A final step in rolling out our new mapping tool was to have the model validated by independent experts. With $4,000 in funding from Keep Maryland Beautiful and the Maryland Environmental Trust, we asked the Chesapeake Conservancy, local GIS experts, to evaluate the model. In their September 2018 report to us, they concluded that “[t]he insights […]
Let’s face it. A walk around the edge of our postage-stamp backyards isn’t going to max out our daily step counts. We need destinations – parks where we can walk the dog, stores where we can pick up a few groceries, and other amenities like restaurants, coffee shops, and even the occasional pub. But the […]
On September 30, over 60 people were on hand at Adelaide Bentley Park in Towson to witness the opening of the Joanna Hastings-Kiessling Memorial Garden. Joanna’s family and friends donated plant material and made monetary donations toward the garden’s creation last spring. NeighborSpace volunteers harvested the plant material over the spring and summer and transplanted […]
Through the generosity of our supporters, Patrick Filbert has joined the staff as Program Manager. Patrick is a Baltimore native and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science from the University of Delaware. After graduation, Patrick moved to Oregon, where he volunteered with 1,000 Friends of Oregon and organized events with neighborhood associations to promote […]
In the 19th century, we piped clean water into people’s homes and began treating wastewater. Communicable diseases were wiped out and life expectancy skyrocketed. In the 20th century, we lowered infectious disease rates with regular vaccinations. A new guide caught our eye recently, which suggests that smart investments in green infrastructure in the 21st century can have […]
We can’t thank the family of Joanna Hastings-Kiessling and her friends enough for their generous donation of plants to a new woodland garden at Adelaide Bentley Park in Towson. Below, are some of the ferns that were donated and planted by volunteers from Blue Water Baltimore. We’ve written of Joanna’s fabulous legacy previously and we […]
Poverty is Your Neighbor Twenty-three (23) percent of the county’s population lives at or below 200% of the federal poverty line. We’ve said that many times before; not new news. (And to reiterate what this really means, 100% of the poverty line is around $20,000. The United Way says a family of 3 needs an […]
Checking form boxes isn’t sexy. But every nonprofit that wants to succeed needs to show its supporters that its projects are advancing its mission. Ours is all about improving livability, which is thought to have 3 underlying goals that are sometimes described as pillars: social, environmental and economic. As we plan to officially open Powhatan […]
In late January, we received a call from Wendy Jacobs, a co-founder of the Green Towson Alliance and a great friend and supporter of NeighborSpace, asking whether we might be interested in a donation of a large collection of native plants. The plants, it turns out, had been planted and nurtured by Joanna Hastings-Kiessling, a local […]
9 years $120,000 in county open space waiver fees. $150,000 in State bond funds. $15,000 in private grants and donations. Countless staff, board and volunteer hours. These numbers are impressive, but they don’t really tell the story of Powhatan Park. The story lies in the actions of people. People who live in the Powhatan Farms […]