Read the latest from the Baltimore Brew:

https://www.baltimorebrew.com/2019/10/11/citizens-group-calls-on-the-state-to-fine-dpw-for-fish-kill/

Friends of Gwynns Falls Leakin Park files an official response letter to the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) requesting a penalty for the Sept 7 Fish Kill caused by the delayed response to the water main break near Dead Run.  

Read our letter here.

The Baltimore Brew reports that the City will not comment on the slow response and damage to Dead Run caused by the water main break:

https://www.baltimorebrew.com/2019/10/01/dpw-wont-come-clean-on-leakin-park-fish-kill/  

A water main near Franklintown ruptured early Saturday.  Despite multiple calls by FOGFLP members to City and County authorities, water gushed out for over 3 days.  Dead Run, normally quite low with the current lack of rain, was flowing full with chlorinated water that caused fish kills down stream.  See the article here: 

https://www.baltimorebrew.com/2019/09/13/water-main-break-causes-fish-kill-in-leakin-park/#comments  

This article, published in the New York Times on August 8, 2019 highlights EXACTLY  why we fight for every tree in Gwynns Falls Leakin Park!  

Read for yourself:  https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/08/09/climate/city-heat-islands.html  

Another related news story, this one from CNN, on the value of urban parks can be found here: https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/20/health/iyw-cities-losing-36-million-trees-how-to-help-trnd/index.html

A Civic Works summer crew cleared the steps where the Stream Trail meets Wetheredsville Road.  The steps were completely overgrown before.  Thanks team!

Three FOGFLP members removed the branches from the big beech tree that fell across the GFT on the Millrace last week.  Hikers can get by but bikers will have to dismount.  City Rec and Parks officials have been notified about this current status. Hopefully they will remove the tree sometime soon!

Special thanks to the Maryland Conservation Job Corps for their hearty efforts in working on the Contemplation Garden, and to FOGFLP board member Antonio Carpenter.  

The team cleared vines and overgrowth in the area that, under Antonio's direction, will become a contemplation park space.  The area has been worked on over two years and is now taking shape with the help of the CJC group.  The space is located near the Labyrinth in the Crimea Mansion area. 

Civic Works, a grant-funded organization based in Clifton Park, has two groups working in Leakin Park.   One group is working on the Franklintown loop trail, adding a new route, in the woods, parallel to the original trail that was destroyed along the Granite Pipeline construction.  The other group is working on the Windsor Hill Conservation trail.  Way to go teams!  

The Maryland Conservation Job Corps has several groups working in Leakin Park this summer. For the next four weeks, these high school students will work with a FOGFLP volunteer to improve trails, clear invasive species, and more.  Thank you MCJC crews, and thank you FOGLP volunteers George Farrant and Antonio Carpenter.