For years, we at baltimore heritage have pondered the question of how to fill an enormous tourism GAP in baltimore: the lack of heritage-based boat tours of our harbor

To address this GAP, for this project, tributes and tributaries of the BAY: connecting baltimores culture and nature on the water, we will partner with a chesapeake BAY storyteller (MD office of tourism NPS chesapeake gateways network) and implement three new approaches: 1) we will develop a public boat tour of baltimores inner harbor that spotlights stories of diverse people and communities connected to the heritage and ecology of the chesapeake BAY 2) we will launch a free online interactive map of historic sites around the harbor that focuses on how diverse communities have anchored baltimore for over 200 years and 3) we will lead voluntour events that combine stream clean-UPS with guided history walks that make connections between two of our BAY tributaries and their communities. A chesapeake gateways grant will fund the start-up costs to develop these three activities revenues from ticket sales from the boat tours will allow US to continue the program indefinitely. First, chesapeake gateway funds will allow US to do the research and arrange logistics to launch a heritage boat tour of the inner harbor. During the grant phase of the program, we will host 5 boat tours with at least 40 people on each tour (after the grant phase, we plan to host tours on a monthly basis at least). The boats are covered and can be taken out year round (except in strong winds). The tours will be 90 minutes long and narrated by one of baltimore heritages trained tour guides. We expect the tours to be popular and RE-engage baltimoreans and marylanders from outside the city in baltimores heritage tourism. Secondly, a chesapeake gateways grant will also allow US to convert the research conducted to develop the harbor boat tour into an online tour of historic sites around the harbor. The harbor heritage sites will be added to the free mobile APP and website (explore.baltimoreheritage.ORG). One of the primary purposes of the APP is to facilitate the exploration of historic areas of baltimorewhether someone is walking down the street with their phone or sitting in front of their computer. This current project will add over a dozen historic sites on baltimores inner harbor and allow US to undertake an outreach campaign to continue to grow the number of users. Finally, a chesapeake gateways grant will fund 3 voluntour events where people will learn about our shared history in two chesapeake BAY tributaries: dead run gwynns falls and herring run. In each event, we will provide people with free guided walking tours of these two streams while also giving them an opportunity to help the BAY directly by picking up litter along the way. We will coordinate these events with our two existing partners in these areas, the friends of gwynns falls leakin park and the friends of herring run park. We expect up to 50 volunteers for each event. The purpose of tributes and tributaries of the BAY is to make use of our shared heritage not only to help visitors and local residents appreciate baltimore as a chesapeake BAY city, but to transform them into ambassadors and environmental advocates to help promote and enhance IT. After nearly 65 years of work, we at baltimore heritage have learned that the first step in engaging people to help revitalize historic places and preserve natural resources is to get them to fall in love with them. And the best way to do this is by getting people out on the street (or in this case, water) to learn the value of baltimores heritage through stories of ships captains, enslaved people seeking freedom, industrial tycoons, native american hunters, african american entrepreneurs, oystermen, and newly-arrived immigrants and how their lives were shaped by the chesapeake BAY and how they, in turn, shaped the baltimore we know today.