Wilde Lake Community Association Community Action and Resources for Environmental Stewardship (CARES)

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Chair: Bess Caplan (besswlvb@gmail.com)

The Wilde Lake Board has chartered a committee to address issues of environmental and Open Space concern in the Village of Wilde Lake.

Mission Statement

To actively participate in the overall stewardship of timely and effective landscape, lake, stormwater, and Open Space management while raising community awareness. CARES will serve to organize community-led campaigns and connect residents to local and county officials as needed; including recommendations to the Wilde Lake Village Board on essential issues and concerns impacting the environment and Open Space.

Vision Statement

To build awareness and environmental stewardship in Wilde Lake Village.

Membership

Wilde Lake CARES is a free-standing committee of the Wilde Lake Village Board.  The Committee Chair, or a designated member of the Committee, will liaise with the Wilde Lake Village Board monthly.

Virtual members are Wilde Lake residents of frequent users of Wilde Lake Open Spaces.  Virtual membership requires no commitment on the part of the member.  Virtual members will receive updates about committee happenings through email only and may choose to participate in events and campaigns at their discretion.

Goals

1. To enhance the environmental integrity of Wilde Lake Village.
2. To ensure responsible use of Open Space in Wilde Lake Village.
3. To provide resources for community members such as environmental tips in the Wilde Lake Community Association newsletter and links to county resources on the Wilde Lake Community Association website.
4. To promote local, state and national environment programs in the community, such as the rain garden cost-share program, the Bay-Wise Landscaping program, etc.
5. To encourage and collect feedback from residents about environmental and Opens Space issues.
6. To review Wilde Lake Village Covenants and Wilde Lake Community Association Architectural Guidelines & Maintenance Standards, if needed and practical, recommend modifications to the guidelines and standards to help mitigate stormwater runoff, yard erosion or promulgation of invasive species.
7. Other goals as needed.

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Wilde Lake Community Association Education Committee

Chair:  Tina Horn (tinahorn_cae@hotmail.com)

The Wilde Lake Village Board has chartered a committee to address supporting public schools in our Village.

Mission Statement

To educate and enlighten the community regarding the positive and unique aspects of the Howard County Public Schools in Wilde Lake while identifying specific ways that the community can support the schools’ goals of continuous improvement.

Vision Statement

The Village of Wilde Lake is a thriving, diverse village strengthened by its highly ranked public schools; supported by the entire community.

Membership

Members are volunteers who are interested in education and supportive of the Committee’s mission. The membership will include one or more Wilde Lake Community Association Board members who will be responsible for liaison with the Board.

Functions

1. Advocate for Wilde Lake public schools with public officials.

2. Disseminate publicity about the accomplishments of individual Wilde Lake schools and students to the Howard County community, especially those communities served by Wilde Lake schools.

3. Learn the year-to-year needs of individual Wilde Lake schools to enable identifying ways to help address their needs.

4. Advise Wilde Lake residents and neighboring communities served by Wilde Lake schools about the needs of individual Wilde Lake schools.

5. Solicit community volunteers to support activities in Wilde Lake schools.

6. Make recommendations to the Wilde Lake Community Association Board of Directors for limited financial support for identified programs and activities.

7. Facilitate community service opportunities for students.

8. Create repository of resources for schools and PTAs, such as organizations that award grants, names of volunteers to write grant requests, names of community members who have expertise and would volunteer to provide special programs.

Wilde Lake Community Association Health and Wellness Committee

Chair: Kondi Walters-Smith (wildehope5@gmail.com)

Wilde Lake Community Association Health and Wellness Committee presents: Mindfulness & Tools for Stress Management

Mission Statement

The Wilde Lake Village Board has chartered a committee to assist and support residents of Wilde Lake in maintaining healthy lifestyle behaviors by providing them with opportunities to engage in learning and activities that occur in Wilde Lake, Columbia Howard County.

