With its well-defined watershed, long-standing watershed associations with data on past land use, and a foundation of environmentally motivated social science research, Baltimore is an excellent model for researching urban ecology and the way the urban footprint impacts the ecology of surrounding areas. By integrating ecology with social sciences and the humanities, and fostering positive relationships with the people and institutions located in the research areas, BES makes research relevant to the lives of Baltimore residents. When residents are informed about the ecology of their city, they are given the opportunity to make decisions that will benefit the system.