OTHERWORLDLY ART

This Earth Day, Wednesday April 22, American Visionary Art Museum founder Rebecca Hoffberger will lead viewers through a free virtual tour of AVAM’s brand-new exhibit, “The Secret Life of Earth.” Now extended through January 2021, the environmentally focused exhibit speaks to the importance and interconnectedness of nature. Filled with a range of whimsical artworks, expect the likes of paper flowers, driftwood sculptures, intricate beaded animal sculptures, recovered plastic litter installations, satellite images from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, and a brief pollinator film by Fantasic Funghi director Louie Schwartzberg.

GREEN LIVESTREAMS

Blue Water Baltimore is evolving in the times of coronavirus with a schedule of virtual events. This week, the local environmental nonprofit is hosting an Earth Day Q&A happy hour, featuring conversation with Baltimore Harbor waterkeeper Alice Volpitta and the launch of their 2020 Baltimore Water Watch report on the health of the Gwynns Falls, Jones Falls, Baltimore Harbor, and Patapsco River. It takes place this Wednesday from 4-6 p.m. via Zoom with a $10 suggested donation. Check back each week for more Facebook Live Q&As on Wednesdays at noon, featuring topics like native gardens, tree plantings, and water health, as well as Fridays at noon, for all things flowers with Herring Run Nursery.

CRABS IN THE TIME OF COVID

On April 1, Maryland’s commercial crab season opened to an unusual start in the wake of the global coronavirus pandemic. With many restaurants closed under Governor Hogan’s social distancing restrictions, one of the industry’s main markets—crab houses touting the state’s iconic crab feast—virtually disappeared overnight. Meanwhile, three of the state’s nine crab-picking houses have received a portion of their seasonal guest workers, who arrive each spring on H-2B visas from Mexico and elsewhere in Latin America, with new safety measures in place such as six-foot workspace spacing, daily temperature checks, and personal protection equipment. Failing to receive workers in the federal lottery system, the other six processing houses remain closed. Meanwhile, seafood markets remain open, with some sighting similar business to years past, while watermen are looking for new ways to distribute their catch, with eateries like The Local Oyster now selling steamed crabs for carry-out. Some watermen fear decreased demand will lead to increased supply and effectively lower crab prices, though with crabs largely not inundating Maryland waters until late spring and early summer, it is unclear how the industry will be impacted long-term.

MPT’S CHESAPEAKE BAY WEEK RETURNS

In the midst of coronavirus quarantine, Maryland Public Television’s annual Chesapeake Bay Week, now in its 16th year, couldn’t have arrived at a better time, with a full evening lineup of local programming on the nation’s largest estuary, on air through April 25. Learn about the likes of the bay’s iconic lighthouses with the brand-new Chesapeake Beacons, rising sea levels with Tidewater, local river-keepers with A Voice for the Rivers, the state’s historic shad fishery in Shad Run, and all things oysters with Oysterfest, as well as some of MPT’s highest viewed specials, Eatin’ Crabs: Chesapeake Style and Eatin’ Oysters: Chesapeake Style. The programs are also available for livestream viewing via mpt.org.

FERRY SERVICE

The Maryland Department of Transportation has struck down the proposal of a publicly operated car ferry as an alternative to a new third crossing of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. In a recently released 43-page report, MDOT argues that, as a stand-alone option, a ferry would not alleviate congestion at the current spans along Route 50 between Anne Arundel and Queen Anne’s counties, and would also cost up to $3.4 billion to build and operate. (Past estimates project a third span could cost upwards of $7 billion.) Officials have recommended that such operations be considered in combination with other transportation alternatives. Several car-carrying ferries used to operate on the Chesapeake before ceasing operations in 1952 following the completion of the first existing span.

TOXIC TAKEDOWN

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, this spring’s Maryland legislative session was adjourned early for the first time since the Civil War. But while some eco measures fell to the wayside, such as a push for sustainably designed state buildings, the General Assembly did pass a win for environmentalists during the final minutes on March 19 with a ban on chlorpyrifos, a harmful pesticide linked to brain damage in children, as well as disorientation and death in wildlife. The European Union, plus California, New York, and Hawaii, have also banned the chemical, making Maryland the fourth state in the U.S. to do so. Though final amendments included a sunset clause for June 2024, as well as waivers for particular green bean growers and orchardists, advocates feel the legislation is still a step in the right direction.

TRASH TALK

As coronavirus-related quarantine orders are creating positive environmental impacts across the globe, the Order of the Wheel, a secret society of Baltimore’s beloved Mr. Trash Wheel, has returned to recruit its third pledge class of green stewards who will work to protect local waterways. Run by Waterfront Partnership—which oversees the garbage-eating, water-cleaning receptacles around the region—applications are open through May 11, with participants required to complete five green tasks over five weeks times. Each is tailored for at-home or socially distanced outdoor activities, such as recycling used goods and creating your own water filter. As of Monday, some 470 residents have signed up, with approximately half being new pledges.

