Tree Walk & Giveaway with TreeBaltimore
Complete with spring showers, Waterfront Partnership launched its first Hands-on Wildlife Gardening workshop at Rash Field Park!
Undeterred by
the weather,
dozens of community members enthusiastically joined us for a rainy morning at Rash Field Park for our first Wildlife Workshop: A Tree Walk and Giveaway with TreeBaltimore. Neighbors and families from surrounding communities and even as far away as Carroll County were eager to explore Rash Field Park's trees, jump in puddles, and, most importantly, learn from expert naturalists and arborists.
Rash Field Park has hundreds of Native trees and perennials, each with a rich history, that play a crucial role in the region’s ecology.
Trees help to filter rainwater, clean the air, make our moods happier, and mitigate the effects of climate change. The trees at Rash Field Park are full of fun and important facts - did you know you can eat the seed pods of Red Buds trees? They taste like a citrusy snap pea. Magnolia trees are the host to Tiger Swallowtail butterflies and one of the oldest flowering trees on earth!
In addition to leading a Tree Walk, Sam Seo, Director of Forestry, and Ted Martello, Baltimore’s “tree guy,” brought a dozen varieties of saplings for a giveaway. Oaks, Magnolia, and Holly were on the list as neighbors adopted trees to bring home. Experts say, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, but the second-best time is now”.
The Tree workshop provided an opportunity to learn about our shade trees, like oaks and maples, that grow 50-100 feet tall and the smaller understory trees that create a lush and cool environment and mimic a forest's edge. The best part? You could even enjoy Serviceberries (a mildly sweet berry) fresh from the tree!
Want to explore Rash Field Park on your own? Here is a list of trees you can find:
Shade Trees
Hightower Willow oak
River Birch
Thornless Honeylocust
Planetree
Princeton Elm
Sunset Maple
Black Gum
American Linden
Nellie Steven Holly
Flowering Trees
Shadlow serviceberry
Eastern Redbud
White Fringetree
Witch Hazel
Sweetbay Magnolia
Left - Attending children had a great time learning about different species of trees
Below - Tree Baltimore Saplings find their forever homes!
TreeBaltimore is an umbrella organization of the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks, whose mission is to increase Baltimore’s tree canopy.
They have mapped almost every single one of Baltimore’s street trees and can provide valuable insights into what type of tree would thrive in your tree pit or yard. From street trees to flowering tree maps, TreeBaltimore is your go-to resource.
Thanks, TreeBaltimore, for spending your Saturday with us at Rash Field Park!Attendees could find a moment to grab a warm coffee at “The Cafe” while learning about Waterfront Partnerships additional programming and upcoming events!
Be sure to attend our next Wildlife Workshop, Birding in Birdland, on June 15th from 9 to 11 a. Workshops will occur in Rash Field Park every third Saturday of the month through October.
