What's Happening in Catonsville, MD…

Catonsville supports a Tree Canopy Project that aims to plant 1,000 sizable trees throughout the area by 2020, and the project has been given a lift from the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) in the form of a $10,000 grant.

According to Jim Himel, who is chairman of the Tree Canopy organization, part of Catonsville Rotary, this is the third year in which BGE has given a grant to the Project. BGE, which started the program in 2013, has now given the Catonsville organization approximately $25,000 total.

Himel said the project is on target for meeting its goal, and has been responsible for planting approximately 400 trees to date. In the past, the group has planted 50 trees in Melvin Park, 50 in the Catonsville Colonial Gardens area, and additional trees near the Catonsville Presbyterian Church.

Trees help mitigate the “urban heat island” effect that makes cities like Baltimore hotter than their outlying areas. Heat islands can lead to increased air pollution, and a higher demand for energy. Trees can help improve these conditions by reducing the solar radiation that reaches the ground, thus cooling off the area and reducing the heat transmitted to the atmosphere and the near-by buildings.

Catonsville officials could work with brochure printers to create a mailer for residents, explaining the latest award, as well as the benefits of planting trees.