The purpose of this fundraiser is to recoup expenditures that have been laid out for plants, growing materials and building supplies for this ongoing project which has involved many members of the community: area volunteers, high school students and Baltimore artists in a safe environment during this time of pandemic.Our present expenditures are around $6000. Beyond this, our estimated annual expenses will be about $2500 for further plantings, maintenance activities..

In addition to our planting, we will host a number of nature-centered demonstrations, workshops, artistic displays and community events.

Hoes Hill Orchard & Forager Trail is an educational orchard and native edibles garden to promote community-building, and provides educational resources about alternative foods found all around us. The project was begun in early 2020 by Douglas Retzler. The orchard now has in place over two dozen different fruit & nut trees, 20+ berry bush species and numerous ground edibles.

This project is on Baltimore City park space. but our project derives its name from and pays homage to this parcel of land once owned by a man who bought his way out of slavery, Charles Grandison Hoes, who created Hoes Hill Farm for his family. Many of his heirs still live in the Hoes Heights Community.

Our goal is to document our edible landscape in signage and loose leaf binders of plant information and uses.


ENDORSEMENTS:

Rebecca Hoffberger – founder & director of the American Visionary Artist Museum

"The late Jim Rouse preached, “Cities were meant to be gardens in which to grow beautiful people.” Grassroots artist, Doug Retzler, armed only with his beautiful heart and love for Nature and the people of Baltimore, has toiled for nearly 4 decades to make secret gardens and places of unexpected beauty for us all. Humble guy, this is the first he has asked for our help to commemorate a history richly in need of telling. Retzler deserves all our support, tiny and mega, along with priceless gratitude for toiling to preserve a history much in need of saving.”-  An admirer, Rebecca.


Mary Hardcastle – Founder of the Greater Baltimore Children in Nature Collaborative  & director of the Carrie Murray Nature Center 

"I am so excited to endorse and support the Hoes Hill Orchard & Forager Trail project that artist/activist Doug Retzler has created with his community. A delightful display of edible gardens and nature art, this educational project is an important place for community building and paying homage to Hoes Hill Farm, established by an ex-enslaved family. I met Doug around the time he co-founded Nature Art in the Park in 2006. I learned about his interest in designing natural play, art and grow spaces for kids and immediately invited him to become a guiding member of the Greater Baltimore Children and Nature Collaborative (GBCAN). Doug not only designed nature installations for GBCAN conferences and events, but built engaging pop-up and permanent nature places in parks and green spaces across the City.  As the Grow Arts creator, he combined art and farming with whimsical installations at Carrie Murray Nature Center in Leakin Park that included a beautiful gazebo structure made of gourds. He is now grounding his work in the neighborhood where he lives and deserves much support to continue this successful, healthy, and valuable community-based project."