. 

They did that instead of the traditional ground-breaking no doubt because the 7-acre site is to be "greened up" instead of built upon.  But sticking shovels in the ground also would have disturbed the layer of clean dirt that contractors have spread after removing 7,500 tons of contaminated soil and debris.The park is part of a 20-acre tract the city once used as a vehicle garage and yard, which left the soil tainted with heavy metals, polyaromatic hydrocarbons and other contaminants.  The riverbank was built up with debris from the construction of Interstate 95 and other building projects.

When the park is finished next spring, it will feature trails, a pier and overlooks to take in the waterfront views.   It's another step in the slow revitalization of this long-neglected area of South Baltimore.  Farther west by the Westport light-rail stop, a new mixed-use development is in the early stages of development.  

Assuming all goes as planned, in a few years, many more people will be living and recreating along the Middle Branch.  Maybe the water will get a makeover, too, as it's still fouled with trash, sewage overflows and storm-water runoff washing pet waste, oil and other pollutants from city streets and parking lots.  

(Baltimore Sun photo by Karl Merton Ferron)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 8:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

No, this has nothing to do with Baltimore's professional football team. Loch Raven is one of the city's three drinking-water reservoirs, and it's going to be abuzz with activity this Saturday (May 8).

To cap off National Drinking Water Week, the city is inviting the public to come out and see where their water comes from. You can even walk out on the 82-foot high dam holding back some 23 billion gallons of water from the Gunpowder Falls and a batch of smaller creeks and streams.   

Engineers from Gannett-Fleming, the firm that managed a reconstruction of the dam completed five years ago, will be on hand to explain the mammoth $28.8 million overhaul. And there'll be opportunities to learn about the history of the Gunpowder valley and how the water system serving the city and surrounding counties operates. 

For you history buffs, this is the 100th anniversary of what we know as the region's modern water system - when the city began to disinfect the water and laid plans to build the dam at Loch Raven and a water treatment plant at Montebello.

Not far from the dam, in the Pines area on Loch Raven Drive, there'll be other activities, including exhibits of live local wildlife from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There'll also be demonstrations on fly fishing, and guided hikes through the forest surrounding the lake. 

And, if you're feeling really energetic, the Gunpowder Valley Conservancy could use some more volunteers to help plant trees around the reservoir on Saturday.  The group aims to get nearly 800 in the ground this season, adding to the more than 18,500 it's planted in the valley since the 1990s to help protect the water supply from pollution.  To take part, contact Peggy Perry at pperry@gunpowderfalls.org

Water rates may be going up again - that's another story - but at least some things about the water system are free.  This is one of them.  Plan on bringing a lunch, and wear hiking shoes.  Call 410-396-3500 for more information.

And if you can't get out to Loch Raven just north of the Beltway, take a stroll around scenic Lake Montebello at 3901 Hillen Road in northeast Baltimore.  To commemorate the system's centennial, the city has mounted a series of historical photographs depicting the construction of all these facilities.

To get to the dam, take Cromwell Bridge Road from the Beltway, then left on Loch Raven Drive just past Sanders Corner restaurant.  For the wildlife, fly-fishing and hikes keep driving up Loch Raven Drive past the dam about two miles.  For a map to Loch Raven, go here.  For Montebello, here.

(2005 Baltimore Sun photos by Christopher Assaf and David Hobby)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 10:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Want to help a local park and acquire a new taste at the same time? Try the 11th annual Garlic Mustard Challenge Sunday (May 2) at Patapsco Valley State Park in Baltimore County. 

The event features individual and team contests, plus non-competitive pulling of garlic mustard, the herb imported from Europe long ago that has proven incredibly invasive. Volunteers get together every spring to curb the weed's spread and have some fun in the process. Over the past decade, they've yanked more than four tons, but there'll be plenty more to find on Sunday.

Besides weed-pulling, there'll be a "chef challenge," where cooks compete to produce tasty dishes including garlic mustard. And there'll be a poster contest for kids, educational exhibits about the Patapsco Valley ecosystem and its history, live music, scavenger hunt, bubble-gum blowing (?) and more.

You must register by Friday to enter the mustard-pulling or cooking contests. To do so, go here.

It's from 1 to 4:30 p.m. at the Avalon/Glen Artney Area of the Patapsco Valley State Park. Entrance is off US Route 1 at 5120 South Street in Halethorpe. Go to Pavilion 104.  For more about this or other park-related activities, go here.