BAY UPDATES

The Chesapeake Bay Program has released its annual Bay Barometer health report with a new look. Focused on updates to the goals and outcomes of the multi-state Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, the report now highlights only the latest indicators of progress, many of which have been previously reported. For the 2018-2019 year, seven key takeaways include that record rainfall led to the highest amount of freshwater entering the estuary since monitoring began in 1937, contributing to lower salinity levels in parts of the bay and the largest observed dead zone in the past five years. Meanwhile, the Department of Natural Resources’ 2019 winter dredge survey suggests the population of blue crabs increased nearly 60 percent last summer—news that incited a flurry of headlines at the time—while harvests were below the overfishing threshold. The 2020 survey is due out in late spring. In addition, underwater grasses are slightly down, but still make up an estimated 91,559 acres of the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries. The report also pointed to increased efforts in land conservation, pollution reduction, and public access.

Adam Lindquist remembers the time Mr. Trash Wheel picked up a
ball python. The West African snake, presumably someone’s escaped pet, had found its way to the Inner Harbor and was scooped up by the animated machine that labors where the Jones Falls meets the Chesapeake Bay. And that turned into a marketing moment: The interloper inspired Peabody Heights Brewery’s Lost Python Indian Pale Ale.

The 50-ton googly-eyed anthropomorphic water wheel annually intercepts some 200 tons of garbage—including all manner of plastics, tires, and even the occasional mattress. He’s just one project from the Healthy Harbor Initiative, designed to protect the Baltimore shoreline. The organization also runs the Great Baltimore Oyster Partnership, which planted its millionth bivalve in summer 2019—though the filter feeders are not for human consumption. Then there’s the nonprofit’s Harbor Scholars program, launched this school year with funding from the Chesapeake Bay Trust, which educates some 700 Baltimore fifth-graders about environmental issues and practices.

But with about 60,000 social media followers and counting,
Mr. Trash Wheel—one of three contraptions at work on Baltimore’s waterways, and there’s a fourth on the way—remains the most visible part of the campaign, says Lindquist. “Mr. Trash Wheel is a mascot for environmentalists around Baltimore.”

Launched in 2010 by economic development group Waterfront Partnership, Healthy Harbor has the target of “Swimmable by 2020” and that goal now looks achievable. Baltimore City’s $1 billion in infrastructure funding, including a $200-million loan from the Environmental Protection Agency, will fund upgrades to reduce sewage over flows and rainwater runoff, Lindquist says. “But there’s always more work to be done.” Even if the harbor is safe for humans, the levels of phosphorous, nitrogen, and sediment continue to put plants and animals at risk.

Healthy Harbor’s next goals include a focus on “green” solutions, such
as more green spaces and fewer impermeable surfaces, like sidewalks and parking lots.

The lumbering amphibian was invented by John Kellett of Clearwater Mills in Pasadena, but a marketing rm suggested the personality, Lindquist says. He himself created the prototype. “I made the first googly eyes in my basement out of insulation board,” he says. “Then we found a company to make them out of metal.”

The city’s Trash Wheel family that already includes a Mister, Professor, and Captain will soon welcome a new member to its crew.

Waterfront Partnership’s Healthy Harbor Initiative announced this week that a fourth trash wheel—the largest of its kind—will be added to the stable—focusing on the Gwynns Falls area that spreads 60 square miles from Baltimore County to West Baltimore, and flowing into Ridgely’s Cove into the Middle Branch of the harbor. It will eventually make its way to the Patapsco River and Chesapeake Bay. This project is a communal one, too, as it’s the first time the city and the county are coming together to help fund a trash wheel.

“The watershed stretches across the city and county,” says Adam Lindquist, director of the Healthy Harbor Initiative. “The solution to clean up the harbor has always included both. This is going to help with the restoration of Middle Branch, which is such a unique asset.”

In a press release, Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski emphasized that the Gwynns Falls flows from Reisterstown all the way to the Baltimore Harbor, adding that litter and water quality are regional issues that require this kind of partnership.

“[The new Trash Wheel] will remove trash while also calling attention to the fact that litter doesn’t stop where it drops,” he said. “So we need to prevent littering in the first place.”

With each trash wheel comes specific modifications designed to best handle the area it will be cleaning. This particular model will have a grappling arm, in essence a claw machine, to clear the large logs that often pervade the waterways in that area.

It will remove trash from the water and deposit it into a dumpster barge. And thanks to Wheelabrator Technologies, located on the property adjacent to the project, the interceptor will offload trash from the river and convert it into electricity for Maryland homes. The new wheel will also have 72 solar panels to capture sunlight that is often scarce in the area due to an overhead highway overpass.

“One nice thing about Baltimore is the three trash wheels we do have all have their own sort of unique environmental conditions,” says John Kellett, founder of Clearwater Mills, the company tasked with designing and building the wheels. TK.

