He promised he'd be tough on polluters and that he'd work hard to clean up the Chesapeake Bay, and now our attorney general is rolling up his sleeves to do just that.

On Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon, Douglas Gansler -- a man who gained some measure of fame when the snipers were running around Montgomery County -- will be leading volunteers in an effort to clean up Middle Branch Park.
 
More than 100 of his employees will be helping, too.

My guess is they'll be there well into the afternoon. Last time I was there, foolishly thinking it was a pleasant place to take a walk, that park was strewn with all manner of trash.

Posted by Rona Kobell at 2:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

It's almost June, so it must be Wade-In Season. This is the time of year when community groups from the Susquehanna to the St. Mary's host their wade-ins. It goes like this: they wade into the water, usually in white sneakers, to determine how far they can see their feet. From this test, they determine how clean, or dirty, the water is. After that, there will probably be a picnic, a concert, or some other family friendly activity. The Upper Eastern Shore Wade-In, scheduled for this Saturday, features the bluegrass band Bay Country Gentlemen.    

On its Web site, the Maryland Department of Natural resources describes the wade-ins thusly: "Whatever the day and whichever the watershed, all of these wade-ins can be described by the word 'fun.' "

The wade-ins were inspired by Bernie Fowler, a former state senator from Calvert County whose wife, Betty, still makes fried chicken for everyone who shows up to the Patuxent River Wade-In -- and some years, that can be hundreds of people. This year marks the 20th year that Fowler will put on his overalls and wade in at Broomes Island, which is usually the second Sunday in June.

Fowler has a huge place in the history of the bay movement. Nearly 30 years ago, when he was a Calvert County commissioner, Fowler led the three Southern Maryland counties in a lawsuit against the state and federal governments, charging that they were allowing too much untreated sewage from suburban counties into the Patuxent. With the help of University of Maryland scientists who risked their jobs to testify, the counties won, and the state agreed to reduce pollution flowing into the river. That agreement became the model for the interstate bay restoration effort.

A serious runner who is in his 80s and looks at least a decade younger, Fowler is an indefatigable environmentalist, and an optimist. But when I did a profile of him in 2004, he seemed tired of the many promises from politicians to clean up the Patuxent River. The Patuxent, like many other Maryland rivers, still struggles, its grasses nearly non-existent, its oysters scarce and its health teetering on the brink.   

Three years ago, Bernie was hoping that Gov. Ehrlich and company would come to the wade-in with a commitment to the river. When I talked to him a year later, I know he was disappointed that little had changed. Ehrlich's cleanup efforts were focused on the Corsica, a small river that gained notoriety because of a big sewage spill.

But if I know Bernie, he'll be out there in his sneakers on a warm Sunday this June, during the height of wade-in season, hoping against hope that this will be the year that the river will be saved. And nothing against DNR, but I don't think that's his idea of fun.

Posted by Rona Kobell at 12:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

The Gwynns Falls Trail is a scenic ribbon of green for hikers and bikers that meanders across West Baltimore, from Leakin Park to the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River.

But you may want to bring your hip boots if you want to try your luck with the most recent segment. It's being built from Winans Meadow in Leakin Park to the Park and Ride lot at the eastern end of Interstate 70.

It seems that stormwater has been gushing down from nearby Franklintown Road, washing across about a 10-foot portion of the path and into nearby wetlands.

The Maryland Department of the Environment has informed the project's designers that they can't build in an area so likely to flood, said Robert Ballinger, spokesman for the state agency

"We did not issue any penalties, but we did have some concerns about the flood plain," said Ballinger. ""We've been working with them to correct the problem."

A boardwalk or pipe of some kind may have to be built to allow this section of the trail to continue, said William F. Eberthart Jr., chair of the board of the Gwynns Falls Trail council.

"The project is not held up…..but there is a gap in the trail where the water overflow is," Eberthart said.  Without additional funding to build a boardwalk, hikders "will be walking in the mush. It won’t be a proper bike trail. It's unacceptable not to finish it."

