SM CERTIFICATION DEADLINE JUNE 30

If your municipality is interested in applying for Sustainable Maryland certification for the first time, or if your town is up for it's 3 year re-certification, please remember to submit your application by June 30. If you have any questions about the application process, please contact opierce@umd.edu

PEPCO SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES GRANTS - DEADLINE JULY 12

Sustainable Maryland, in partnership with Pepco, will offer Sustainable Communities Grant awards to eligible organizations.

Eligible organizations include local governments and nonprofits within the service area. The program will provide $75,000 support to fund environmental stewardship projects and $50,000 for community resilience projects across the Pepco service area in Montgomery County, Prince Georges County, and Washington, DC.

Requests for 2024 Sustainable Communities Grant awards will be accepted from May 1 – July 12.

Environmental Stewardship Grants

Awards up to $10,000 – up to 8 awards expected

Resiliency Grants

Awards up to $25,000 – up to 2 awards expected

For more information click here, including grant application and recorded webinar.

SM CLIMATE WEBINARS THIS SUMMER

Mark your calendars! SM will be hosting a virtual climate-related webinar every 4th Wednesday this spring and summer.

• June 26: Extreme Weather Preparedness – Register
• July 24: Electric Vehicles – Register
• August 28: Federal and State EV Funding Opportunities – Register
• September 25: Funding Sources for Building Decarbonization – Register

URBAN FORESTRY CAREERS CAMP

UMD-COLLEGE PARK, JULY 7-13

A GREAT "GREEN" OPPORTUNITY FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS!

The Maryland Forestry Foundation is working with the University of Maryland and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to launch an exciting new venture for high school students in the summer of 2024.

The Urban Forestry Careers Camp (UFCC) will emphasize urban forestry programs within Maryland's municipal and county governments. The goal of the camp is to expose students to the promising new sector of future "green career" opportunities within urban environments.

This one-week, overnight camp will be held at the University of Maryland at College Park from July 7 - July 13, 2024.

Click here for more information

Click here for sample agenda

Green Teams and Town Clerks:

• Please share this opportunity widely in your newsletters, social media and old-fashioned word of mouth. 
• Please also share this with parents, students, local schools and PTAs.

This is an excellent opportunity for young people to explore a growing "green" career!

SM VISITS WITH WASHINGTON GROVE

SM staff visited the SM-certified Town of Washington Grove (pop. 497) earlier this year. During our visit with members of their sustainability committee, we explored a variety of sustainability initiatives that the town has undertaken in recent years. On our walk we saw the town’s community garden, the pollinator meadow, and the EV charging stations. A longtime resident graciously gave us a tour of her house where we were able to see all of the efficiency retrofits she did while maintaining the original character of her historic home! We ended our tour with a visit to the Acorn Library, a volunteer-run kid’s library that has a whole section dedicated to environmental education. 

Thank you very much to our tour leaders Bob Booher, Chris Daggy, and Ernie Kawasaki!

To find out more about the unique history of this small town in Montgomery County, click here.

BUILDING HOPE PODCAST:

FROM UMD'S SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, PLANNING & PRESERVATION

The Building Hope podcast features the visionary work of students and graduates of the University of Maryland School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation. Their innovative, practical projects stem from radical imagination. The podcast and website feature recent graduates in conversation on topics such as climate resilience, low-carbon materials, food justice, housing equity, biophilic design, and community collaboration.