Meet NeighborSpace volunteer Wally Lippincott! Thanks to Wally, each and every one of the NeighborSpace sites will soon be marked with our signature blue sign. Wally also planted hundreds of plugs at Carroll Watkins Park last year, has removed non-native invasives at Adelaide Bentley Park, and on the side he provides helpful insight into planning and conservation in Baltimore County.
Tell us a little about yourself and your background.
I grew up in Baltimore and spent my childhood playing in Stoney Run and Lake Roland. After high school I left Baltimore to study natural resources at University of Florida, Gainesville. I worked for the US Fish and Wildlife Service before going on to Graduate School at University of California, Berkeley. Then I worked for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service before returning to Maryland to begin a career at Baltimore County in Planning and Environmental Protection.
Are there any projects that you worked on that you are particularly proud of?
I am proud of successfully working with property owners to preserve 50,000 acres during my tenure as Administrator of the County’s Land Preservation Program and proud of my efforts to support and foster farming in the County. I also served as the lead planner in the production of the Hereford Community Plan. I’m proud of my contributions to the creation of Cromwell Valley Park, adding acreage to Oregon Ridge Park, and the purchase and development of the County’s Farm Park in Hunt Valley.
Why do you volunteer with NeighborSpace?
I was a planner at the time NeighborSpace was created. I live in a neighborhood that has a small amount of HOA associated with it and have seen first hand the value of such a space for building community pride and as a place for children to play. And, of course it reminds me of my experiences as a child playing in Stoney Run.
What goal would you like to see NeighborSpace achieve?
That NeighborSpace assists neighborhoods in acquiring green spaces to create “pocket parks” for whatever use helps build community in that neighborhood.
Thank you, Wally!