Backyard Basecamp provides culturally relevant environmental education.
We intentionally center the voices and stories of Black and Brown people outdoors because we know there is a difference in saying "This place was made for you!" as opposed to "This place was made for all."
The BLISS Meadows project is a 10-acre land-reclamation project at the intersection of environmental and food justice. The project weaves together 3 contiguous properties through public and private partnerships with landowners.
1. A 7-acre abandoned City park
2. A 2.5-acre farmland with 2 freshwater ponds
3. A farmhouse on 0.5 acres
In 2017, our Founder and Executive Director, Atiya Wells, came across the vacant property in her Frankford neighborhood in Northeast Baltimore. She envisioned a space for community dinners, environmental education, nature play spaces, and gardens.
In 2019, that dream became a reality when she received the blessing from the owner of the 2.5-acre lot. Noticing the vacant house adjacent to the property, she launched a fundraising campaign to purchase it and met the goal in less than 30 days. The 2.5 acres were subsequently donated to Backyard Basecamp in 2022.
After stewarding this space for the past five years, we are continuously working to ensure BLISS is safe, accessible, and welcoming to our community.
We have 3 goats at BLISS: Lego, Loki, and Bagel
Farm-fresh eggs
Neighbors enjoy the tranquility of our ponds
BLISS is home to 29 colonies and counting!
Over 50 trees and shrubs that will bear fruit, nuts, and berries!
Developing space for holistic wellness
Supporting our urban wildlife
7-acres of woods and nature play spaces
Copyright © 2025 Backyard Basecamp - All Rights Reserved.
Pages and links are active and current, however, some may move around over the next few months.
Please bear with us as we work to ensure our site is informative, user-friendly, and accessible.