Page 26 - Port of Baltimore - Issue 3 - 2024

Clockwise from right: Cox Creek Open House (photo by MES); Youth Birding Week at Masonville Cove (photo by MES); Spanish bilingual tour
of Hart-Miller Island (photo by Audubon Mid- Atlantic’s Baltimore Program and the Bird Ambassadors/Embajadores de Aves); Harold Madison (left), representing the New Broadway East Community Association, and Jamie Meyers (right), representing M&W Towing, stand next to a container provided by Ports America Chesapeake (photo by Dan Spack/EcoLogix).
Upcycling & Uplifting
Once destined for the landfill, or sold for scrap, the BPA Environmental Committee and its member compa- nies were able to upcycle materials such as containers, wooden beams, metal frames and wharf logs for community use by the New Broadway East Community Association (NBECA). NBECA works to engage community members and foster housing, education, empowerment and economic dignity in Baltimore’s Broadway East community.
Bienvenido a la Isla Hart-Miller
Visitors from the Audubon Mid-Atlantic’s Baltimore Program (formerly Patterson Park Audubon) and Bird Ambassadors/Embajadores de Aves participated in the first official Spanish bilingual tour at Hart-Miller Island. Participants explored the site and its history, learned about erosion and dredging in the Chesapeake Bay, and saw rare birds, including trum- peter swans, a wild turkey, American avocets and long-billed dowitchers.
Latino Conservation Day
In July, Masonville Cove hosted Latino Conservation Day, a celebration of
the Hispanic Access Foundation’s nationally recognized Latino Conservation Week. According to Swathi Ayyagari from the National
Aquarium, the event was designed to encourage everyone, especially the Latino community, to enjoy and explore public lands and to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards. Participants, including 118 Latino visitors, enjoyed boat rides, archery, fishing, birding, arts and crafts, nature journaling, a terrapin exhibit and outreach tables.
Cox Creek Open House
In October, the Port of Baltimore’s Cox Creek Open House welcomed 150 visitors for special once-a-year free access to the unique dredged material containment facility (DMCF). Activities included riding tours to see the DMCF expansion, the Swan Creek Nature Trail, a self-guided birding tour in the wetlands, 11 educational and other exhibits, educational games, arts and crafts, fishing opportunities and Touch-a-Truck.
Participants in the bird census recorded four new species for
the site in 2023: ruddy turnstone, American wigeon, house sparrow, and most notably, an eared grebe, which has not been recorded at Swan Creek Wetlands and the Cox Creek DMCF since 2015. Following the open house, MES Senior Environmental Specialist Tim Carney observed two additional species.
4th Annual Hart-Miller Island Run
In October, MPA, Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), MES, Friends of Hart-Miller Island and Charm City Run hosted the 4th Annual Hart-Miller Island Run. Participants were provided with boat transportation and the unique opportunity to experience the natural beauty of Hart-Miller Island through a 5.3-mile footrace around the site.
Calling All Birders
Since the global pandemic, more people have discovered a love of the great outdoors and hobbies such as birding. MPA sites offer wonderful places for avian enthusiasts to explore.
Black Birders Week
In May, MPA and BURB partnered
to celebrate Black Birders Week at Masonville Cove with an opportunity for the public to observe the bird banding process. The birds are caught in nets, and data, like age and weight, is collected. An engraved aluminum band is placed on one of the bird’s legs, helping researchers identify and track individual birds. After the process is complete, the birds are released.
Baltimore Birding Weekend
MPA proudly hosted three spectacular birding tours for the Patterson Park Audubon Center’s award-winning Baltimore Birding Weekend in May.
ECO PORT ANNUAL REVIEW 2023
[24] The Port of Baltimore ■ ISSUE 3 / 2024