Are you in the early stages of developing a green lifestyle? One of the questions that often comes to mind when you are beginning your green journey is whether you are making a significant impact. As a beginner, you often feel as if you are not making a significant impact on the environment and that you are just a small part of a giant cogwheel. What’s important to remember when you have questions about the impact you are making is knowing that you are not alone. Many people in America are moving in the same direction as you are and making an effort to ensure that the planet is healthy and clean. In Baltimore, there is a large community that is taking the same steps as you are. A number of people in Baltimore discovered that they stood a better chance of making a significant impact if they joined hands, so they collaborated to form various green groups. People like you are now in charge of these community-based green groups. You can start your green project or join and Volunteer in the existing ones. One of the most impactful of these community-based green groups in Baltimore is Baltimore Green Works.

Baltimore Green Works is a non-profit entity with a mission of fostering environmental efforts that improve Baltimore’s quality of life. Baltimore Green Works achieves this by hosting educational forums, dialogue, promoting the exchange of ideas, and promoting partnerships between and with organizations and individuals who share Baltimore Green Works’ mission. Baltimore Green Works also offers collaboration and communication tools between like-minded individuals and organizations as part of its mission.

Baltimore Green Works, commonly referred to as BGW, began as Baltimore Green Week. Baltimore Green Week was an event that was initially hosted in 2004 by a group of 5 volunteers. During its launch, the event attracted close to five hundred participants and attendees in the first week. At first, the Baltimore Green Week focused on universal and versatile things that everybody could do to participate as well as green living. With the rising popularity of the green movement, Baltimore Green Week evolved to become one of Baltimore’s significant green players. Baltimore Green Week subsequently changed its name to Baltimore Green Works in 2008. The transformation also included a change in format. Baltimore Green Works changed its format from a one-week event to hosting year-round events. Today, Baltimore Green Works offers a workshop series, a speaker series, a green week, and a park service component. Baltimore Green Works hosts more than 30 community-based events, with a focus on raising awareness around Baltimore about the best practices in the city. Since Baltimore Green Works’ launch, the Sustainable Speaker Series has evolved to become quite successful and now attracts nationally renowned activists such as Dr. Sandra Steingraber, Michael Pollan, and Novella Carpenter. Presently, the Baltimore Green Works is operated by a small group of board members, volunteers, and Jennifer Morgan as President. As Baltimore Green Works continues to evolve and assist the Baltimore community, more and more people join the movement and participate in various events that the organization hosts all year round.