Page 12 - Port of Baltimore - Issue 5 - 2024

Community Corner
Pitching In at the Port of Baltimore — If you’re involved in community events,
we’d love to highlight you! Email tina.irgang@todaymediacustom.com
PHOTOS TAKEN BY EMILY SPERLING / MES
Youth Birding Week Aims to Inspire
Lifelong Love of Nature
For the third year, the Maryland Port
Administration (MPA) and its partners
were able to share the enduring love
of nature with area youth through
Port of Baltimore Youth Birding
Week, two weeks of free summer
birding camps for two age groups.
From June 24-28, children aged 8-10
years old and from July 8-12, youth
aged 10-13 years old began their
camp days at Masonville Cove.
From there, their adventures
expanded to other MPA restored
habitats, such as Cox Creek Dredged
Material Containment Facility, and
boat rides to Poplar Island and Hart-
Miller Island. Campers in the June
session were thrilled to see dolphins
on their way to Poplar Island.
As one camper exclaimed, the
experience was pivotal. “Bird camp is
the best week of my life!”
“[MPA Program Manager,
Education & Stakeholder Engage-
ment] Katrina Jones was the
inspiration behind Youth Birding Week.
altimore
She envisioned giving kids in Baltimore
the Port
the opportunity to learn about the Port
ects
of Baltimore’s restoration projects
s in
while learning to identify birds in
rds
their backyard, but also our birds
the
and the relationship between the
native
habitat reconstruction and the native
bird species,” said MES Senior
or
Environmental Specialist Emily
mily
tated
Sperling. The program is facilitated
ucation
by the Port’s environmental education
team at MES.
to
MPA extends its gratitude to
partners for their support in making
aking
these camp weeks possible
and bringing smiles to campers.
s.
Partners and sponsors include
Michael Hudson of Birds Urban
Baltimore, local artist Laura Wolf,
Chesapeake Bay Trust, Maryland
Ornithological Society and Baltimore
Bird Club.
Each child received a birding
toolkit with a birding field guide and
binoculars, which they could keep for
their future adventures.
their future adventures.
[10] The Port of Baltimore ■ ISSUE 5 / 2024