1. Make a Splash Close to Home…. Jones Falls Watershed Association Mission: Jones Falls Watershed Association works to protect and restore the health and beauty of the Jones Falls Watershed through restoration, monitoring, advocacy, and citizen awareness.

2. Make a Splash Close to Home…. Where We Work.

3. Make a Splash Close to Home…. A Diverse Watershed Total Area: 58 square miles –2/3 in Baltimore County –1/3 in Baltimore City Population: 200,000+ Miles of Stream: 267.4 Percent Covered by Impervious Surfaces: 34.5% Jones Falls Outlet: The Inner Harbor & The Chesapeake Bay

4. Make a Splash Close to Home….

5. JFWA School Tree Planting Program Developed in response to Baltimore’s Urban Tree Canopy goals Watershed is 30% institutional land – a logical place to start Limitations: Funding, staff time

6. Make a Splash Close to Home…. Starting up… Decision to provide more small trees vs. fewer large trees Outreach to schools via mass email Overwhelming response from a variety of schools Challenge: Recruiting Baltimore City public schools

7. Make a Splash Close to Home…. Program Guidelines Up to 25 trees per school Letter of permission from school administrator required Site visit from me Trees selected from Maryland Natives Nursery catalog based on site characteristics Students must plant School is responsible for tree maintenance and watering.

8. Make a Splash Close to Home…. Each School Is Different Different levels of understanding about tree planting and selection Different ideas about planting process – entire school vs. one class Site constraints at schools Facilities Managers

9. Make a Splash Close to Home…. Friends, Bryn Mawr & Gilman Schools Added trees to Stony Run stream buffer Students also removed invasive vines Brought attention to the creek for students and teachers

10. Make a Splash Close to Home…. Ridgely Middle School Worked with school to develop “no-mow zone” Reduce area devoted to lawn Reduce mowing, fertilizers Will spread wildflower seed to further beautify area

11. Make a Splash Close to Home…. Beth Tfiloh School Reforestation area on critical buffer to Moore’s Branch creek Reduce mowing? Indecisive about future of area MPT filming

12. Make a Splash Close to Home…. Maryland Institute College of Art Only college in this round of plantings Beautified a public median strip on campus Involved neighbors who will help maintain

13. Make a Splash Close to Home…. Pikesville High School Facilities limited placement of trees to rear of school – unsure of future building on school ground Developed understory habitat to create MD forest environment Work with school to establish no-mow zone

14. Make a Splash Close to Home…. Most Popular Trees Too many choices of trees can be confusing, overwhelming to teachers Most schools were looking for shade, beauty –Redbud –Flowering dogwood –Red maple –Oaks Not popular: sweet gum & sycamore!

15. Make a Splash Close to Home…. Challenges Some schools had trouble finding the time to get approval and select trees – made ordering trees a challenge Baltimore County public schools had to have a site visit and approval from the County Facilities Manager Some schools didn’t appreciate the small trees Will they be mowed and watered?

16. Make a Splash Close to Home…. Successes Over 450 trees planted at 16 schools and 1 college New contacts made at schools, leading to additional projects and CWP assessments Involved over 500 students Waiting list for Fall!