"In Wildness is the preservation of the world."—Henry David ThoreauThe Govans Urban Forest was established in 2012 and was created out of a vacant parcel that remained after the CVS pharmacy was built at 5200 York Rd. Under the oversight of the York Road Partnership, the invasive English and poison ivy that had completely overgrown the forest, as well as trash that had accumulated over years of neglect, was removed, revealing over 30 species of trees and even a small pond. The Forest now undergoes regular cleanup and maintenance by neighborhood community members. GUF is one of a number of urban "forest patches"—forested areas of at least 10,000 square feet— scattered around Baltimore. Forest patches have a number of benefits. Not only do they provide a welcome spot of shade during the summer, they also provide stopover habitat for migrating birds and insects, provide flowering trees and plants that support pollinators, and absorb stormwater runoff and carbon dioxide emissions from automobile traffic and industry. Forest patches outside of designated parks make up nearly 60% of Baltimore's total tree canopy.Faculty and students from Loyola University Maryland are currently studying the environmental impact of GUF on the micro-local environment.GUF is also used as a recreational and educational space on the York Road corridor. Education signage, along with this tour, are available for use by the three local elementary/middle schools and Loyola University, as well as neighborhood residents.Welcome to the forest, and we hope you enjoy your time in this little spot of "wildness" in North Baltimore.Sources:Miriam Avins, "Baltimore's Forest Patches: Emerald Assets for Ecosystem Services," Baltimore Green Space, 2013.Mark Hostetler, "Why Conserve Small Forest Fragments and Individual Trees in Urban Areas?," The Nature of Cities Archive, 2016.