There is, of course, the wonderful and unexpected cult following that the wheels have garnered throughout the city—they each have their own clever Twitter accounts—which have inspired a general sense of civic pride. Other cities are seeing what is happening in Baltimore and wanting in. Kellett says he gets calls all the time and is working on implementations in other parts of the country.

In an effort to to make ownership of this trash wheel feel truly communal, those involved are calling for name submissions for the fourth member of the “species.”

“I never dreamed the trash wheel would have sort of following it does,” Kellett says. “When I first came up with the idea, the most rewarding thing would be to see a much cleaner harbor. It turns out, just as rewarding is seeing all the people that it inspires to become part of the solution and the opportunity it presents for educating people about what they can do.”

There isn’t much variation when it comes to the type of waste that the trash wheel collects—namely, cigarette butts and all different kinds of plastic. The goal, of course, is to eradicate it all to the point where the trash wheel will no longer be needed. Lindquist sees a future in which Middle Branch is used for recreational activities like kayaking and swimming.

“Our goal to put these trash wheels on a diet,” Lindquist says. “We’re trying to reduce the amount of plastic so that we don’t need trash wheels forever.”

Chalk It Up – Madoranni Festival
Sept. 6-8. 11 a.m.-10 p.m.. Little Italy, Baltimore. Free. After Michael Kirby discovered his talent for street art as a teenage spray-painter, the Parkside native went on to create thousands of Renaissance chalk paintings and become the first American artist to achieve the title of “master street painter” in major European festivals. Now the founder of local studio Murals of Baltimore, Kirby has seen the Little Italy Baltimore Madonnari Arts Festival grow into a much-anticipated affair that draws thousands of onlookers to the neighborhood to watch local and international artists create pavement masterpieces. Kirby says the most important part of the festival (September 6-8) is that it brings both new and familiar faces to Baltimore. “People will visit on Friday to see what the artists are drawing and then come back again on Sunday to see the finished piece,” Kirby says. “Every day you come back, you see and experience something new.”—KP

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Locust Point Festival
Sept. 7. 11 a.m.-6 p.m.. Latrobe Park. Free. This South Baltimore neighborhood is known for being a mix of the old and the new, with some of the city’s oldest rowhomes mere blocks away from luxury high-rises and high-tech office spaces. So it’s no surprise that this annual festival at Latrobe Park will have tons of food and entertainment for residents of all ages, including delectable eats from City Limits, Hull St. Blues, and HarborQue, a kids zone packed with activities, a crush station, and live music by local band The Wafflers. Don’t miss the chance to give back to neighborhood projects through this family-friendly event.

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Baltimore Seafood Festival
Sept. 14. 12-7 p.m.. Canton Waterfront Park. Free-$100. What better way to honor Baltimore’s undoubted love for seafood than a full-blown festival with crustaceans as far as the eye can see? Head to Canton Waterfront Park for this sixth annual extravaganza as local seafood spots, including favorites like Jimmy’s Famous Seafood, Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls, Nick’s Fish House, and The Local Oyster, serve up crab cakes, shrimp salad, oysters, and steamed crabs. Indulge in the only large-scale seafood festival in Baltimore City and spend the day trying new drinks, listening to live music, and taking in a cooking demonstration.

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Charm City Night Market
Sept. 21. 3-11 p.m. 200 Park Ave. & 100 N Charles St.. Prices vary. During the inaugural Charm City Night Market last fall, more than 12,000 people visited this one-day festival to sample authentic Asian-American eats, peruse locally made wares, and take pictures under the illuminated lantern walk. This month, the Park Avenue block party will make its much-anticipated return with 70 vendors, tons of entertainment on the festival’s outdoor stage, and a true showcase of the booming popularity of Asian cuisine in Baltimore. Be on the lookout for upcoming details about how a permanent revival of Baltimore’s Chinatown is on the horizon, thanks to efforts from the Chinatown Collective and Park Avenue Partners.

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Hampdenfest
Sept. 21. 11 a.m.-7 p.m.. 36th St., Hampden. Free. Nothing describes Hampden quite like the neighborhood’s much-anticipated toilet bowl race down Chestnut Avenue. Cheer on your favorite high-speed seat and then spend the rest of this day-long festival jamming to live music by more than 20 local bands, sipping on brews from The Brewer’s Art and Union Craft Brewing, shopping along The Avenue, and taking in the sights and sounds of this quintessentially Baltimore neighborhood.

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Pigtown Festival
Sept. 21. 12-7 p.m.. Pigtown Main St.. Free. The historic Pigtown annual neighborhood celebration will have you squealing with joy for the 18th year in a row. This fan-favorite event has all the key ingredients for a great festival experience: local food, craft beer, arts and crafts vendors, and kids’ activities. Not to mention live music from Ursula Ricks Project and The Scotch Bonnets. Oh, and did we mention the live pig races?