The final leg of the trail is a few months behind schedule, and is set to be finished by this fall.

For more information about the trail, go to: http://www.gwynnsfallstrail.org/

Posted by Tom Pelton at 3:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

So the Pottery Barn catalog arrived at my house the other day. I'm not sure why. I haven't bought anything there in a long time, and I don't think my husband ever has; he thought, naturally, that they sold pottery. But two things caught my eye: one, they had some beautiful patio furniture, and two, they were calling it "The Chesapeake Collection."

I've been admiring my neighbors' new porch furniture set and thought I'd take a look at what a chain store that began in Manhattan and is now based in San Francisco thinks the Chesapeake looks like.

I ended up spending a lot longer than I meant to drooling over the furniture, and being shocked as I turned the pages at the prices. The Chesapeake Steamer Chaise, a comfortable-looking lounger? $299. Oh, and that doesn't include the cushion, which will set you back another $79 ($84 if you want the "ticking" cushion, whatever that means.) For the Chesapeake Conversation Lounge recliner, Pottery Barn includes two cushions. The price for that? $1,299. I guess we could buy it, but then who would pay the mortgage?

The furniture prices weren't the only thing that surprised me. The pictures looked nothing like the Chesapeake we know and love. They looked, maybe, like Ocean City, or a sandy beach in North Carolina, but not like the marshy, mucky bay that I see when I go to the Eastern Shore and Southern Maryland - or, for that matter, Middle River.

That Pottery Barn got us wrong is not that surprising -- six years ago, they named a sofa after Baltimore. Here's how my friend, former Sun reporter Jaimee Rose, described it in the newspaper:

"It's a boxy little thing, with round arms and short legs, and comes upholstered in four different shades of velvet -- including Oriole-esque orange. It's soft yet firm, hip and classic at the same time, costs $1,399, and is incredibly ironic considering this: There is no Pottery Barn store in Baltimore proper. There's one in Towson Town Center -- a wisp of a thing, which, of course, does not carry the Baltimore sofa. The Baltimore sofa, in fact, is displayed only in select Pottery Barn stores, none of which are in Maryland, Washington, or Virginia … All shucks and gratitude aside, it's a little tough to see exactly how our city inspired this couch. It would never make it up the staircase of a rowhouse, is much too expensive to sit on while picking crabs, and we're pretty sure the Hon would hate it."

Compared to the beach chairs, that sofa is actually sounding affordable. Maybe Baltimore isn't so off-base a name after all.

Posted by Rona Kobell at 3:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

You don't have to own your own home to practice "green living." According to apartments.com, renters are a growing class of green stewards. Their survey found:

More than 63 percent of renters recycle.

26 percent of renters state they would pay more to rent in an environmentally friendly building.

50 percent of renters who recycle live in buildings that provide recycling programs.

Plastic is the most commonly recycled material by renters.

For tips on how renters get green, click here and then go to the housekeeping section.

Posted by Rona Kobell at 2:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Last week, I went out of Middle River to watch some reef balls drop near Tolchester Beach. Despite living in Baltimore, that was the first time I had departed from Bowley's Quarters -- usually I am leaving from Southern Maryland or the Shore. The trip up was pleasant enough; we passed Pooles and Hart-Miller Islands, we had good company and though the skies were gray, the 25-foot boat we were on seemed to be handling the chop like a pro.

But then things got hairy. There were white caps to go with the ominous gray skies, and when the boat stopped near Tolchester, and it bobbed up and down, I knew I was a goner. It's been years since I've been seasick on the bay, and I had forgotten the feeling of helplessness (not to mention unprofessionalism) that comes with standing over the side of a boat, holding on for dear life and praying that your glasses don't fall off. I knew I should have accepted those motion-sickness pills the captain offered. Next time, I'll pack my own...everyone was sympathetic, but nobody else got sick.
Anyway, despite having to write the story under less-than-deal circumstances, it ended up on today's front page. You can find it here.

Here's hoping next time I go out we won't have that dreaded chop...

