An Urban Oasis with Big Impact

Story by Maria N. Listman, Photos by Backyard Basecamp Inc.

At the age of 22, Atiya Wells went on her first hike. She was in nursing school at the time, and never considered herself a nature-focused person. But after that initial experience, a spark was ignited in her that she couldn’t ignore.

Atiya Wells is the founder and executive director of Backyard Basecamp Inc., a nonprofit organization that reconnects Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) to land and nature in Baltimore City.

As a registered pediatric nurse for nearly ten years, she came to realize how spending time outdoors affected her family’s wellness. “It became a family ritual to all hike together,” she says. “After that experience, I started looking at how you connect kids to nature, and how they really inspire awe and wonder with the things they’re interested in.”

Atiya wanted more parents to share in the experience, so she started the Baltimore City Chapter of Free Forest School. The program encourages children and their caregivers to spend quality time outdoors, exploring nature. As she spent time with the group, questions would arise about their surroundings. With little knowledge at the time, Atiya set out to educate herself further. She studied plant identification, herbalism, and took naturalist classes. There was a common theme that she noticed throughout all of her learning experiences.

“In every single class, I kept noticing that I was one of the only black people, the only black person, or one of the few people of color in the entire class,” she explains.

Atiya took it upon herself to research the topic of BIPOC and their relationship with the land. What she discovered was ancestral wounding and trauma.

“We’ve just associated the environment and nature with bad things. So much so, that the notion that black people don’t do this has been rooted in history because black people cannot do this, because it’s not safe,” she shares. “I just want to get us back to the land.”

The more she delved into naturalism, Atiya realized the importance of having a community outdoor space close to home. She researched the area, and discovered that there was a park three blocks from her house. It was tucked away, overgrown, and forgotten. But beauty was all she could see.

With the guidance of Baltimore Green Space, Atiya found out that part of the land was owned by Baltimore City, and the other part was privately owned. She put the project aside until 2019 when she noticed that there was no food being grown in her area.

“Our community needs access to and education around food,” says Atiya. “And as a nurse, I know that diet-related illnesses are what affects our community most.”

With a lot of perseverance and family support, Atiya created Backyard Basecamp Inc. She received 2.5 acres of land in the Frankford area that sits alongside the abandoned Baltimore City Park from a generous donation. After launching a fundraising campaign, she was able to purchase the vacant house adjacent to the property too. They will use the home to prepare and serve food.

Backyard Basecamp Inc. offers multiple programs on their land, known as BLISS Meadows. As a 10 acre land-reclamation project, BLISS Meadows is a place where food and education inspire their community. They offer owl programs, astronomy, natural dye classes from their own indigo harvest, and Sunday walks with a doctor off-site, to continue the theme of education and health. The land itself has vegetable and herb gardens, an orchard, ponds, goats, chickens, and bees. It’s an oasis in the thick of the city.

Atiya explains, “I get really excited about bringing people to do things they probably never would have done. We try to keep this cultural and relevant for folks of color.”

Since Backyard Basecamp Inc. is a winner of the inaugural Farmers on the Rise Award, Atiya plans to expand their farming operation. They will install a post-harvest work station, add shade, and purchase cold storage.

It’s only been two years since Atiya followed that tug at her heart to connect her community to nature. There is a lot of intentionality behind Backyard Basecamp Inc. and their farming practices, programming, and goals for the future.

When asked about her new role as a farmer, Atiya shares, “I don’t consider myself a farmer, I consider myself more of a land steward.” And that, she is.

Follow Backyard Basecamp, Inc. online at Backyardbasecamp.org or on Facebook: @BackyardBasecamp and Instagram: @backyard_basecamp

Why is Atiya a farmer on the rise?

Atiya is a farmer on the rise because she is leading an impactful effort to bring together her community with urban agriculture in Baltimore City.

—Johanna Rohrer, Farm Credit Education and Outreach Specialist