Volunteers clean up Fort McHenry Wetland

Together, what can 83 volunteers accomplish on a Saturday morning?

In just four hours on Saturday, September 24, these volunteers, along with the Aquarium Conservation Team (ACT!), removed 23,839 pieces of debris from the Fort McHenry Wetland in support of National Public Lands Day and the International Coastal Cleanup.

“Before I went through this experience, I never knew there was so much trash out there,” was one volunteer’s response to the overwhelming sight of the Patapsco River shoreline.

Fort McHenry Before Cleanup

Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine is a well-visited piece of history for both Baltimore residents and out-of-town visitors. The Fort McHenry Wetland, located adjacent to the Fort, can be seen from the popular walking path. As one of the very few living shorelines in Baltimore City, the 8-acre Fort McHenry Wetland is well functioning, doing exactly what it’s meant to do: remove excess nutrients from the water; provide habitat for local wildlife; and filter the marine debris that is carried in from the tide. Since 1998, ACT! has hosted multiple community-supported debris cleanups here.

Fort McHenry After Cleanup

Volunteers have dedicated 250 hours to remove the urban debris (aka trash) and maintain the butterfly and rain gardens located on the site. Partners for this event included the Steinweg Baltimore, Maryland Port Administration, REI, Royal Bank of Canada, Constellation Energy, Maryland Environmental Trust, Toyota, and the National Park Service. To participate in a future Fort McHenry Field Day or another ACT! event, sign up to receive the Aquarium’s Conservation e-newsletter, and we’ll let you know about upcoming conservation events.

Spring cleaning with the Conservation Team

The Aquarium Conservation Team (ACT) took “spring cleaning” to a whole new level, taking part in two large-scale debris cleanups in April.

The first was part of a joint effort between the Curtis Bay and Brooklyn Coalition, Port of Baltimore, Living Classrooms Foundation, Maryland Conservation Corps, ACT, and Baltimore City to revitalize Farring-Baybrook Park, in south Baltimore.

The cleanup started with a day of work with the Maryland Conservation Corps to clear invasive vines and downed trees from along the main walking path in the park, which follows a small stream.

As part of the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay’s Project Clean Stream efforts on April 2, 75 volunteers collected 150 garbage bags full of debris and hoisted various objects like couches, mattresses, and bicycles out of the streambed.

In total, the hard work resulted in 6 tons of debris and plant materials removed from Farring-Baybrook Park! Our contribution was a valuable addition to the 4,900 volunteers and 150 tons of trash collected at 217 Project Clean Stream sites on April 2.

On April 16, as part of National Volunteer Week, 105 dedicated volunteers braved the wind and rain to help us collect debris at a Field Day at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine. Despite a thorough drenching, volunteers picked up enough plastic bottles, polystyrene foam products, aluminum cans, and driftwood to fill a huge dumpster, adding to the overall Project Clean Stream impact.

Special thanks to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Bank of America, Constellation Energy, and Solo Cup Company, whose groups could not be deterred by the weather and came out to the event in force!

Our next Fort McHenry Field Day will be held on National Public Lands Day, Saturday, September 24. We hope you’ll join us!

Conservation Site Update: Westport Waterfront

In May and June of 2010, the Aquarium took part in the restoration of a living shoreline at Westport Waterfront, a mixed-use development in Baltimore City that is currently under construction. The project aims to revitalize the Westport neighborhood with an environmentally conscious way of life and LEED-certified buildings for residential, commercial and retail use. Constructing a healthy marsh as a living shoreline is just the beginning.

More than 170 Baltimore-area students assisted the Aquarium in planting 18,000 marsh grasses along the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River. Many of these students were part of our Wetland Nursery Program, so they actually helped grow the grasses in their schoolyards throughout the year before coming out to plant them in the marsh. Westport Waterfront community is reclaiming a previously industrial area adjacent to the river, and many building practices will be in place that should make a positive impact on aquatic habitat. As you can see from the before and after photos, the marsh is already thriving after just one growing season!

Westport Waterfront, before...

...and, after!

Support the National Aquarium on Election Day!

Dear Citizens of Baltimore,

Support the city in preserving and improving a Baltimore icon by voting YES on Question H.

On this year’s election ballot, a number of bond issues will appear before City voters.

One of those is Question H, which would authorize a $1 million grant to the National Aquarium to restore its original central atrium and the 265,000-gallon open water exhibit that is home to stingrays, sharks and an endangered green sea turtle named Calypso.

Originally built in 1981, the concrete structures in and around the Wings in the Water exhibit are corroding from 30 years of contact with salt water and the wear and tear of 1.4 million visitors every year. These funds will be put toward the $6 million total cost to reinforce the concrete in and under the exhibit and improve the exhibit lighting for the animals and our visitors.

Improving the National Aquarium will ensure that we can be a centerpiece of Baltimore pride for years to come. Help us to preserve and improve this Baltimore icon by voting YES on Question H!

Wetlands are wonderful!

Despite its concrete walls, the Baltimore Harbor is looking a little greener with the addition of new floating wetlands. It’s no secret that the water quality of the harbor could use a little help, but the bulkheads that surround the Harbor make it unsuitable for the traditional muddy shoreline restoration projects the National Aquarium’s Conservation Team typically takes on. But where there’s a will, there’s a way!

Floating wetlands have long been utilized in retention ponds as an attempt to deal with excess nutrients from farm fields and landscaping, but only recently has this technology moved to tidal, brackish areas like the Chesapeake Bay. This concept is now being introduced to Baltimore’s urban waterfront as part of the Healthy Harbor Initiative launched by the Waterfront Partnership, which includes the Aquarium and Baltimore City.