Sunday, June 28, 2026 | Rain date: July 5
Rosenbloom Owings Mills JCC Nature Trail, Owings Mills, MD
3506 Gwynnbrook Avenue, Owings Mills, MD 21117
Time: 11-1PM
Free and open to all

Join artist, designer, forest steward, and EDC curator Inna Alesina for a hands-on workday on the JCC Nature Trail — a one-mile loop through 31 acres of urban forest in the Gwynns Falls watershed, currently being transformed into a hub for habitat restoration, community art, and ecological education.

This session focuses on one of the trail’s most persistent challenges: Wavy Leaf Basket Grass, an invasive species that disrupts native plant communities, degrades soil fungal networks, and spreads on the shoes and clothing of hikers. Volunteers will remove invasive grasses and plant native groundcovers in their place — making small, cleared islands where the forest can begin to recover.

The project operates at the intersection of participatory design, ecological restoration, and community art. Ongoing work includes a native habitat area, public ceramic tile installation, and a year-round stewardship program funded by the Chesapeake Bay Trust. Jewish ecological values — Bal Tashchit (do not destroy), Tikkun Olam (repair the world), and Kavod (respect) — serve as a cultural framework for the design of both the space and the programming.

No experience needed. All tools and materials provided. Wear closed-toe shoes and clothes you don’t mind getting dirty.

Register: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/uzWnjDTKvc
Contact: Inna Alesina | ialesina@stevenson.edu

Tags: habitat restoration, participatory design, community art, native plants, urban ecology, Gwynns Falls watershed, Baltimore