Stewarding Our Urban Watersheds: A Conversation with Leading Clean Water Advocates in Baltimore

Description

The Peale's exhibition on "The Future of Here: A Glimpse of a River Culture to Come" is an invitation to engage with the human impact on the waterways of the Jones Falls watershed while also imagining a more symbiotic and hopeful time to come for our watershed and the planet. The Jones Falls was once so polluted by local industries that the city forced it into underground tunnels and culverts many decades ago. Reminders of that history and all the objects that people still leave behind—soda cans, rusty machine parts, plastic toys, broken glass—can be found everywhere along our streams. Artifacts within the exhibit force us to grapple with the intractable clash of our culture of disposability and the delicate ecosystems that envelop us. The exhibit asks us to imagine how we can be better future ancestors today to leave behind a healthier, thriving ecosystem for our distant children and more-than-human kin. Such work undoubtedly requires the collective action and care of our community, a central theme of this discussion.

This event will explore how local organizations working at the forefront of efforts for clean water and a healthy watershed envision the future of the Jones Falls watershed and how their respective organizations conceptualize the work that is needed to achieve their core mission. This discussion panel includes representatives from Blue Water Baltimore, Friends of the Jones Falls, Friends of Stony Run, and Chesapeake Bay Trust and will offer an opportunity for community members to learn about current conditions of the Jones Falls watershed, what efforts have been and are being done to care for our waterways, and both low-lift and higher commitment ways to directly contribute to these efforts. The discussion will be led by environmental anthropologist Anand Pandian.

Participating Organizations

As one of the largest environmental nonprofits in Baltimore, Blue Water Baltimore serves as a trusted watchdog and engaged protector of Baltimore's waterways. Blue Water Baltimore's mission is to restore the quality of Baltimore's rivers, streams, and harbor to foster a healthy environment, a strong economy and thriving communities. Their dedicated team of scientists, arborists, horticulturalists, and advocates work every day for clean waterways and healthy neighborhoods in our city.

Friends of Stony Run is a volunteer-based organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the entire Stony Run stream valley. They organize several events each year to bring volunteers together in action and work with local schools, businesses, churches, and scout troops to plan impactful projects for their volunteers throughout the watershed.

Established in 2018, Friends of the Jones Falls Inc. is a volunteer-based organization incorporated to support and sustain the quality of life and long-term stewardship of the Jones Falls from the headwaters in Baltimore County to the Inner Harbor. Their mission is to engage communities of the Jones Falls Watershed to preserve, protect, enhance, and conserve the environmental integrity while promoting sustainable development of the Jones Falls and its watershed.

The Chesapeake Bay Trust is a nonprofit grant-making organization dedicated to improving the watersheds of the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland Coastal Bays, and Youghiogheny River. Created in 1985 by the Maryland General Assembly, our goal is to increase stewardship through grant programs, special initiatives, and partnerships that support K-12 environmental education, on-the-ground watershed restoration, community engagement, and the underlying science of these three realms.