Posted by Rona Kobell at 12:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science is bringing in the feds over the next week to celebrate its successes.

This Friday in Annapolis, the university is presenting Paul S. Sarbanes with an award for his work on the Chesapeake Bay. Though in recent years he's become much better known for the business regulations required by Sarbanes-Oxley, in his day Sarbanes also brought millions of dollars to bay cleanup efforts.

Then on Monday, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer will be in Solomons to dedicate the Chesapeake Biological Lab's new fisheries complex. Bernie Fowler, the indefatigable Southern Maryland environmentalist and former state senator, who has a lab of his own named after him at the complex, will be there too.

The Chesapeake Biological Lab is the oldest, state supported marine biological laboratory on the East Coast, according to UMCES. That means researchers have been enjoying one of the most glorious views in all the bay watershed for more than 80 years.

Posted by Rona Kobell at 1:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

It's almost the weekend, it's beautiful out, and at least in my house, it's time to start thinking about where we want to go this spring/summer to get away for day trips or long weekends. There are the usual places, like Chincoteague and St. Michaels, but I am fortunate that my job at The Sun has taken me to several far-flung places along both sides of the Bay Bridge. They are, for the most part, places I never would have found had I not been assigned to go there. I'd like to share some with you, and I'm hoping in return you'll tell me where are some of your favorite places to visit. Unless otherwise noted, they're all in Maryland. Here goes, in no particular order:
     
1. RIDGE:  Hop on a bicycle and ride through the beautiful green fields of this Southern Maryland town. There's not much in Ridge, or nearby Scotland, but you're near Point Lookout State Park and a great little marina/biker bar where they'll serve you fish that tastes like it was caught right in front of you. Reasonable B and Bs, not many tourists-the place we stayed was probably the nicest B and B I've ever been to, and I think it was only like $110 a night. 
     
2. WHITEHAVEN: My dental hygienist grew up in this Wicomico County hamlet and confirms it's every bit as serene as it looks. It's the sort of place where you can imagine a one-room schoolhouse and kids in dresses with little bows tied in back running through the fields. There's a ferry that goes across the river to Somerset County; watching it and the birds are what passes for entertainment. There's a nice hotel here, The Whitehaven, but I stayed at the B and B where, bonus, the owners give their guests cordials before bed. Also, it's so homey I ended up listening to her son's piano lesson as I typed my story-that was the only place with an Internet connection.
     
3. ROCK HALL: Everybody and their shopping-happy aunts seems to have found Chestertown, and I won't dis it. It's one of the most beautiful towns on the shore, or anywhere for that matter. But Rock Hall has the watermen and Eastern Neck Wildlife Refuge. If you're going to one, it's worth a trip to the other.
     
4. TILGHMAN ISLAND: It's beyond St. Michaels, but worth the extra miles. There's a unique used bookshop, excellent seafood and a real oyster shucking house.
     
5. DENTON: I can't help but have a soft spot for Denton. It's trying so hard. When I was there a year ago, the mayor proudly told me that even the bright green trash cans were locally made. And if you're going to Rehoboth, you'll be right near there anyway, why not swing by? I have gotten some good deals at the antique shops in town and the courthouse lawn is quite lovely. There is riverfront, too, but you have to go hunting for it. Adkins Arboretum isn't far away, and neither is the so-called strawberry capital of the world, Ridgely.
     
6. EASTON: Ok, it's not exactly a hidden treasure, but if you haven't gotten off the road in a couple of years to check it out, I think you'll find it looks different than the last time. It's chock full of elegant restaurants, semi-famous chefs and pretty parks. There's an art museum and a theater for concerts, as well as fine coffee shops and a cool toy store.

7. GALENA: When you pull in to your parking space here you might wonder why I recommended this northern Kent County town. It's simple- for the antiques. Then drive up the road to pretty Georgetown, home of the Kitty Knight House, where charming Miss Kitty convinced the British not to burn her town. Good thing-it's lovely, and Kitty's place stands as a restaurant as well as a B and B-though last time I passed by it was closed. 
     
