Green Towson Alliance celebrated 10 years of the combined efforts of many
people and community liaisons to create a greener and healthier environment in
all the neighborhoods that consider Towson their downtown.
Over 70 people attended the birthday party on Thursday, May 22 2025, in the
courtyard at Central Presbyterian Church. Festive party lights and GTA’s 4th of
July parade props of trees, bees and butterflies decorated the space, organized
by Allison Schulze.
A native plant swap started the evening. GTA co-founders Carol Newill and Beth
Miller presented a brief program summarizing the two main areas of GTA
activities: Hands-On (trees, streams, parks, habitat restoration, education) and
Advocacy (parks, greenways, open space, down-zoning, basic services
especially Sewers, development review, and State legislation).
Adreon Hubbard and Diane Topper each received the new, All-Around Hero
Award for their years of service in GTA’s activities with trees, streams, parks,
native plants, and environmental education.
Baltimore County Chief Executive Kathy Klausmeier sent an Executive Citation
honoring GTA as “one of the preeminent conservation groups in Baltimore
County.”
Attendees included County Councilman Izzy Patoka who drew the names of the
winners of a raffle contest, as well as State Delegate Cathi Forbes, Deputy
Director of the County Department of Environmental Quality and Sustainability R.
Brady Locher, and retired Maryland Secretary of the Environment Dr. Bob
Summers.
Partygoers enjoyed placing pins in a large map to indicate the locations of the
GTA activities they have participated in, and examining the 5 large, photo collage
posters Brough Schamp made of the creation history of Radebaugh Park, stream
cleanups over the years, shade trees “Then and Now”, and GTA events from 10
years ago through the present. Local ecotype native plants were available for
purchase from Victor of Wildside Nursery. A rotating slide show displayed
winning gardens from GTA’s annual Native Plant Gardens contest.
Dozens of people signed up to march with the GTA contingent in the Towson 4th
of July parade, or to join GTA Workgroups including tree plantings, stream
cleanups, and advocacy work.
Tasty refreshments included a large Carrot Cake decorated with a mature Oak
tree drawn and Happy 10th Birthday greetings, as well as a Chocolate Cake with
jellybean art spelling GTA. Spice Kleinmann of the Sierra Club and her ukulele
led the group in singing “Happy Birthday!”
