by Sierra Francis
Tim Nohe, UMBC Professor of Visual Arts and director of the Center for Innovation, Research and Creativity in the Arts has recently been selected by the Warnock Foundation as a "social innovator" for his work with urban woods, particularly Springfield Woods of Northeast Baltimore. Professor Nohe and UMBC Professor of Geography and Environmental Systems Matthew Baker are geotagging the woods, using GPS technology to create an inventory of its natural features. Mr. Butch Berry of Friends of Springfield Woods, Baltimore Green Space, and a group of students from the Friends School of Baltimore led by Josh Carlin have also aided in the endeavor. The information being gathered is to be put into an online database that anyone will be able to use. Implications for this kind of work are limitless; from better understanding the historic and economic history of the area, to learning how to care for trees, to identifying birds' song, and so on.
Nohe explains that, while Springfield Woods might not look like much on the surface, it essentially contains an encyclopedia's worth of information. In addition, with the knowledge that this particular spot on the map can reveal so much about Baltimore, other urban forests around the country could potentially reveal even more valuable information. Nohe states, "This award adds to the much needed project support that we have already received from the Breaking Ground initiative at UMBC... I'm so pleased to connect the creative energy and research of my public research university directly to neighborhoods in the city that I love, Baltimore."