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Trash Wheel Fan Fest
Sept. 21. 7-10 p.m.. Peabody Heights Brewery, 401 E. 30th St.. $30-40. Although the Trash Wheel family has gained a national following, we know that the truest fans of these lovable garbage-suckers are right here in Charm City. Celebrate these solar-powered trash receptors with unlimited Peabody Heights brews, performance pieces and songs inspired by the trash wheels, and even a make-your-own fan art station to commemorate the trash-tastic evening.

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Charm City Run 20 Miler
Sept. 22. 8 a.m.-2 p.m.. The Northern Central Trail, Freeland. $55-60. Whether you’re preparing for a fall marathon or just need an excuse to get some early-morning pep in your step, sign up for this abbreviated run at the Northern Central Railroad Trail. This popular (but tough) 20-mile race will take runners from Hunt Valley to the Mason-Dixon Line. If you need extra motivation for this long-winded race, think about the cash prizes waiting for the top three male and female runners at the finish line.

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Maritime Magic
Sept. 27. 7p.m.. Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park, 1417 Thames St.. $120-2,500. A good time for a good cause——what could be better than that? To attend one of the most anticipated fundraisers of the year, head to Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park and enjoy unlimited bites and drinks from local vendors, a silent auction, and incredible live music by renowned New Orleans-based funk and jazz jam band Galactic. This jam-packed benefit will directly support the Living Classroom Foundation’s education, job-training, health and wellness, and violence prevention programs.

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Bmore Historic
Sept. 27. 8 a.m.-4 p.m.. Baltimore Museum of Industry, 1415 Key Hwy. $10-25. Calling all history buffs and die-hard Charm City lovers: This annual unconference (AKA participant-led meeting) will delve into everything you’ve ever wondered about the history of Charm City and its preservation. This Baltimore Museum of Industry forum is open to the public and will allow visitors to connect with local historians and archivists to enrich their understanding of this great city.

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EAT

May 12: Mother’s Day Brunches

Locations, times, and prices vary.

The last few days before Mother’s Day mark the annual scramble for last-minute bouquets, sentimental cards, and—if you’re really behind—brunch reservations at her favorite local spot. If you’re still searching for a table, we recommend snagging seats for the first-ever brunch service at popular Italian restaurant Orto, indulging in a three-course mid-morning meal at Minnow, or any of the other Sunday specials listed in our roundup of mom-worthy spots.

DRINK

May 11: Classy Trashy Birthday Bashy

Peabody Heights Brewery, 401 E. 30th St. 7-10 p.m. $35-40.

It’s been five years since Mr. Trash Wheel officially started churning trash from the Jones Falls, and we can barely remember what Baltimore was like before his googly eyes could be seen on every T-shirt, sticker, and plush toy. To celebrate the milestone birthday, Peabody Heights Brewery is throwing an all-out bash with live music, trash-themed games, and, of course, all-you-can-drink beer. Be one of the first fans to try the latest beer release in collaboration with the Healthy Harbor Initiative, Mr. Trash Wheel’s Solar Power Sour. And be sure to recycle the can!

SEE

May 8-12: Maryland Film Festival

Station North Arts & Entertainment District. Times vary. $8-450.

Baltimore might not be as glamorous as Hollywood, but according to film critic Richard Brody, it becomes the “center of cinematic gravity” each year during this five-day film celebration. Whether you’re a casual moviegoer or a full-blown cinephile, take advantage of this opportunity to watch more than 100 shorts, features, and documentaries, as well as attend Q&A sessions and workshops with acclaimed filmmakers at the historic Parkway Theatre in Station North. Pro tip: Make your movie-watching plan based on our reviews of eight of this year’s featured films.

HEAR

May 11: Welcome to Shakesville Saturday Morning Tunes

WTMD, 1 Olympic Place, Towson. 9-11 a.m. Free-$40.

Although the premiere of the Baltimore Rock Opera Society’s much-anticipated show Welcome to Shakesville is still two weeks away, the cast and crew will perform a sneak preview of the colorful opera for their toughest critics: local music-loving kids. With throwback nods to 1960s psychedelia, this puppet-filled performance will transport audiences of all ages to the magical world of Shakesville with tons of surf jams along the way. If dancing is not enough to tire out your little one, there will be bike rides by Race Pace Bicycles, a reading corner, and cake from Eddie’s of Roland Park to knock them out by noon.

DO

May 11: Remfest

Remington Ave. and 28th St. 12-9 p.m. Free.

Despite the smash-hit success of the first-ever RemFest, Remington-based businesses and neighbors are gunning to make this year’s festival even bigger and better. Along with more than 75 local artisan vendors, drool-worthy bites from area restaurants, and libations by Union Craft Brewing and R. Bar, the outdoor festival boasts a killer lineup of local acts that can’t be beat. Stake out a spot near the 27th Street stage to hear the likes of indie-pop stars Super City, soul sensation Brooks Long, singer-songwriter Bobbi Rush, pop-opera duo Outcalls, and be sure to stick around for an end-of-the-night Save Your Soul dance party with DJ Rob Macy.

