Masonville Cove Environmental Education Center

The Masonville Cove Environmental Education Center (MCEEC) was open in April 2009, offering environmental programs for the community and school groups, and serving as a place to hold community meetings and a gateway to the nature trails and activities of Masonville Cove. Please check out the updates of time regarding access to the shoreline and trails in Masonville Cove.

The Programs

Environmental Programs will be available to the community on weekday evenings and weekends. These include bird watching, nature walks, and workshops on composting. Partners such as the National Aquarium in Baltimore and Living Classrooms Foundation are leading programs with our local schools on growing wetland grasses and reducing runoff pollution in the local communities. Masonville’s environmental programs take place onsite and throughout the community. By helping the local community become greener, we are reducing the amount of trash and other runoff pollution that ends up in Masonville Cove and the Chesapeake Bay! Our goal is to provide many different fun ways for families to learn more about our urban ecology and spend time together in nature. The Volunteer Coordinator is always looking for volunteers and groups to hold fun activities for the public!

School-based educational/outreach programs

• • developed and implemented by Living Classrooms Foundation in connection with the MCEEC and the enhancements to Masonville Cove arising from the construction of the Masonville DMCF.
• • based on Living Classrooms's successful Meaningful Watershed and Environmental Education program.
• • provide richly structured, project-based learning experiences, including action steps such as rainbarrels, stormdrain stenciling, growing and planting wetland grasses with the National Aquarium in Baltimore.
• • support academic achievement and empower Baltimore's youth to make positive changes in their environment
• • serve special-needs populations with dynamic, hands-on programs geared for their needs
• • will emphasize both the Cove's natural attractions and the challenges of the urban landscape

The Site

In spring 2009, Masonville Cove will be open to the public- the first public waterfront access for residents of Brooklyn and Curtis Bay in generations! Older residents remember learning to swim at Masonville Cove in the early 20th century. The current water quality prevents us from swimming anywhere near the Middle Branch River and Inner Harbor today. But Masonville Cove will have a public pier for canoeing, kayaking, and fishing so that we can teach our kids to connect with the water in a fun and safe way. Trails throughout the Cove will be opened for hiking and many will be wheelchair accessible. The Bird Sanctuary on the property will be closed off from human disturbance, but will provide amazing habitat for a large number of bird species, which creates beautiful bird-watching opportunities.

Masonville Cove Enhancements

• • public access to the water
• • clean up of the Masonville Cove property
• • construction of a restricted nature park
• • urban migratory bird sanctuary
• • hiking trails
• • kayak/canoe pier
• • tidal and non-tidal wetlands creation and enhancement
• • shallow water habitat improvement using reef balls

Many other low-impact uses of this nature property will be created with help from students and volunteers. Please join the “Friends of Masonville Cove” group to be a part of it all!

We are starting a Friends of Masonville Cove group. Initially, we will help beautify Masonville Cove with planting and cleanup projects. We will also do tree plantings and invasive species removal at Farring-Baybrook Park, our uphill neighbor. Please contact Sarah Humphrey, Volunteer Coordinator, at sarah@baybrook.net for more information!

©2008 Masonville Cove Environmental Education Center