#SM15yrs

SM Sustainability Tours during WALKtober

WALKtober is coming! Join the SM Team and local experts on a series of guided tours for elected officials, municipal staff, Green Teams, and local activists.

See up close what a sustainable town or city or infrastructure project looks like, and hear from the people who run them. Hands on, real-world sustainability projects, that you can take back to your community and replicate. Join us on one or more of the following tours, and check out MDOT's activities during WALKtober:

Wednesday, Oct. 7, 5:30-6:30pm

Pollinator Corridor: Connecticut Avenue in DC

REGISTRATION/AGENDA



Saturday, Oct. 17, 10:00am-Noon

Sustainability in the Alleghenies:

City of Frostburg

REGISTRATION/AGENDA

More tours will be announced next month.

All tours are free. Space is limited; registration required.

SM Hosts USGBC Building Resilient Cities Event

SM was pleased to host the US Green Building Council's "Building Resilient Cities: Advancing Sustainable Development in the D.C. Area" event in June. 70 local elected officials, municipal and county staff, developers and consultants were on hand for a day of presentations and panels. SM staff spoke on the "Community-drive Climate Adaptation in the DMV" panel.

For more information about the topics and presentations click here. If you municipality is interested in the LEED for Cities program contact Hilari Varnadore at hvarnadore@usgbc.org 

#SM15Years: Green Team Logos

As we celebrate the 15th year of the Sustainable Maryland program, and take a look back at how far the program has come, it has been fascinating to learn about all of the ways that Green Teams across the state brand themselves and communicate with their residents. For example, we learned that many Green Teams have developed their own logos. Does your Green Team have a logo? Send it to mikeh75@umd.edu. In a future newsletters, we'll highlight Green Team social media and web pages.

Welcome Aboard Hancock!

We'd like to welcome the Town of Hancock to the Sustainable Maryland program. Located right along the C&O Canal in Washington County with a population of 1,600, Hancock is Maryland's Official Trail Town. It is actively planting trees in the community, partnering with Sheetz to install EV charging stations, and educating residents about food forests. We look forward to working with the new Hancock Green Team!

Partnership for Active Learning in Sustainability (PALS) Funding Assistance Available

UMD's Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS) program is pleased to announce funding to complete a series pro bono / reduced cost projects over the next two years. This year, there is $10,000 available to fund a project(s) during the Spring 2027 semester. This funding will allow for either one pro bono project, or several projects at a reduced rate.

Funding will be awarded through a competitive application and review process. Applicants must be a municipal government, non-profit organization, or church. Applications are due on Monday, August 24. Complete details can be found in this RFP.

Questions? Contact Michelle Kokolis, PALS Director, at mkokolis@umd.edu.