Vision Statement

Encourage Wilde Lake residents to be active participants in living a healthy lifestyle throughout their lifespan.

Membership

The membership will include one or more Wilde Lake Village Board member(s) who will be responsible for liaison to the Board, as well as volunteers from the community who are interested in health and wellness and supportive of the Committee’s mission.

Function

The function of the WLCA Health & Wellness Committee will include but are not limited to, the activities identified below:

1. Provide information and announcements about various health and wellness activities for posting on the WLCA website, in the Wilde Lake e-newsletter, and on Slayton House bulletin board to help connect and encourage resident participation.  Possible activities may include but are not limited to:
   1. Supporting annual Columbia BikeAbout
   2. Provide maps of walking trails at Wilde Lake events
   3. Meditation to be included in the newsletter
   4. Tips for managing stress.
2. Support health and wellness events at Wilde Lake schools with the assistance of the school liaison.
3. Coordinate health and wellness events at Wilde Lake Schools with the assistance of the school liaison.
4. Sponsor at least one Health & Wellness event per year.

Wilde Lake Community Association Neighborhood Representative Committee

Chair: Chuck Yarbrough (wampus61@gmail.com)
Staff: Lexi Levy Milani (covenants@wildelake.org)

Join us for our Neighborhood Reps kickoff Zoom! This meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 23 at 7PM ET and is open to all Wilde Lake residents who might be interested in volunteering as a neighborhood rep. Please register if you intend to attend.

Are you interested in staying on top of Wilde Lake news and events? Do you know your neighbors – or wish you knew them better? Are you seeking a flexible, interesting volunteer opportunity? The Wilde Lake Village Board (WLVB) invites you to join our Neighborhood Representative Committee to help us enhance community spirit among Wilde Lake residents!

What is the role of a neighborhood representative?  Neighborhood representatives get to know the residents on their streets and foster two-way communication with them about resident priorities and needs as well as WLCA activities. The goal is to foster a feeling of community and positive support throughout Wilde Lake.

What kinds of activities might a neighborhood rep undertake? There are a few tasks that WLCA asks its neighborhood reps to perform – but we also ask reps to make the job their own! Core activities are listed below, with some ideas for optional activities starred.

• General Awareness. Neighborhood reps serve as points of contact with neighbors on their street, and bring the needs, ideas, and issues affecting those neighbors to the WLVB if action is requested. Neighborhood reps also direct residents to the appropriate Village staff to answer questions about covenants, meetings and events, advocacy efforts, and Slayton House facility rentals. *This is a two-way street – we welcome ideas from reps and residents about the kinds of events and programs they’d like to see.
• Sharing WLCA Information. Neighborhood reps share social media posts, e-newsletters, and other virtual updates from WLCA. From time to time, we may also ask reps to walk printed materials around to their neighbors, but this would be an infrequent need. *Reps can create their own, private social media groups, email lists, or chats to make sharing information easy.
• Information Collection. WLCA surveys residents occasionally. Neighborhood reps can help make sure that all residents have a say in these surveys by encouraging neighbors to complete surveys online or on paper. *Neighborhood reps can create a directory/contact tree for neighbors who wish to opt in.
• Promote Events. Neighborhood reps encourage residents to participate in Village and CA community events, such as the annual Wilde Lake Picnic. *In addition, reps can choose to promote connection and community on their streets by serving as the organizers for block parties and other events designed to bring their neighbors together.

What is the time commitment? Initially, there may be a few hours required to meet your neighbors if you don’t already know them. After that, we would expect just 2-4 hours a month. Almost all activities can be done on your own schedule, and some longer streets may have more than one neighborhood rep to keep the commitment manageable.

Questions? Contact Lexi Levy Milani at covenants@wildelake.org or via phone at 410-730-3987 if you need additional information or want to sign up!

The Neighborhood Representative Program is an initiative of the Wilde Lake Village Board chaired by board member Chuck Yarbrough. You can reach Chuck at wampus61@gmail.com.