When local artist Matt Muirhead finds a piece of casted-off art at a thrift store, he doesn’t see trash—he sees an opportunity to improve the piece and bring new life to it. So when he thought about what to add to a waterscape painting that he found at the Salvation Army in Cockeysville, he realized that Mr. Trash Wheel—the downtown water wheel that captures debris from the Jones Falls River—does the same thing for Baltimore’s waterways.

“I love the the idea that Mr. Trash Wheel stands between our civilization and nature,” says Muirhead. “He filters out all of the waste and helps keep nature in her pure state.”

It’s locals like Muirhead and the water wheels’ hordes of other adoring fans that inspired the first-ever Trash Wheel Fan Fest. After four years of people honoring the city’s googly-eyed mascots through songs, murals, beer, pledges to the Order Of The Wheel, plush toys, and everything in between, the trash-guzzling family is returning the love with a downright kooky night to remember.

“When people started getting tattoos of the trash wheels,” says Adam Lindquist, director of the Waterfront Partnership’s Healthy Harbor Initiative, “that’s when we said, ‘We need to do something to celebrate how amazing our fans are.’”

This Saturday at Peabody Heights Brewery, fans of all ages will pack the Abell taproom for a party filled with trash-tastic activities like a costume contest, a Jeopardy-style trivia show, and a mini-exhibit of fan art, featuring Muirhead’s “Guardian” painting. In between enjoying all-you-can-drink brews and singing along to the trash wheels’ theme song, attendees can walk through a museum made up of one-of-a-kind novelties like Mr. Trash Wheel’s first pair of googly eyes and some of its strangest snacks. (Spot the football that was taken from Mr. Trash Wheel’s belly and then signed by Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker.)

Since Peabody Heights started brewing its first of two trash wheel-inspired beers last year, it’s raised close to $40,000 for the Healthy Harbor Initiative through fundraisers and beer profits. Eddie O’Keefe, the marketing director of the brewery, says that, through Peabody Heights’ work with the Waterfront Partnership, he’s seen how passionate Baltimoreans are about advancing the health of the harbor.

“People from here really care about small businesses and they care about cleaning up the waterways,” he says. “They really want to see the city be the best it can be.”

Along with giving trash wheel devotees the chance to celebrate their fandom with others who share it, Lindquist says the fan fest is a way to thank the community that’s rallied behind the Waterfront Partnership and its message. Although it’s yet to be determined whether the Trash Wheel Fan Fest will become an annual affair, he says this is the kind of event that could only work in Baltimore.

“Baltimore has a great community that embraces kitsch and the sillier side of art,” Lindquist says. “It’s clear that there’s a culture and a place in this city for unique ideas.”

Baltimore’s favorite trash wheel has it all: a daily diet of litter, a namesake beer from Peabody Heights Brewery, and now, a not-so-secret national society dedicated to ridding the world of trash.

Inspired by Mr. Trash Wheel—the downtown water wheel that captures debris from the Jones Falls River—and its thousands of internet fans, the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore has launched a social media campaign to muster grassroots environmental action. This March, with the help of grants from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Chesapeake Bay Trust, the Order of the Wheel was born.

The exclusive club comes with a fictional centuries-old backstory and benefits like a secret handshake, special merchandise, and quirky code names such as Garbage McTrashface and Barnacle Churnerton. But joining is not so easy; applicants have to be selected by a board of “Great Grand Wheelers” to become a pledge. Then, pledges have to complete five assigned tasks—like decorating oil receptacles and purging plasticware—and share their completed missions on social media with the hashtag #OrderOfTheWheel to be inducted as an official member. So far, there are more than 1,600 people pledging across the U.S.

Zoe Ubaldo, a special education teacher at Gilmor Elementary School in Sandtown-Winchester, pledged to learn more about local environmental issues, even encouraging her fourth and fifth grade students to get involved by collecting litter on school grounds. “I made it a game, where the more trash they picked up, the more playtime they got afterward,” she says. “They were annoyed with how much litter had accumulated, but they were excited to help clean up.”

After the induction ceremony this spring, members will act as ambassadors within their communities to create clean, trash-free environments. “After all,” says Allison Fomich, who is pledging to inspire eco-conscious habits in others, “our voices and efforts have more impact when we’re together.”

Five things to eat, drink, see, hear, and do with your Charm City weekend.

 EAT

September 24: Union Graze

Artifact Coffee, 1500 Union Ave. 5-8 p.m. Free. 410-464-8000.   

