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National Grant Funds Efforts to Connect Baltimore City Residents with Nature and Conservation Action
TogetherGreen Tackles Threats to Water and Wildlife

Efforts to connect and involve Baltimore-area residents with protecting the health of local waters, wildlife and habitat will get a boost from one of 41 newly-announced TogetherGreen national Innovation Grants. Workshops and hands-on activities will engage inner-city and suburban residents to promote alternative maintenance and landscaping of yards and public areas. The preferred practices will help to reduce the use of pesticides, fertilizers, irrigation and other contributors to contaminated runoff and airborne pollution, while creating inviting and healthy places for birds and people.

The one-year year grant will enable Audubon Maryland-DC to join forces with various Baltimore area watershed associations and other local groups to help residents understand and take action to control the impact of everyday activities on birds, pollinators and other commonly seen indicators of environmental health.

Programs and events at the Patterson Park Audubon Center, Herring Run Watershed Center and other local venues will equip diverse area residents to create native plant gardens in yards, on rooftops, and in alleyways and employ water-saving rain-barrels and other eco-friendly strategies. Adoption of these strategies represents a quick and easy way for residents to get involved, even if they’ve never taken steps to help the environment. Gardens and other changes will be readily visible to the public, inspiring others to take similar actions. Resulting cuts in pollutants and runoff will be less visible, but will add up over time, ultimately contributing to improved water quality and ecosystem health.

“This is all about empowering people who may not be part of the traditional conservation movement to deal with serious local pollution issues and take actions that will benefit their lives, communities and the environment we share,” said biologist and Audubon Maryland-DC program head Britt Slattery. “We’re going to start with people and the sights and activities of their everyday lives to help them make a difference for the environment in Baltimore and beyond.”

"This grant will go directly to helping local citizens in Baltimore take small actions that will add up to make a big difference, not only for their nearby streams and rivers, but also for Chesapeake Bay," added Marcy Damon, Chair of the Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council, a project partner and coalition of individuals and organizations dedicated to researching, promoting, and educating the public about conservation-based gardening and landscaping practices in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

The Baltimore grant is part of the first $1.4 million awarded by the TogetherGreen initiative, a national Audubon project with funding from Toyota. Grantees were selected from scores of applicants across America. Funds were awarded to Audubon organizations that demonstrated exceptional innovation in working with other groups on projects that will produce tangible benefits for environmental quality. The grants are intended to help organizations leverage additional support for initial activities and ongoing efforts.

“We’re glad to be helping to connect communities in Baltimore with nature and ways they can enhance its future and their own,” said TogetherGreen Project Manager Judy Braus. She adds: “This effort offers individuals a clear for acting today to improve tomorrow."

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About TogetherGreen
TogetherGreen will invest in both promising environmental projects and outstanding leaders that can shape a brighter tomorrow. Along with Innovation Grants to be awarded each year, TogetherGreen funds and promotes conservation leadership training and volunteer programs designed to equip and engage diverse groups and individuals to take action today to shape a healthier tomorrow. Information on other grantees, along with opportunities to get involved in conservation efforts, showcase successful initiatives, and honor those who are making a difference, can be found at www.TogetherGreen.org.

About Audubon
Now in its second century, Audubon connects people with birds, nature and the environment that supports us all. Our national network of community-based nature centers, chapters, scientific, education, and advocacy programs engages millions of people from all walks of life in conservation action to protect and restore the natural world.

About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE: TM) established operations in the United States in 1957 and currently operates 10 manufacturing plants, with another under construction in Mississippi. Toyota is committed to being a good corporate citizen in the communities where it does business and believes in supporting programs with long-term sustainable results. Through its corporate initiatives, manufacturing operations and philanthropy, Toyota supports numerous organizations across the country, focusing on education, the environment and safety. In 2007, Toyota contributed more than $56 million on philanthropy in the U.S. For more information on Toyota's commitment to improving communities nationwide, visit http://www.toyota.com/community.