(2008 Baltimore Sun photos: Patapsco Challenge, by Algerina Perna; garlic mustard, by Chiaki Kawajiri)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 9:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

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

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 11:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Parks
        

Baltimore's Patterson Park ranks among America's best city parks in a new listing by Forbes.com

While legendary urban oases like New York's Central Park, San Francisco's Golden Gate Park and Chicago's Grant Park lead the list of 12, our own Patterson Park is cited as an example of of "more modest neighborhood parks" that are "lesser-known gems."

Though not as grand as some urban "mega-parks," Patterson offers a "nice balance between beauty and usability," says Peter Harnik, director of the Center for City Park Excellence at the Trust for Public Land in Washington.

Forbes notes that the east Baltimore park is "steeped in history," with its distinctive pagoda (seen above), but also "full of present-day pleasures" such as skating, pavilions and playgrounds that link the surrounding neighborhoods to the place. The Forbes accolates are no surprise to the Friends of Patterson Park, who call it the "best backyard in Baltimore."

What do you think?  Is Patterson truly one of the nation's best urban parks?  It's certainly one of my favorites in the Baltimore area.  What are your top outdoor oases in the city and surrounding suburbs, and why?

(2007 Baltimore Sun photo by Jed Kirschbaum)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Parks
        

Have you ever been hiking or biking on the C&O Canal Towpath and come across a lockhouse? Ever wanted to go inside? And sleep there?  

According to this Associated Press story, the C&O Canal National Historical Park has renovated three of the lockhouses and will rent them out for the night. I sounds like it will be one step above camping -- only because there's electricy. Water comes from a pump outside from April to November. And no indoor bathroom, but there's a porto-potty.

The Lockhouses are #49 near Clear Spring in Washington County, #22 at Pennyfield Lock near Potomac in Montgomery County and #6 near Brookmont, close to Washington.

The story say park officials said they decided to turn the lockhouses into lodging because of the "extraordinary interpretive experience" the visits would provide and because it would offer places to stay where there are few. 

Park officials haven't decided what to charge yet.

For more information, go to the C&O Canal Trust Web site, www.canaltrust.org. 

Baltimore Sun file photo of C&O Canal Towpath/Elizabeth Malby

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Parks
        

Many state parks around Maryland already allow pets in certain areas at certain times of year. But officials say they keep hearing from people who want more access for their four-legged friends.

So, the Department of Natural Resources has come up with a plan to expand access at many more parks for at least part of the year. 

They also want to hear from the public on this proposal. You can post a comment here through Nov. 30.

I suspect they will hear from all sides. Some people would likely use the parks more for hiking, picnicing, etc., if they could bring their dogs. But I bet others believe their experience would be harmed if more dogs were allowed -- more noise, more poop, more run ins, etc.

Raise your paw if you're for the proposal.

Photo of Patapsco Valley State Park courtesy of the Department of Natural Resources  

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: News, Parks
        

If you see goats chomping their way around an overgrown stretch of unused Druid Hill Park today, don't worry, they're the hired help.

The Parks & People Foundation brought 40 of them to the Auchentoroly Terrace site at the park to help clear overgrown vegetation and invasive species.

The effort is part of a $10 million project to put the 9-acre parcel and an old mansion back into use. The foundation will eventually use the property as its headquarters, but much of the space will be used for community events. They will also create trails and connect the space to the rest of Druid Hill Park.

The goats have been feeding for two days to make way for construction crews to get near the mansion. They will come back to do the rest of the land at some point.

If you are wondering more about these creatures:

+a herd of 30 goats can eat up to a quarter acre of vegetation a day

+they eat all kinds of poisonous and invasive species of plants including poison ivy

+they can reach vegetation up to six feet off the ground

+the droppings provide natural fertilizer

+they eat brush and not grass

+they have four-chambered stomachs and special enzymes which allow them to digest plants

+these particular goats are a mix of Boer and Spanish species

Supplying the goats was Eco-Goats, a Davidsonville-based company specializing in “environmentally friendly vegetation control."

I have to say, they do nice work. And they're pretty cute, too.

