To kick off JHU Earth Week, 23 Johns Hopkins Facilities and Real Estate employees participated in a department outing. Early on Monday morning, volunteers gathered at DeWees Park with Blue Water Baltimore and, after prepping themselves to brave the rainy day with some breakfast from local purveyor Towson Hot Bagels, got to work planting six trees.
DeWees Park is special to the Johns Hopkins community not only because it's close by—just 10 minutes from the Keswick Building, where Facilities and Real Estate is housed—but because last year nearly 100 trees were planted in the park with the help of JHU student, staff, and faculty volunteers. JHFRE volunteers took care of these young trees, too, on Monday morning, treating them to some new mulch and stakes, and cleaning up any invasive plant growth. After their hard work, the group celebrated with food from one of JHU's preferred green caterers, Stall 11, owned by a JHU alumnus and located in R. House.
Trees transform a neighborhood and make a park cleaner and safer for community members to enjoy. And they will provide environmental, economic, and community benefits for decades to come.
"These types of sustainability efforts reflect our core values as a university, as a department, and especially as members of the Baltimore City community," says Bob McLean, university vice president for facilities and real estate.
There are many ways for members of the JHU community to participate in Earth Week on their campuses. Check out the full calendar of events on the Office of Sustainability's website and stay in touch on Facebook to uncover ways to support more eco-smart campus communities.
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