A Secret Society’s Not-So-Secret Induction Happens Tonight and YOU should BE THERE! Order of the Wheel feels the churn!

Order of the Wheel Induction at Pierce’s Park PC: Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore

Anyone who has spent any time with me knows that there is one Baltimore local that I love above all others. Well, three actually.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it forever:

I LOVE the Trash Wheels of Baltimore!

Professor Trash Wheel hanging out at this year’s Floatilla PC: Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore

For those of you that don’t know what I’m talking about, allow me to introduce you to the best things to hit the water in Maryland since blue crabs.

The Water Wheels of Baltimore are a combination of environmental vision, determination and googly eyes. Using energy from both the sun and the rivers they are put in, the Water Wheels have been helping to clean up the Inner Harbor and surrounding areas since 2014. So how exactly do they do that?

Situated at the end of a river, the Water Wheels are able to use both the current of the water and solar energy panels on the “backs” of the wheels to create energy to move a conveyor belt. Booms (similar in shape and function to bowling bumpers) help direct litter towards this conveyor belt. The litter then travels up the belt and is deposited into a dumpster found on a large floating platform. The dumpsters are emptied and the trash goes to the incinerator to be burned into energy. And viola! Trash is kept out of the Inner Harbor and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay.

It’s a dirty job, so the Trash Wheel does it! PC: Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore

So how exactly does one fall in love with a Water Wheel?

You mean besides knowing that it is preventing as much as 38,000 pounds of trash a day from entering the Chesapeake Bay, mucking up the wetlands and allowing blue crabs to have a healthier home? As if the three Trash Wheels collecting over 1,100 TONS of trash isn’t enough for you to build a small shrine to them?

Okay then: give it googly eyes, a fun name, a beer partnership with Peabody Heights and run a secret club. Oh and throw in a plushie.

No, I am not making any of the above up, that’s how Amazing the Trash Wheels are!

My own Trash Wheel saving the Earth.

Currently there are three Trash Wheels:

• Mr. Trash Wheel, est. 2014. Say “Hi” to him at the Jones Falls stream in the Inner Harbor. Beer: Lost Python Ale, named after the live python found in his dumpster.
• Professor Trash Wheel, Class of 2016. Chat up science with her in Harris Creek in Canton. Be sure to mention otters. Beer: Blinded Me Wit Science
• Captain Trash Wheel, licensed 2018. Swing by and give them a wave at Masonville Cove. They enjoy watching birds so bring binoculars! Beer: (okay, technically it’s another Mr. Trash Wheel beer, but he already has one.) MTW Solar Power Sour

These three waterway protectors have captured my heart and the hearts of so many others – from Baltimore and beyond. So many people that there is a secret society, with a rush week (with all tasks helping to clean the Chesapeake Bay Watershed) and secret Induction Ceremony.

If you don’t believe me then, stroll by Pierce’s Park around 7ish tonight to catch a glimpse of this year’s Order of the Wheel Induction Ceremony. Both new inductees and Master Wheelers (like myself) will be in attendance. And googly eyes. And people probably dressed as trash pandas. And who knows what else. But it’s going to be amazing, as all things Trash Wheel related are.

Order of the Wheel Induction Ceremony 2018 PC: Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore

Want to be part of the society? Well, you’ll have to wait to pledge next year. To keep informed of all things Trash Wheel related you can follow the family on Instagram and Twitter.

What could just B more trash-tastic?

PC: Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore