Thursday, June 2, 2016

4-H Adopts an Urban Style

4-H Adopts an Urban Style                      

by: Cathy Allen Special to the AFRO(Courtesy Photo)Jun 1, 2016                                      Cathy Allen

Meet Damien, a middle school student from Baltimore City.  Damien is sitting sideways in a chair nestled in a sunny corner of a schools’ auditorium. He’s wearing bright yellow earbuds, bopping his head to the rhymes of the music playing on his iPhone.  But underneath all that sway, Damien is shaking in his boots with nervousness and excited energy.
                                                 
You see, Damien has entered his photo into a photography competition sponsored by The University of Maryland Extension-Baltimore City 4-H Youth Development Program.  If Damien’s photography submission is chosen as the first, second or third place winner he goes on to the Maryland State Fair Competition.

Now I know you’re wondering, what does 4-H, an agriculture program have to do with creative arts like photography?

In recent years, 4-H Urban Youth Programming has revamped its programming to reflect the culture of the urban population through competitive and non-competitive creative arts and sciences that includes: photography, spoken words, poetry, fashion and jewelry design, and theater arts. In addition, engineering/technology, horticulture and agriculture sciences are also taught.

Manami Brown, Baltimore City extension educator, heads up Baltimore’s 4-H urban youth program. She was appointed the 4-H Baltimore City Extension Director with the University of Maryland Extension.  Manami and her team of environmental, nutrition, and health educators are leading the charge in 4-H Urban Youth Development.

On May 14, the Baltimore City Extension 4-H, the Department of Agriculture, Maryland Baltimore City Master Gardeners, youths, parents, and community members held the first of its kind, Baltimore City 4-H Youth Expo at Thomas Jefferson Elementary/Middle School in Baltimore City. The expo showcased city-wide youth efforts in photography, fashion/jewelry art, poetry and baked goods.

“Youth citywide who participate in the University of Maryland Extension, Baltimore City 4-H Youth Development Program receive leadership, nutrition, workforce readiness, entrepreneurship, and science development skills. As a result, they become positive role models in their communities, which leads to youth-led initiatives that engages communities in civic, business, community mapping, and other science and related projects,” said Brown.

Currently, school education curriculums have been lean when offering programming that promotes positive expression, the spirit of competition, entrepreneurship and financial literacy.  As a result, individual schools are reaching out and incorporating programming such as 4-H Urban Youth Development into their curriculums.  Just ask Angela Henry, principal of Thomas Jefferson Elementary/Middle School in Baltimore, who adopted the 4-H programming for the entire school.  Now all 300 plus students at Thomas Jefferson Elementary/Middle School are engaging in some form of 4-H programming during school and after-school.
In the 1960’s 4-H was introduced to the urban population under the U. S. Department of Urban Agriculture.  To educate urban youth between the ages of 5-18 in: entrepreneurship, nutrition education – which included vegetables and fruit canning, agriculture, workforce readiness, leadership and citizenship. The creative arts competition component of 4-H before the 1960’s were limited to sewing, arts and craft for girl 4-H groups only.

To incorporate 4-H Youth Development Programs in your school, community, or groups contact: The University of Maryland Extension office at 410.856.1850, ext. 114 or email wjagat@umd.edu
As for Damien, I’m proud to say his photo came in first place in the photography competition.  Damien is headed off to the State Fair in August with loads of resources, encouragement and support from his peers, 4-H and school educators, family and friends. Go Damien.


Cathy Allen is an award-winning Urban Environmentalist, the co-creator of G.R.A.S.S. (Growing Resources After Sowing Seed) as well as Chair of the “Grow-It Eat It” campaign. G.R.A.S.S. is an environmental entrepreneurial nonprofit program based on the fundamentals of gardening, agriculture and ecology. In conjunction with Baltimore City Public Schools, Allen’s campaign has planted over a half-million trees on the lawns of Baltimore City public schools.

Thursday, February 18, 2016

'Green Ambassador' Helping Sustain Baltimore Community

Published: The Baltimore Times and Annapolis Times March 2015

‘Green Ambassador’ helping sustain Baltimore community Stacy M. Brown | 5/29/2015, 6 a.m. Cathy Allen with Otis, a barred owl that is native to Maryland. Otis resides the Carrie Murray Nature Center located at 1901 Ridgetop Road in Baltimore. The Carrie Murray Nature Center is the oldest urban nature center in America.
BALTIMORE — Cathy Allen is recognized as the Green Ambassador. She has helped to spearhead efforts to plant trees at city schools, playgrounds, and parks and in Baltimore’s urban communities.
The Green Ambassador hosted a 20 Member Youth Japanese Delegation from Fukushima, Japan in 2012. They planted Cherry Blossom Trees in the historic city of Fredrick, Maryland to celebrate the centennial of the cherry tree in the United States.
Published: The Baltimore Times and Annapolis Times March 2015
Now, the local resident has helped to create Growing Resources After Sowing Seeds or GRASS, a
youth and young adult entrepreneurship development program, which is based on the fundamentals
of gardening, agriculture and ecology.
The program tackles hunger and even unemployment in some of the city’s forgotten communities,
where young individuals learn the value of going green, according to Allen.
“I’m humble and grateful that I’m in this position to bring this type of a program to Baltimore’s largest
food desert and not only to feed the population a product, but to feed them knowledge that they can
create their own enterprises by feeding Mother Earth,” said Allen, an award-winning
environmentalist. “I have been an ambassador for about five years now. I got into doing this because
my children suffer from environmental asthma and I said somebody’s got to do something,” Allen
said.
Allen says it’s common knowledge that trees serve to help the environment. She also says that
teaching inner-city youth about planting trees and caring for the environment could go a long way in
helping them carve out ways in which they can become self-sufficient and, in some cases, selfemployed.
“I focused on where the children spend most of their time which is school and this is all about
changing the landscape and adding beautification. The children actually plant the trees with
volunteers so they can have ownership,” she said.
Allen also has focused her GRASS program in Cherry Hill and its surrounding communities, largely
because it’s an area that is one of the city’s largest food deserts. Statistics revealed that Cherry Hill
has a combined unemployment rate of 37 percent.
Allen has also teamed with Karla Owens-Moody, a STEM educator, to create environmental,
ecological and agricultural socioeconomic change for Cherry Hill.
“In order for social change to happen, it has to happen in a urban community and it has to be a
trend,” Allen said. “It’s starting to catch on so that its second nature. Marketing has always been on
the outskirts of the urban community, yet here’s all of this grant money and nothing is ever in place
for sustainability.”
She says there has been no one leading the charge and setting the standards.
“That’s where I come in and bring everyone together,” Allen said. “As an environmental educator and
environmentalist, it is my duty and honor to seed the knowledge of how you can grow, eat and
prosper just by simply honoring Mother Earth.”
On August 22, 2015, Allen will host a “GRASS Garden Party” fundraiser at the Cherry Hill
Community Garden located at 900 Cherry Hill Road at Veronica Avenue beginning at 11 a.m.
Published: The Baltimore Times and Annapolis Times March 2015
In 2018, environmental engineer technicians are expected to earn $40,000 per year and those who go on to higher education in the environmental sciences will make $74,000 per year, according to the U.S. Department of Labor-Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“My primary goal is to foster growth amongst youth and young adults by providing them with the right opportunities to become self-sufficient,” Allen said, noting that participation has been nothing short of phenomenal. “I’m not surprised by the participation,” she said. “But, I’m excited, grateful and humbled because I knew it would happen.”
For more information about the Green Ambassador or to find out how you can help, visit www.facebook.com/pages/The-Green-Ambassador/129381800453763.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Growing Resources After Sowing Seeds


‘Empowering A Community One Seed At A Time’


 Baltimore City, (May 2015)- G.R.A.S.S. (Growing Resources After Sowing Seeds) a youth and young adult entrepreneurship development program based on the fundamentals of gardening, agriculture and ecology, is tackling hunger and unemployment in some of Baltimore City’s forgotten communities.

Romaine Lettuce /G.R.A.S.S. Planting Beds Spring Crop 2015
Located on the south side edge of Downtown Baltimore City is Cherry Hill and its surrounding communities. Cherry Hill is a neglected community and one of the largest food deserts in the city.  With a combined unemployment rate of 37% and 35% of the Cherry Hill community not in the workforce, Baltimore City’s Cherry Hill is the pilot site for the G.R.A.S.S. program. 
Partners, Cathy Allen - The Green Ambassador – Master Gardener/University of Maryland and Karla Owens-Moody, MBA, DBA(c) – Business Entrepreneurship and STEM Educator, has teamed up to create environmental, ecological, and agricultural socioeconomic change for a community that has been overlooked for decades.


G.R.A.S.S. is partly funded by a sub-grant from the USDA, Towson University and The Cherry Hill Development Corporation.  Environmental curriculum and instruction are supported by the University of Maryland Master Gardener Extension System, while entrepreneurship development was collaboratively by The Sustained Solution Corporations’ BLOT (Business Leaders Of Tomorrow) and Black Professional Men. G.R.A.S.S. workforce participants are funded through YouthWorks a five-week summer job program that connects youth to private sectors, nonprofits, and city and state government employers.

 “As an environmental educator and environmentalist, it is my duty and honor to seed the knowledge of how you can grow, eat and prosper just by simply honoring Mother Earth.”, said Cathy Allen.
Projected in 2018, environmental engineer technicians are expected to earn $40,000 per year and those who go on to higher education in the environmental sciences will make $74,000 per year in 2018. Source: US. Department of Labor-Bureau of Labor Statistics

“I’m an educator that identifies socioeconomic problems and strategically develops comprehensive learning methods to stimulate knowledge in my students and/or participants.  My primary goal is to foster growth amongst youth and young adults by providing them with the right opportunities to become self-sufficient” said, Karla Owens-Moody, MBA, DBA(c).

GRASS Garden Party Fundraiser is scheduled for Saturday August 22, 2015 at the Cherry Hill Community Garden 900 Cherry Hill Road @ Veronica Avenue from 11am-3pm.

Cathy Allen, The Green Ambassador is an award winning environmentalist, Co-creator of  G.R.A.S.S., Master Gardener University of Maryland Baltimore City Extension with advance certification in Bay-Wise Landscape Management, Chair of Master Gardener Extension Baltimore City -  Grow It -Eat It federal campaign, Published Science Writer, and EcoBroker Associate Realtor® Buyer’s Agent with Taylor Properties,  Her Mission: to green the universe environmentally and socially.

Karla Owens-Moody, MBA, DBA(c), Founder and Executive Director of The Sustained Solution Corporation and Co-Founder of G.R.A.S.S., is a transformational social entrepreneur focused on STEM and business education.  A passionate sustainability agent committed to education and positive social change, Karla holds a B.S. in Business Administration, an MBA, and is currently writing her dissertation on Social Enterprise Sustainability Beyond the 10 Years through a Doctor of Business Administration degree program.  Karla is an Opportunity Collaborative Fellow through the Baltimore Metropolitan Council and a resident with the Baltimore City Teacher’s Residency. 
Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them. ~Albert Einstein

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Sunday, October 12, 2014

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation Deems The Green Ambassador as Greening Pioneer of Baltimore

Quote published by: Chesapeake Bay Foundation October 6, 2014 Press Release

“Trees are our natural carbon offsets.  Nine years ago I planted 15 trees on a school yard in Baltimore City, because my children and countless others were suffering from environmental asthma. Today, through my efforts trees has been planted on school yards throughout the city so that our children, residents, visitors and commuters to Baltimore City can all take a deeper, cleaner breath.”
Cathy Allen, The Green Ambassador - pioneer of greening Baltimore City

Monday, October 6, 2014
For Immediate Release
Contact: Tom Zolper, 443/482-2066, tzolper@cbf.org


REPORT IDENTIFIES NATURAL BENEFITS OF RESTORED BAY,
PEGS VALUE AT $130 BILLION ANNUALLY TO REGION, $20.4 BILLION ANNUALLY TO MD.

ANNAPOLIS, MD. –  A first-ever analysis released today by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) finds that the economic benefits provided by nature in the Chesapeake Bay watershed will total $130 billion annually when the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint is fully implemented.  In Maryland those Bay benefits will top $20 billion a year.

“We all know that reducing pollution makes great sense for our health and our environment, and today we can confirm what we have long thought. It makes good economic sense as well,” said CBF President William C. Baker. “The benefits nature provides to us will increase in value by more than $22 billion, a 21 percent increase as a result of fully implementing the Blueprint. And we reap those added benefits every year.”

In Maryland, the report finds the Blueprint will increase natural benefits of the Bay and its river and streams to the state from $15.8 billion a year in 2009 to $20.4 billion annually, an increase of $4.6 billion a year.

“Just like planting trees can ease our children’s breathing, reduce our heating bills, and increase the beauty and vitality of a city or suburb, so restoring Maryland’s polluted creeks, rivers and the Bay can bring a multitude of benefits. This report quantifies those benefits. It also totals the benefits lost, in dollars, if we fail,” said Alison Prost, Maryland Executive Director. “It’s up to us whether we invest or not, and the return we reap.”

To ensure that Maryland is on pace to achieve its commitments in the Chesapeake Bay restoration plan, CBF is calling on the next governor and the next Maryland General Assembly to take a series of critical actions. They include: ensure less manure ends up in our local creeks and rivers, prevent the destruction of forests, and increase tree-planting along all streams in our cities, suburbs and rural areas.

“We recognize government leaders must spend public dollars judiciously. We can take common sense and cost-effective steps that will provide a substantial return on our investment,” said Prost.


Nature provides many benefits to the region: cleaner water, cleaner air, hurricane and flood protection, recreation, and fresh, healthy food and seafood. These benefits extend to everyone in the Bay’s 64,000-sqare-mile drainage basin, from headwater streams to the Atlantic Ocean.

The peer-reviewed report, produced by economist Spencer Phillips and CBF Senior Scientist Dr. Beth McGee, compared the value of those benefits in 2009, the year before the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint began being implemented, to the benefits that can be expected as a result of fully implementing the Blueprint.

The report estimates the value of natural benefits from the pre-Blueprint Bay watershed at $107 billion. Once the Blueprint is fully implemented, and the benefits realized, that amount grows by 21 percent to $129.7 billion a year. Equally telling, if the region relaxes efforts and does little more to clean up the Bay than what has been done to date, pollution will worsen and the value of Bay benefits will decline by almost $6 billion.
“The conclusion is clear: The region’s environmental and economic health will improve when we fully implement the Blueprint,” said co-author Phillips, an economist and one of the report’s authors. “The cleanup plan was designed with the understanding that all people and communities in the watershed can contribute to making the Bay cleaner, and that everyone will benefit when pollution is reduced. Our analysis confirms this.”
The report also identified impressive annual benefit gains in other Bay states from fully implementing the Blueprint. Pennsylvania would see an increase of $6.1 billion, Virginia $8.3 billion, New York $1.9 billion, West Virginia $1.3 billion, and Delaware $205 million.

CBF’s study addressed only benefits, not costs. While there are no recent estimates of the total costs of implementation, a 2004 estimate put costs in the range of roughly $6 billion per year. 

Considering federal, state and local investments in clean water in the 10 years since that time, we estimate the current number is closer to $5 billion annually. And once capital investments are made, the long-term annual operations and maintenance costs will be much lower. The result--the Blueprint will return benefits to the region each year at a rate of more than four times the cost of the clean-up plan.

The full CBF report is available at: Cbf.org/economicbenefits

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Sunday, March 2, 2014

Walking The Green Carpet of Green CASH

How A First Time Home Buyer Got Over $15,000 In Green Cash For Buying Green

Meet Victoria, a savvy first-time home buyer in Baltimore, Maryland was looking for a home in the low $100,000 range.  Victoria enrolled in a city-sponsored first time home buying clinic to gain knowledge of home buying. The day-long clinic covered credit worthiness, mortgage types, (FHA, Conventional, and VA) budgeting and Baltimore’s housing market. Amazingly, they still do not mention energy efficient mortgages (EEM) or energy rebates or improvements for first-time home buyers!

Fortunately, Victoria engaged my services: Cathy Allen, Realtor and The Green Ambassador. A Buyer’s Agent with Foundation Realty, LLC, I am known for walking my buyers on what I call the “green carpet of green cash”. I make sense of all the incentives and savings for buying a green home or greening an existing home. My “Green Team” of green-minded real estate professionals help me streamline and tailor each deal to my individual buyers.

WALKING THE GREEN CARPET

Victoria’s first stop on the green carpet was to trusted green team member, Kofi Ofori, Loan Officer for Supreme Lending. Kofi introduced Victoria to the benefits and safety of an Energy Efficient Mortgages (EEM) and pre-qualified her by determining her debt to income ratio.  EEM mortgages reward credit-worthy borrowers with additional money above the standard maximum loan amount to make energy improvements to an existing home.


“After Cathy explained how my energy efficient mortgage would work, I was able to view homes with an energy efficient mind.  Whether or not I could make a home energy efficient was just as important as all of my specifications I desired.” – Victoria 

With her pre-qualification letter in hand and energy efficiency on her mind, Victoria continued her search in finding her home on the green carpet. The first home that caught Victoria’s eye was a three-bedroom, two bath, end of group townhome with finished basement. As a green-oriented Realtor, I always check for energy loss problems before allowing a buyer to fall in love with a house. So, our tour revealed no roof insulation, quarter-sized holes in the wall, outdated baseboard-heating and drafty windows. Victoria knew she could never afford to heat and cool a house that was wasting so much energy!

“Most home buyers purchase homes without any regards to energy cost associated when owning a home.”-Kofi Ofori Loan Officer EEM.

The home Victoria eventually chose had its own inefficiencies - no roof insulation and a 20 year old, but still-working furnace. This is where a green realtor works better for you than a traditional agent: if a furnace merely passes a home inspection that’s good enough for most realtors. But on the green carpet, a 20 year old furnace will not benefit the home buyer in the future.

As a certified green realtor, I advised Victoria to call an energy rating company to perform a blower and carbon tests on that still-working 20 year old furnace. The blower test revealed the furnace lost energy and the carbon test revealed the still-working furnace was leaking toxic levels of carbon monoxide into the air. From those findings, I was able to negotiate a new $7,000 furnace for Victoria at the sellers’ expense!  The rater also recommended energy improvement steps to reduce Victoria’s annual energy costs by $500. In Victoria’s case a total of $3,766 was added to her loan for energy improvements costs such as: energy efficient lighting, attic insulation and chalking the interior of the house.

Armed with her EEM energy improvements cash, Victoria met another Green Team member - Retrofit Baltimore, a nonprofit agency of energy advocates, who screen and recommend contractors for energy improvements and identify grants, rebates, and other energy-related incentives.  In addition to finding a qualified green-contractor for Victoria, Retrofit Baltimore identified another $1,883 of utility energy rebates.

In short, I helped orchestrate a $5,649 grand total of energy rebates and incentives paid to Victoria.
Cathy-L-Victoria-R

"Traditional real estate ends at the sale, green real estate reaches for the future." -Cathy Allen, Realtor and The Green Ambassador for Maryland.

Before settlement, I led Victoria to her final stop on the green carpet, at a municipal program office where she received $10,000 in grant dollars because the home was vacant for over a year and qualified for a special down payment program.


In summary, hire the green team as your real estate sustainability team, so you can Walk The Green Carpet of Green Cash.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

((( HOOT AT THE MOON)))

.......a Fundraiser for Otis and all my Fine-Feathered Friends of the Carrie Murray Nature Center.  Saturday, October 26, 2013 from 5p-9p. Tickets are only $35.  ALL proceeds supports the animals and critters of the center.  Visit www.carriemurraynaturecenter.org for tickets and more info.

Its Going To Be A HOOT

Photo: Cicada's Are Chic Cocktail Party 2013

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Mental Health Provider Gets a Boost of Green Goodness

~The Green Ambassador Partners w/ the Black Mental Health Alliance~

June 2013(Baltimore), Cathy Allen, The Green Ambassador for Maryland will provide environmental enrichment educational services for youth in Baltimore City with the Black Mental Health Alliance (BMHA), a nonprofit organization that provides holistic mental health services to children and families. 
 
“Green space activities provide significant benefits for ones’ mental health and well-being.  When I plant alongside the youth, I see their excitement, joy, and growing confidence…hence, happiness in their bodies, minds and souls. ” said, Cathy Allen, The Green Ambassador.

The environmental program is designed for students to gain knowledge about their environment through the power of touch, sight and sound.  At these hands-on sessions, students will learn about native forest animals and insects, the latest in green technology, how to clean and restore Mother Earth, and cultivating a garden.  Sessions will run for four (4) weeks starting July 9, 2013

“I believe in the mission of BMHA and their continued work in providing mental health services for people of color.  I am thrilled to design environmental programming for organizations seeking green educational services to reach their youth.” said, Cathy Allen.

About The Green Ambassador:
Cathy Allen, The Green Ambassador, is an award winning environmentalist, environmental and green technology and community advocate, awareness-media/marketing expert, public speaker, and green real estate agent. The mission of The Green Ambassador is to green the universe environmentally and socially.  For inquires email callen@thegreenambassdor.org .



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