Baltimore Sun photo/Meredith Cohn

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 12:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Going Green, Parks
        

The New York Times's Green Inc. blog has an item about an effort to compost dog waste in Ithaca, N.Y. It's kind of a pilot project where dog owners at a certain dog park are given special corn-based bags to pick up poop. They dump it in a special container that is picked up by a composting company.

The compost people haven't yet decided what to do with the waste. They'll mix it with top soil if it's not such good quality or use it in gardens if it's good quality.

But I've long thought about the amount of dog poop I throw away. All those plastic bags that sit in the landfill forever. But the alternative is to leave it on the ground. That's not really an alternative, though. People, including little kids, would step in it. And some of it would -- and lots does now -- end up in our waterways where bacteria already is a serious problem.

But would people actually participate in a composting operation here? There used to be a bin at work that was bright yellow and labelled for ink jet and electronic recycling only. Yet every day there was trash in it. I don't know if people didn't pay any attention or did it on purpose, but either way, I can imagine the other stuff that would go into the compost bin at the dog park.

So, what's the answer?

Associated Press photo of dogs in a park in Ithica, N.Y.

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 6:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Chesapeake Bay, Going Green, Parks
        

It's not too late to head to the beach. Why not plan on hitting Assateague Island National Seashore on Saturday (Sept. 19) and spend a few hours picking up butts and other trash littering the sand?

The ponies, birds and fish will thank you, and you'll be in great company. Last year, 2,600 volunteers collected something like 20,000 pounds of trash - everything from cigarette butts and drink cups to bicycles, porch blinds and a lawnmower.

The Assateague trash roundup, sponsored by Delmarva Power, is part of the 2009 Coastal Clean Up Day, in which volunteers police beaches all around the country. Trash bags will be provided, so  just bring work gloves, sunscreen and bug spray. For more info, go here or contact Assateague Coastal Trust by phone 410-629-1538 or email mail@actforbays.org

(July 2009 photo by Kim Hairston of The Baltimore Sun)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 6:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Looking for a fun weekend activity that doesn't require skill and doesn't pollute? How about tubing in Gunpowder State Park. We went Sunday. The water was cold, but the scenery was fantastic.

The park is almost 18,000 acres in Harford and Baltimore counties. They protect the stream valley of the Big and Little Gunpowder Falls and the Gunpowder River. There are 100 miles of trails, including the 21-mile North Central Railroad Trail, called the NCR, which runs along the portion of the river you can float in.  

You can rent a tube at Monkton Bike Inc. I think it was $10 for a nice big tube. They can also give you directions on getting in and out of the water and estimated times.

My friend Craig organized my trip and brought along his own tubes and snacks. We unintentionally got a little ambitious and stayed out for more than three hours. The water was low and moving VERY slowly. Good thing at the end, there was ice cream, a bathroom and a towel.

Baltimore Sun photo of tubing on the Gunpowder/Kim Hairston

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 2:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Events, Parks
        

There were so many great entries into the parks contest. I just couldn't pick.

B'More Green editor Kim Walker stepped in and decided on Leslie, who wrote a wonderful tale about how Susquehanna State Park in Havre de Grace eased her transition back to Maryland and came to be an important part of her life. Read the full post here.

The other entries, such as the one on the family that visits Rocky Gap State Park in Cumberland from Michigan and the couple that married in Mariner Point Park in Joppatowne, were really good. And touching. I'm going to make an effort to visit those parks soon. And Rick, who hiked Half Dome in Yosemite National Park, I'm impressed. I got most of the way there once.

So, I hope everyone will keep the stories coming about good parks to visit. And we'll have another contest soon. If you have suggestions for a good green contest, let me know that, too.

Thanks again for playing.

Baltimore Sun photo of Susquehanna State Park/Jed Kirschbaum

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 6:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Contests, Parks
        

In honor of the fee-free weekend at the National Parks, we are having a park-themed contest.

Tell us which park is your favorite and why you love it so much. It doesn't have to be a national park. It can be a state park or a local park.

Tell us about your first trip, your last trip or all of your trips to this park. Why is it so great? And the story doesn't have to be long or involve climbing to the top of Half Dome or anything.

We'll pick a winner on Friday. The prize is a new Blue Q stainless steel water bottle that you can take with you on the next park visit.

Blue Q bottles have no BPA like some hard clear plastic water bottles and the company gives 1 percent of its sales to support global clean water initiatives.

So, get writing.

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 2:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)
Categories: Contests, Parks