It might be in the eighties this Sunday but we’re hoping the temperature drops by sundown to celebrate the first weekend of autumn with Union Graze. Located at the courtyard behind Artifact Coffee, this family-friendly shindig features provisions by chef Craig Falk of the beloved Lunchbox Lady and Big Softy plus the neighborhood’s own Union Craft beers and the warm Americana tunes of Rattlewood. Graze on a seasonal selection of soups—Hungarian hock and bean, squash and lentil, crab and corn verde—and creative grilled cheese creations—oven-roasted tomato, pulled pork, something amazing called “three-cheese dream”—and get ready for the flavors of fall.

 DRINK

Sept. 23: Mr. Trash Wheel’s Friendversary Party

Peabody Heights Brewery, 401 E. 30th St. 7-10:30 p.m. $25-35.

When a 5-foot West African ball python was found on Mr. Trash Wheel back in 2015, no one expected the incident to lead to a tight relationship between the googly-eyed trash interceptor and Peabody Heights Brewery. But lo and behold, that odd event has created the most unlikely of friendships—one that has even led to the creation of Mr. Trash Wheel’s very own session IPA, named after the sneaky spotted snake that started it all. At this weekend’s celebration, indulge in all-you-can drink Lost Python ales and Peabody Heights brews while enjoying local food, live music, and real-life animal encounters with serpents from Eco Adventures. Proceeds will benefit the Waterfront Partnership and Healthy Harbor Initiative, so raise a glass to friendship, beer, and clean waters. 

 SEE

September 22-24: Baltimore Comic Con

Baltimore Convention Center, 1 W. Pratt St. Fri. 1-7 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. $25-1,000. 410-526-7410.

This weekend, the streets of Baltimore will transform into a cartoon lover’s paradise as the 18th Baltimore ComicCon takes over the convention center. Come dressed to impress and let your geek flag fly as the three-day event features a costume contest, comic books for perusal or purchase, and the opportunity to meet famous superheroes, like O.G. Wonder Woman Lynda Carter. You might even get an autograph from Maryland cartoonist Frank Miller, of late-era Batman comics, Daredevil, Sin City, and 300 fame, who will also be in attendance.

 HEAR

September 22: CreativeMornings: Compassion

Tectonic Space, 2000 Greenmount Ave. 8:30-10 a.m. Free. 931-305-0883. 

With all the hustle and bustle we experience as weekday warriors, finding the time to slow down and be mindful of others can be a trying task. This Friday, start the weekend off on the right note with the monthly CreativeMornings breakfast talks. Amidst the street art and graffiti-inspired exhibit at the new Tectonic Space in Barclay, the September talk tackles the topic of compassion, featuring with Baltimore-based musicians Joy Postell and Al Rogers Jr. Postell, a bold unabashed neo-soul singer and one of our 2017 Best of Baltimore winners, and Rogers, a funky, forward-thinking hip-hop artist, will discuss social awareness and the importance of radiating compassion out into the world. Hopefully next thing you know, you’ll be planting seeds of kindness everywhere you go. 

 DO

September 22-24: Baltimore Book Festival

Inner Harbor. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Free.  

Baltimore may no longer be “the city that reads,” but during the Baltimore Book Festival, it sure could’ve fooled us. For three days, the Inner Harbor becomes a bookworm’s dream, filled with book sales of all genres, author signings, poetry readings, panel discussions, and much more. For the 22nd year, grab some paperbacks and be sure to sit in on conversations with renowned writers like TED Talk celeb of We Should All Be Feminists fame Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, former Sun sportswriter John Eisenberg, and National Book Award winner Alice McDermott. While you’re there, be sure to enjoy a Dogfish Head happy hour with brewmaster Sam Calagione, a meet-and-greet with a Guerrilla Girl, and a chance to ask rock-star-matriarch-turned-author Virginia Grohl your burning Foo Fighters questions. Yes, that’s Dave’s mom.

Concrete Kids

May 13, 2017
West 36th Street

“Could I ask the elected officials here to raise their hands?” City Councilman Ryan Dorsey says, raising his own hand and glancing toward several fellow councilmen, a pair of state delegates, and Mayor Catherine Pugh, all in attendance this afternoon for the phase II grand opening of Hampden’s Roosevelt Park skate park. “Now, will everyone who has skated in this concrete bowl keep their hand up?”

The only hand still raised, of course, is that of youthful, 35-year-old Dorsey, who was elected to his first term last year. 

Dorsey notes how long it took for the facility to get built—a dozen years—adding with a smile that he decided “it would be easier to run for office” than do the type of behind-the-scenes advocacy, organizing, and fundraising required to bring the 16,000-square-foot, world-class project to completion.

That said, the driving force behind the project works for one of Dorsey’s colleagues. Longtime skater Stephanie Murdock, also 35, serves as legislative director for Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke. “It started when I placed an ad with my personal cellphone number in the back of the City Paper—next to all those ‘interesting’ ads—to gauge support and recruit volunteers,” Murdock recalls. “People began calling me who wanted a skate park.” She founded the nonprofit, 501(c)3 Skatepark of Baltimore in 2007. 

