UMBC
AN HONORS UNIVERSITY IN MARYLAND
CUERE
Center for Urban Environmental Research and Education
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
1000 Hilltop Circle 21250
Phone: 410-455-1761
Fax: 410-455-1769
E-mail: jra@umbc.ecu
http://www.umbc.edu/cuere
March 7, 2003
Dear Resident,
We here at the Center for Urban Environmental Research and Education at the
University of Maryland, Baltimore County (CUERE-UMBC), the US Forest Service
and Johns Hopkins University would like to thank you for your help and cooperation
over that last year, particularly last summer, in the Neighborhood Ecosystem
Project around Cub Hill. We took over 700 soil samples, visited over 50 homeowners
and were able to survey the neighborhood vegetation (both native and ornamental)
and soil fauna (such as earthworms). Additionally, the US Forest Service in
cooperation with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Baltimore
Ecosystem Study are continuing to collect air quality data at old fire tower
at Cub Hill.
With the data we are collecting, we hope to understand how our urban environment
changes over time, how humans affect soil, vegetation, and air and stream
conditions and how the surrounding environment affects the quality of our
lives and the information may be used in public policy decisions, education
and improvement of the urban environment. We have included aerial photos of
your neighborhood. Using similar photos we are determining the diversity of
landscape within Cub Hill. We will soon be sending a map of this diversity
on your own property. Diversity effects how resources in the environment,
such as water and nutrients, move and are transformed in the environment.
While it may not appear that way when looking out the window, spring is quickly
approaching and with its arrival, we hope to accomplish two objectives. This
first, in late March, will be the collection of earthworm and other soil invertebrate
specimens. Earthworms are most active in the spring and the fall and can greatly
affect nutrients and soil characteristics. As we did last summer, we will
contact individual homeowners to describe the sampling methods and to ask
for permission to collect earthworms and other soil invertebrates in their
yards and planting areas.
Our second objective for the spring is to temporarily install five meteorological
stations throughout that Cub Hill neighborhood. We plan on installing the
five stations over the next few months. These stations will measure and record
air and soil temperature, soil moisture as well as wind speed and wind direction.
We will use this information to explore the relationship of increased temperatures
in urban areas, biological activity and the environmental conditions measured
by the meteorological stations. We have already begun to contact individual
homeowners who will host the stations on their property. We will also install
stream temperature gauges as well as some stream gauging stations in area
streams that will monitor water temperature and flow.
Additionally, we hope to use the Cub Hill neighborhood as a living classroom
for students to learn about the urban environment. This will also serve to
teach the student about HOW to study the urban environment. So you may notice
college students walking around the neighborhood. Please interact with them
and ask them questions. Find out what they are doing. To become sensitive
and effective urban scientists, learning to interact with and learn from local
residents is essential. Some of the most important information and insights
we as scientists can gather are from you.
In the coming weeks we will forward the results of the nutrient analysis of
your lawn area. Accompanying this we will include the Maryland Cooperative
Extension fertilization recommendation. We hope this will be of some help
to you in the coming months for lawn maintenance.
We are excited about the Baltimore urban forest project and invite and appreciate
your participation. If you have any questions about the project please call
Jonathan Russell-Anelli at (410) 455-1761. The information that we are collecting
will help us to better understand and improve Baltimore’s urban environment.
We look forward to talking with you this spring.
We have also included a packet of seeds as a means of thanks and as a reminder
that spring is almost here.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Russell-Anelli
Field Supervisor