8. CAMBRIDGE: I know parts of it have seen better days, but there's something about the rustic, unpolished town that makes me smile. Plus, you have to love that view of the Choptank. 
     
9. SNOW HILL/PUBLIC LANDING: Public landing is just that-one of the few public places in the state where you can enjoy a view of the water and a picnic.  Snow Hill has the stores, the cafes and the people, but public landing has the view.
     
10. BERLIN: it was good enough for Julia Roberts and that girl from Gilmore Girls, and it's still far less crowded than nearby Ocean City. The architecture feels to me like a step back in time, and I mean that in a good way. 
     
Fellow bloggers, I'm sure, have their own favorites. And readers, too. Tell us yours-and be careful on the Bay Bridge.

Posted by Rona Kobell at 1:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

A new study in neighboring Delaware finds that low-density development has gobbled up hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland while costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars in road construction, school bus transportation and sewer extensions, the Wilmington News Journal reports.

The paper reports that a state-sponsored study by the American Farmland Trust concludes that Delaware lost 384,000 acres of farmland between 1950 and 2005, much of it to scattered development. Over the past 19 years, the state's per-resident spending on public improvements has soared by 250 percent, the study adds.  State capital spending has increased eight times more than the population over that time and six times more than the growth in housing units, the paper reports.

"It's a confirmation of what we have been saying for the last 15 or 20 years, but mostly in the last seven years," Gov. Ruth Ann Minner was quoted saying. "Sprawl costs taxpayers." 

State officials said they hope to curb sprawl with new legislation allowing farmer to sell development rights.  Such "transfer of development rights" programs are in use on the local level in Delaware, as well as here in some Maryland counties.  The planned Delaware legislation also would provide for a special "assessment" on new residents and businesses to pay for roads, sewers and other infrastructure in designated growth areas. Developers and farmers told the paper they want to see the legislation before deciding if they can support it.

To read more about farmland losses in Delaware and Maryland, check out this report by the American Farmland Trust.

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 11:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

One of the perks that comes with being DNR secretary is a vehicle. So when the time came for DNR secretary John Griffin and his deputy, Eric Schwaab, to choose their "company" car, the two consciously chose to wear their politics on their sleeves. They both got hybrids.

But not that best-selling-hybrid-in-America Toyota, the one that seems to be ubiquitous on the state's highways and the one you can spot from several car-lengths away because it looks like nothing else on the road. No, you won't see these guys in birght red Priuses, making bold statements about who they are and how they live.

Instead, the two administrators got Honda Civic Hybrids, which look, well, just like the regular Honda Civic except they say "hybrid" in small letters on the back. Griffin, naturally, got the newer one, a 2005; Schwaab got a 2004, which I believe says "hybrid" in even smaller letters than the newer model.

So, they're not going to get a lot of people coming up to them at gas stations and telling them how they're making a great choice for the environment. But if my experience is anything to go by, they're going to get about 47 mpg on the highway, and about 30-something in the city - a prospect that will help them save money when they use the vehicles for personal travel and save the state when they're driving on its dime.

I've based these estimates on my own driving record after nearly a year behind the wheel of an 06 Civic Hybrid. I love the thing,  but I have never gotten near the 51 mpg that the sticker promised for city driving. Perhaps the secretaries will be luckier.

DNR spokesperson Darlene Pisani said Schwaab and Griffin chose the cars from the DNR fleet in part because they wanted to set a good example. It is a big change from before.

Former Secretary Ron Franks drove a 2004 Ford F150 Pick up, without a DNR decal. Unlike Griffin, who lives close to the Taylor Avenue headquarters, Franks had to drive his gas-guzzler across the Bay Bridge on the days he commuted to work; the former secretary lives in Grasonville.

Posted by Rona Kobell at 2:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 4:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

If you’re interested in all manner of animals scaly, squiggly and squirmy, head for the Shore on Saturday for  the seventh Great Worcester Herp Search – an outing where volunteers scour the landscape for reptiles and amphibians.

