Sustainable Maryland wishes you and yours a happy

and healthy holiday season!

5TH ANNUAL CITY OF GAITHERSBURG SUSTAINABILITY SUMMIT FOR HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS

JANUARY 30, 6:30-8:30pm

Sustainable Maryland is pleased to invite you to the VIRTUAL City of Gaithersburg Sustainability Summit for Homeowners and Civic Associations!

Residents, board members and Green Team members of homeowners and civic associations in the City of Gaithersburg will learn about how they can organize their communities to become sustainable, and hear from community Green Teams that are doing this work already.

Presentations will include: UMD's Sustainable Maryland program; City staff; and local Green Teams. This is a free online event.

The program will be held on Zoom on Thursday, January 30, from 6:30-8:30pm

REGISTER HERE

AGENDA

6:30 – 6:40pm:  Welcome from the City of Gaithersburg

6:40 – 6:55pm:  Overview: Sustainable Maryland Residential Action Framework

Speaker: Mike Hunninghake, Sustainable Maryland            

6:55 – 7:25pm:  Spotlight: Two Green Teams in Practice

Speakers:

• Developing the Action Plan: Carla Johnson, Property Manager, Bennington HOA
• Implementing the Action Plan: Paola Kocerha and Christine Mabon, Shady Grove Village Green Team

7:25 – 7:30pm:  Stretch Break

7:30 – 7:50pm:  Planning and Funding Resources for HOA Green Teams

Speakers:

• Janette Rosenbaum, President, Muddy Branch Alliance
• Lauren Hubbard, Lands Green Waters Clean Program Manager, Muddy Branch Alliance

7:50 – 8:10pm: Gaithersburg’s Eco Dashboard – an Interactive Tool for Communicating Green Initiatives with HOAs and Residents

Speakers:

• Nancy Schumm, Environmental Design Services Chief, City of Gaithersburg
• Hokuma Karimova, Sustainability Administrator, City of Gaithersburg
• Gita Lekhram, Environmental Specialist, City of Gaithersburg

8:10– 8:25pm:  Moving Forward: Expanding Green Teams in Gaithersburg   

Speaker: Natalia Sanchez, Sustainable Maryland 

8:25- 8:30pm:  Wrap Up /Next Steps



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Co-Sponsored by the City of Gaithersburg and the Chesapeake Bay Trust

Questions? Contact Mike Hunninghake at mikeh75@umd.edu

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY CLIMATE STEWARDS ACADEMY

Calling all Prince George's County climate leaders! Consider applying for the Prince George's County Climate Stewards Academy. Through this training program you will learn climate best practices, establish community connections and gain skills to lead local climate adaptation and resilience efforts.

If you are interested in participating in the inaugural applicant review and selection process, please indicate your availability to meet in January via this Doodle Poll by Thursday, 19th COB.

Applications are due January 7. For more information and to apply click here.

Questions? Email the Environmental Finance Center at efc_climateaction@umd.edu.

This program is funded by the Prince George's County Department of the Environment and the Chesapeake Bay Trust.

RIVERDALE PARK REDESIGNS TOWN SEAL TO REFLECT COMMITMENT TO EQUITY AND DIVERSITY

Could your town seal use a refresh for the 21st century? This past year Riverdale Park set a fine example for Maryland’s municipalities, by redesigning their Town Seal. The Riverdale Park Town Common Seal Design Committee was charged with developing and implementing a process to create a new seal for the 21st Century. The existing blue and gold seal contained

imagery from the past that was no longer relevant to the Town’s identity.

With assistance of Town-contracted vendors and Town staff, the committee reviewed the existing seal and, with community-wide engagement, synthesized input on images and wording for a redesigned seal. Throughout the process they were guided by the Town’s Vision and Commitment Statements, the Diversity and Inclusion Statement, and the Town’s history.

The Town contracted with the Neighborhood Design Center to develop and execute a robust community-wide outreach and engagement plan and a Request for Qualification, which generated nine artist submissions. The Committee ultimately selected Torie Partridge, a local artist, to develop designs using input and feedback from the community. The final design of the seal (see above) incorporates many symbolic elements that reflect Riverdale Park’s rich history, current values, and promising future:

• An arched window with a sunburst design, seen at Riversdale House, represents growth and a bright future.
• The roses symbolize beauty and love and commemorate Adam Francis Plummer’s family and their unity after emancipation from servitude at Riversdale House.
• The tulips honor the Stier family’s foundational role and symbolize renewal and new beginnings.
• The ear of corn honors the original Piscataway residents and signifies abundance in American cultures.
• A monarch butterfly signifies migration, new residents, and sustainability.
• Three circular borders that create pathways around the seal, symbolize the Anacostia River, the Trolley Trail, and both the historic railway and the new light rail.
• The color palette is blue and yellow as well as the historic verdigris green from the main hall of the Riversdale House.

Check out The Town of Riverdale Park’s council resolution here. An Action such as this would earn a municipality points under “Community Action - Innovative Demonstration Project” on their Sustainable Maryland certification application.

CONSIDER A YEAR-END GIFT TO SUSTAINABLE MARYLAND

The Sustainable Maryland Program Fund provides unrestricted support to our program, and allows our staff to be nimble and responsive to our communities' needs. All contributions are tax-deductible, and help us remain the most trusted source of assistance for sustainability planning, funding and implementation in the state. Your donation enables us to continue to expand the depth and breadth of our work supporting elected officials, municipal staff, and municipal and HOA Green Teams, which includes:



• On-call one-on-one technical assistance
• Monthly SM newsletter
• Webinars
• Leadership Trainings
• Regional Summits
• Annual municipal certification and awards
• Small grant programs

Give the gift of a more sustainable Maryland today!