BALTIMORE — Today is Earth Day, a global reminder to take action in protecting our planet. But in West Baltimore’s Franklin Square neighborhood, neighbors are turning blight into beauty.
For decades, the block bounded by Kirby Lane in Franklin Square was defined by vacant, crumbling rowhouses and overgrown lots. There are boarded‑up homes, piles of debris, and a reputation as Baltimore’s “highway to nowhere”—a stretch of city that was supposed to connect Interstate 70 with Interstates 83 and 95 but was never completed and divided communities forover 50 years.
That began to change about 15 years ago, when residents formed Friends of Kirby Lane Park, a grassroots group committed to turning their once‑desolate block into green space. Under the leadership of longtime resident and group president Donald Quarles, and partnerships from Bon Secours Community Works, ECB’s BMORE Beautiful program, Nature Sacred, and volunteers cleared debris and planted the first seedlings that would one day grow into mature shade trees.
“Things are happening,” Quarles says. “They call our neighborhood the highway to nowhere—we want it to be the highway to somewhere. That name is not acceptable.”
More than 50 volunteers—from local nonprofits to neighborhood youth groups—converged on Kirby Lane Park for a coordinated Earth Day cleanup. Armed with rakes, trash grabbers, and wheelbarrows, participants refreshed mulch beds, removed litter, and trimmed back invasive growth.
Peter Bleich, Program Manager for Bon Secours Community Works, said, “The neighbors here have worked for maybe 15 to 20 years to remove a row of blighted homes and vacant lots. Earth Day gives us a chance to rally everyone one more time—and to show that protecting our environment can start in your own backyard.”
Beyond the park, the wider Franklin Square area has seen steady investment: splash pads for children, community gardens, and new walking paths have all been added in recent years. For residents, these amenities aren’t just nice extras—they’re vital assets that promote health, safety, and neighborhood pride.
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