In the past, says Northeast Baltimore native Spencer Brown, 28, skaters often jumped on the light rail, getting off near the University of Baltimore, Inner Harbor, or Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, looking for “a good place to grind” on ramps, stairs, ledges, boxes, and pipes.

“This brings in people from Maryland, D.C., Virginia, and Pennsylvania, and there are going to be professional teams coming in the next few weeks for competitions,” says Brown, who is sponsored by Hampden’s Vú Skate Shop and several other skateboard-oriented businesses. “The big thing is that the perception of skating, because of this project, has changed in recent years. 

“There’s acceptance now.”

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Table Scraps

May 15, 2017
Inner Harbor

Since 2014, Mr. Trash Wheel, the Inner Harbor’s water-and-solar-powered, garbage-devouring device, has pulled 1.1 million pounds of debris from the harbor—including nearly a half-million polystyrene containers, more than 650,000 snack and grocery bags, nearly 400,000 plastic bottles, and more than 9 million cigarette butts.

“He also gets a lot of baseballs and soccer balls, and random stuff, including beer koozies, a beer keg, a motorcycle helmet, pink flamingos—once a lost, 5-foot python,” says Cy Kellett, who helped build the prototype with his uncle John Kellett, Mr. Trash Wheel’s inventor.

Situated near where the Jones Falls flows into the Inner Harbor, the beloved Mr. Trash Wheel—a viral video showing him in action garnered nearly 1.5 million views, and he’s been profiled by the likes of CNN, NBC News, and National Geographic—is celebrating his birthday today. Along with staff from the Waterfront Partnership’s Healthy Harbor Initiative and a dozen or so local fans, the party this afternoon includes students from Commodore John Rodgers Elementary School, who have brought a “cake” (a used tire filled with plastic bottles and junk) to feed to Mr. Trash Wheel.

After the desserts are served, including actual cupcakes for the kids, Adam Lundquist, director of the Healthy Harbor Initiative, and Jonathan Jensen, on guitar and ukulele, respectively, lead the students and crowd in song. First there’s a rendition of “Happy Birthday” and then an homage to Mr. Trash Wheel, penned by Jensen, whose full-time job is as a bassist with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

Scooping up the yutz and the cigarette butts
Up to 25 tons a day
Mr. Trash Wheel, Mr. Trash Wheel, Mr. Trash Wheel
He’s the hero of the harbor

 “The world premiere of ‘Hero of the Harbor’ was last month at Peabody Heights Brewery,” Jensen grins. “For their launch of Mr. Trash Wheel’s Lost Python Ale.”

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Statue of Liberty

May 16, 2017
North Charles Street

On May 17, 1917, nearly a century after the Marquis de Lafayette’s last visit to Baltimore, city leaders and a French delegation broke ground for a statue of the American Revolutionary War hero in Mount Vernon Square. The effort to memorialize the wildly popular Lafayette in Baltimore—a downtown city street had already been named in his honor—was meant to symbolize the important bond between the two countries as the U.S. entered World War I. 

“Fifty-thousand residents of Baltimore turned out for the groundbreaking,” Robert Dalessandro, chairman of the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission, reminds a smaller but still enthusiastic crowd gathered in Mount Vernon Square to mark the 100th anniversary of the groundbreaking. Behind Dalessandro and the statue—and in front of Baltimore’s towering monument to George Washington—two 30-foot American and French flags blow in the wind. 

Lafayette’s first visit to Baltimore came in 1781, when the dashing officer and his soldiers camped near here before heading further south. His second visit came in 1784 and his third in 1824, according to the Baltimore Sun, when the 67-year-old was greeted by celebratory cannon fire at Fort McHenry and a parade of ships. 

It’s hard to overstate the courageous, freedom-fighting Lafayette’s hold on the American imagination, which continued long after his death. Dalessandro notes that when American troops first arrived in France in 1917, Col. C.E. Stanton, an aide to Gen. John J. Pershing, was said to have uttered: “Lafayette, we are here!”

After the ceremony, Michel Charbonnier, consul general of France at the French Embassy in Washington, is asked by an attendee about the French reaction to the election of President Donald Trump amid the administration’s early controversies. 

“The French people have been interested in American politics for more than two centuries,” Charbonnier says with a diplomatic smile, alluding to Lafayette’s mission. “Not that we have always understood it.”

Lost Python Ale is a slow sipper, clocking it at just 4.5 percent ABV, with a blend of hops that gives off lemon-lime and stone fruit flavors. The beer was brewed earlier this week and will debut at an Earth Day event at Peabody Heights on April 22.

“After a hard day of cleaning up a stream or gardening oysters, this is just the kind of beer I want to drink while kicking back with my volunteers,” Lindquist says. “And then recycling the cans, of course.”

