Community Active at Poly
Weed Warriors (Baltimore Rec & Parks)
Rec & Park's Weed Warriors program, dedicated to invasives removals throughout the city, came to Poly in March 2016 to initiate an invasives removal program and educate on the evils of invasives. The first removal occurred in March, and consecutive removals will continue throughout April and May to continue cleaning the site.
Blue Water Baltimore
Blue Water Baltimore has assisted Poly with tree plantings and tree maintenance since 2015. We are currently planning various other events like storm drain stenciling that will also involve Blue Water Baltimore. We are proud to be able to have them as an organization that promotes sustainability on our campus and beyond.
Green Healthy Smart Challenge Grant
In 2014 and 2015, we received two Green Healthy Smart Challenge grants for $1500 (each) from the Baltimore Office of Sustainability. These grants have helped to fund gardens in the courtyard space, oyster reef habitat ball projects, an upcycled plastic bottle greenhouse, and an Environment Club camping trip. The Green Healthy Smart Challenge grant from 2014 is attached in section 2.4. Below is the grant from 2015. Please scroll to page 4 for the beginning of the grant.
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Poly Active in the Community
North Stony Run Green Team
Since fall 2015, Environment Club members have been offering continued support to invasives removals, trail mulchings, and replantings with the North Stony Run Green Team (an extension of Friends of Stony Run), a neighborhood volunteer group based near Poly that works to improve habitat and biodiversity in the Stony Run watershed.
Blue Water Baltimore
Just as Blue Water Baltimore has been active in the Poly community, Poly students have been active at Blue Water Baltimore events, including tree plantings at various locations.
Purple Heart
A holiday 2015 clothing drive in Poly garnered hundreds of clothing items donated to Purple Heart. The theme of the clothing drive was reusing during the holidays in order to recycle usable clothes for the needy and homeless. Just another way that Poly is giving back to the Baltimore City community!
Bikes for the World Bike Drive
In association with Bikes for the World, a nonprofit that takes used bikes and donates them to third-world countries, the Environment Club organized and promoted a bike drive. Saturday March 12, 2016, 10 Environment Club members came to volunteer to collect bikes. Members interacted with donors and helped process the donated bikes so they could be shipped to third world countries. 27 bikes, along with accessories and a sum of monetary donations of about $60 were also contributed.
Rethink Recycling
Two Poly students, Tori Legaspi (freshman) and Kara Brooks (junior), competed in the Rethink Recycling competition hosted by the Maryland Department of the Environment. The contest involved constructing artwork out of recycled materials. Although they didn't win, they received a certificate for participation and had a lot of fun!
COP21
About 10 Environment Club students filmed a video in support of the Paris Agreement. This video was then posted on Twitter. They were happy that their work is being supported on an international scale.
Tree Trust Video Contest
In spring 2015, the Environment Club competed in the Tree Trust video competition. The entry was a spoken word with a backdrop of a painting that depicted a world with and without trees. It encouraged viewers to protect trees and work together to build towards a better future.