The search starts at 9 a.m. at the coastal ecology laboratory next to the Assateague Island Visitors Center on MD 611, just a few miles south of Ocean City.

A training session will feature live turtles, frogs, snakes and salamanders, and experts  will explain ways to identify them.

Last year, 138 reptiles and  amphibians, including 19 species of snakes, 15 species of frogs and turtles, along with two dozen kinds of turtles, lizards and salamanders, were found at four sites in northern Worcester County near Maryland’s coastal bays.

The annual hunt, expected to draw about 100 participants this year, helps scientists understand population trends. No animals are harmed or removed from their environment during the outing.

The search is sponsored by the Maryland Coastal Bays Program, Delmarva Low Impact Tourism, the  Salisbury Zoo, the state Department of Natural Resources and Salisbury University.

The event isn’t recommended for children under 9, and those under 14 must be accompanied by an adult. Volunteers should bring lunch and drinks. Afternoon sessions are planned for 1:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Go here for more information, or call 410-213-2297.

Posted by Chris Guy at 1:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Are any readers following what's going on in Virginia with the crabs? These past few weeks have been important ones as the state has said it's time to start over with the management of the species.

Last week, the Virginia Marine Resource Commission voted to create a 94-square-mile sanctuary for pregnant females stretching from Cape Henry to the North Carolina border. It will be a no-harvest area fron June 1-Sept. 15, during which time female sponge crabs are about to give birth.

At the same time they created the sanctuary -- or perhaps, in exchange for it? -- the commission also partially lifted a ban on catching female sponge crabs. Rom Lipcius, a noted crab expert at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science who told me last week he's very concerned about the crab spawning stocks, was one of the scientists advocating for this approach. He said many of the dark female sponges -- so called because they're carrying large egg sacs on their back-are going to die anyway when watermen take them and then throw them back.

I asked Lipcius what happens to the pregnant crabs when they're caught. He said the sponge is removed and they're sent to the picking houses. When we eat them in a crabcake, we are none the wiser that millions of eggs were once attached.

With juvenile crabs at low levels, Lipcius says the sanctuary is the best way to protect the crabs and that allowing a sponge fishery is not going to harm stocks. Maybe it's a MD-VA thing, but several managers at Maryland's Department of Natural Resources disagree. Then again, we're in a good position to throw cold water on Virginia's plans here -- most of the crabs Maryland watermen catch are males, while our neighbors to the south are mostly catching females.

If you're interested in learning more about crabs in the Old Dominion state, check out Scott Harper's excellent work in the Virginian Pilot. Here's a link to his story about the restrictions.

Posted by Rona Kobell at 1:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Want to have fun and connect with people who care about greening our city?

Check out Baltimore Green Week, which kicks off Saturday, May 5, from Noon to 5 p.m. in Druid Hill Park.  Bring a lawnchair and relax to tunes from the band Lawnchair.  Browse an eco-art mart, watch a nature show for children presented by the National Aquarium, take a yoga class, learn about sustainable food and more.

Toxic tours, showing the worst pollution sites in East Baltimore, leave Druid Hill Park at 12:15 p.m. and 3:45 p.m.

 For more information, and a full schedule, go to:   http://baltimoregreenweek.org/page.php?id=346

Posted by Tom Pelton at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Ever wanted to live more gently on the land but not sure how to do it? Check out the Green House exhibition at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.

You can walk through a life-size replica of "Glidehouse," a prefabricated green house designed by California architect Michelle Kaufmann that supposedly can be built anywhere. Among its features: sliding wood-louvered panels to adjust sunlight and air flow, concrete countertops made of recycled newspaper and ash, and bamboo flooring. Go here for more information on the Glidehouse, including video comments from the architect. 

The exhibit also includes tips on how to evaluate green products as well as drawings, photographs and models of innovative projects around the world.  On display now through June 24. For more info and directions, click here. 

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 11:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)