In fact, the decision to put the beers in environmental-friendly cans was intentional, O’Keefe explains. He elaborates by saying that, aside from being a contract brewery for start-ups, Peabody Heights has made it its mission to give back to the community, raising nearly $100,000 for nonprofits last year alone.

“Most of our proceeds for this upcoming event will go to the Healthy Harbor,” O’Keefe says. “Long before the Trash Wheel came along, they’ve been working to improve the the waterfront. We are really proud of this town and the harbor is an incredibly important part of that.”

As for Mr. Trash Wheel himself, who now has more than 10,000 followers on Twitter, he couldn’t be more excited to have a beer named after his “one and only pet.” Lindquist said he wouldn’t rule out creating something similar for his counterpart, Professor Trash Wheel, down the line and that people’s interest in the water wheels has been really inspiring.

“Many things came together to make Mr. Trash Wheel a success,” Lindquist says. “It’s not a computer rendering that people will have to wait 10 years to see. Day one it stopped trash from floating in the harbor. And people can see that. Plus, humor is compelling. That is what has engaged so many people to care about activism.”

O’Keefe echoes the environmental sentiment and adds: “Anything with googly eyes works for me.”

Nature News

Have you ever seen the alarming photos of what a supermarket produce section would look like without bees? If not, here you go:

So we all get that bees are critical agents in the food chain, right? Well then, one local beekeeper has some bad news for us.

Bill Castro, who runs Bee Friendly Apiary out of his home in Southwest Baltimore, says more than 56 percent of managed honeybee colonies in Maryland were lost in 2016. This follows a three-year average loss of 54 percent.

“This means that beekeepers in Maryland spend over $1.13 million every year to replace approximately 7,600 lost registered honeybee colonies,” writes Castro in an email. “If managed honey bee losses are this high, how do we think that wild native bee populations are fairing?”

The statistic Castro cites comes from Bee Informed Partnership, a collaborative effort among academic institutions, agriculturalists, scientists, and apiary owners to better understand honey bee declines in the United States. The troubling figure reinforces worries about worldwide losses from so-called Colony Collapse Disorder—an inexplicable dying off of hives—that researchers theorize is caused by pesticide use, parasites, and loss of habitat. However, recent stories indicate that the problem may not be as dire as previously thought.

In any case, local bee populations seem to be among those still suffering.

One step the average citizen can take to help the bees is to stagger garden plantings, so at least some flora is always blooming throughout the season. Bees begin foraging in early spring and continue until late fall. However, many garden plants and agriculture crops bloom only in the spring or fall, leaving the bees with little to sustain them the rest of the year.

Your local garden center can probably help you pick plants preferred by pollinator, which include bees, butterflies, birds, bats, and several other insects. Or, if you want to be super eco-friendly, Herring Run Nursery in Baltimore City can provide expertise in creating a pollinator garden using only plant species native to Maryland.

BGE took a small but symbolically significant step toward pollinator preservation in mid-November when it announced a partnership with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to return approximately 200 acres of utility-managed land in state parks to natural meadow habitat.

“This partnership benefits the state, our customers and, most importantly, the pollinators that are vital for a healthy environment,” said Derrick Dickens, vice president of Technical Services for BGE. “Changing the way we manage these electric rights of way will encourage the return of pollinators and native ecosystems, while still ensuring that power lines are safely maintained.”

Sustainability Shorts

After discontinuing its composting drop-off program for several months while it overhauled its system, Real Food Farm is once again accepting food scraps at its Clifton Park location. The farm’s new system—developed in tandem with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and Urban Farm Plans—follows a co-op model that asks participants to take a one-hour training course before joining and then volunteer one hour per month to maintain membership. Once joined, members can drop off kitchen scraps any time and take home finished compost to fertilize their own gardens. If residents would like to participate but don’t have time to volunteer, Real Food Farm also accepts compost via Compost Cab, a collection service that operates in the Baltimore and D.C. metro areas.

Somewhere between 20 and 40 percent of all food in the U.S. goes to waste, ending up in landfills where it decomposes and emits methane, a greenhouse gas several times more potent than carbon dioxide. Composting is one way to divert unused food from landfill. Gleaning—the process of collecting excess food in order to feed food-insecure populations—is another. There are several local organizations that facilitate gleaning, including Gather Baltimore, Hungry Harvest, and the Mid-Atlantic Gleaning Network.

Visiting Laureate

On Wednesday, the famed poet, environmentalist, and farmer Wendell Berry spoke at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health about finding hope and sanctuary in a simple life lived in harmony with the natural world.

“I can’t give anybody hope,” said Berry, who spoke as part of a celebration marking the 20th anniversary of the school’s Center for a Livable Future. “Hope has to come up out of you … To find something worth hoping for is a very good place to start. There are things worth hoping for, there are good people, this is still a very beautiful world.”

A recap of the talk, which was led by journalist Eric Schlosser, can be found here.