Partnership Makes Opportunity Possible
Thriving partnerships translate into a thriving Masonville Cove ecosystem.
Masonville Cove and its lively 124 acres of water and wetlands overlooking the Inner Harbor of Baltimore has long been recognized as a ‘Cove of Possibilities.’ This intriguing acreage is central to the mobilization of a shared vision between the Maryland Port Administration and its stakeholders for creating a modern, award-winning conservation legacy at Masonville Cove. Together, the Maryland Port Administration, federal organizations, non-profits, and community groups recognized the enormous potential in what was to become the nation’s first Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership.
Over the last two decades, Masonville Cove has transformed from a brownfield and industrial use area where shipbuilding and ship breaking occurred to a new Port of Baltimore facility that marries maritime commerce with trails energized with children chasing butterflies and exploring nature on educational field trips. Industrial spaces are now neighbors with osprey, eagles, and monarch butterflies; a community place of pride. The refuge is now host to the popular Captain Trashwheel – a solar-powered water wheel with a vibrant personality working to divert debris from the upstream watershed from washing into the Patapsco River.
This green space, a splash and a bridge to the South of downtown Baltimore, has come a long way since its beginnings. The historic town of Masonville was founded in the 1890s as a small community with a few hundred residents. Like many small towns, the area prospered with the arrival of railroad lines and industry in the mid-1900s. This development and industrialization meant that, over time, the town shifted from being “lived in” to “worked in” as residents moved away and industry dominated. When the local economy contracted in the 1960s, factories closed, and the Masonville area was cut off from neighboring communities and the waterfront. The once-loved and lived-in land was used as an unofficial dumping ground.
Although the abandoned town was demeaned, Masonville Cove’s dense waterfront habitat remained an important environment and resting stop for many species of wildlife, especially migratory birds. In 2002, the tides turned as the Maryland Port Administration pulled together community members, civic organizations, educational organizations, environmental non-profits, and local and state representatives to invest in Masonville Cove’s potential to support its revitalization enthusiastically.
The Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Port Administration (MDOT MPA) proposed using a portion of the area to contain dredged material to keep the Port of Baltimore’s shipping channels open for the large ships carrying cargo to its terminals. The restoration of Masonville Cove began in 2007. A key component of siting the placement site was the MPA’s commitment to launch an extensive environmental restoration effort before constructing the containment facility.
In 2007, a monumental partnership was established between four visionary organizations that saw the opportunity to partner with local communities to transform Masonville Cove into an environmental refuge and a gateway connecting underserved communities to the outdoors through environmental education and stewardship activities. Due to the efforts of those communities and the MPA, the Living Classrooms Foundation, the National Aquarium, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Masonville Cove is a gem, recognized for its innovative approach to conservation through partnership, community education, and designation as the first Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership in the United States.
The Masonville Cove Partnership (MCP) brings hands-on programs for youth and community members of all ages and the best of federal, state, nonprofit, and neighborhood-based organizations together in service to the people and wildlife of Baltimore. Like every all-star team, each partner enhances Masonville Cove’s environmental and community impact with a unique specialty and perspective.
The Living Classrooms Foundation (LCF) and the National Aquarium joined the MPA in this partnership as the educational arms of the team, facilitating comprehensive community engagement and education opportunities. LCF values immersive learning and environmental stewardship and provides integrated educational programs through classroom outreach, professional development workshops, shipboard programs, and field trips. The National Aquarium works closely with community groups to arrange large-scale restoration efforts, empowering the community to feel ownership of the restoration success of the beautiful site. The community has welcomed these efforts as an opportunity to connect to the outdoors in debris cleanups, art projects, wetland plantings, gardening workshops, neighborhood beautification projects, and more.
The final key partner is the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) which provides wildlife management services at Masonville Cove. USFWS ensures the success of native wildlife, the responsibility of management practices, and assistance with on-site programs.
The Partnership works closely with a variety of community groups that provide support and give feedback regarding proposed projects designed for public use. Integral groups include the Masonville Citizens Advisory Committee, the Greater Baybrook Alliance, and Baltimore Green Space, which holds the conservation easement on the land, conserving it in perpetuity. These partnerships help to maximize Masonville's impact as a valuable resource for the community.
Robust stakeholder engagement helps Masonville Cove fulfill its mission to inspire all people to explore, discover and respect nature, growing the next generation of environmental stewards. Masonville Cove is now a thriving wildlife refuge hosting an ecosystem that brims with over 251 bird species (including a pair of nesting bald eagles), and one world-class, trash-eating machine. Today the proof of Masonville Cove's success as a Refuge Partnership is in the numbers: the Cove is consistently named one of the top birding spots in the state and provides rich educational experiences for thousands of students and visitors annually.
The enriching Masonville Cove Partnership and trusted community groups have made the dream of this valuable wildlife refuge and cornerstone for community revitalization transform from an ambitious possibility of the past to an exemplary model for sustainability in the future.
Council Fire is proud to support the Maryland Port Administration and Maryland Environmental Service with our sustainability consulting, stakeholder engagement, and communications and storytelling services. A special thanks to them and the National Aquarium for providing the imagery used in this blog.
To learn more about our work with this client, you can visit this Case Study.
