A Look Back: SM 2018 Annual Report /
Climate Action Training /
Host a Chesapeake Conservation Corps Volunteer
Our monthly sampling of news, resources, events and other items of interest from across the sustainability spectrum in Maryland.
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FUNDING
OPPORTUNITIES
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Montgomery County Green Bank
More info
Montgomery County Energy Efficiency Program
More info
Prince George's County Sustainable Energy grants
More info
Prince George's County Green Energy Loan program
More info
Maryland Urban & Community Forestry Grants
(Maryland DNR)
Deadline: semi-annual
More info
Charles County Forestry Grant Program
(Chesapeake Bay Trust)
Deadline: Rolling
More info
Community Engagement & Restoration Mini-grants
(Chesapeake Bay Trust)
Deadline: Rolling
More info
Prince Georges County Weatherization Program
Deadline: Rolling
Prince Georges County Raincheck Rebate
(Chesapeake Bay Trust)
Deadline: Rolling
More info
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EVENTS CALENDAR
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Bike Maryland Symposium
Date: February 19
Location: Annapolis
Architecture & Design Film Festival: DC
Dates: Feb. 21-24
Location: National Building Museum, DC
Looking Ahead
Sustainable Urban Forests Coalition Annual Meeting
Date: March 6
Location: DC
National Bike Summit
Dates: March 9-12
Location: Wash., DC
Climate Leadership Conference
Dates: March 20-22
Location: Baltimore
Middletown Green Expo
Date: April 27
Location: Greenbelt
Link
Montgomery County GreenFest
Date: April 28
Location: Wheaton
Green Neighbor Festival
Date: May 4
Location: Frederick
Green Man Festival
Dates: May 11-12
Location: Greenbelt
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SUSTAINABLE MARYLAND COMMUNITIES IN THE NEWS
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Takoma Park lays out 5 year sustainable energy agenda
Thurmont to add wayfinding signage around town
Washingtonian dubs College Park "Best Turnaround"
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MAKE MD SHINE - JOIN THE CHALLENGE
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There are many ways to help brighten your community, but Neighborhood Sun's community solar offer is an easy, cost-free way to help keep our air free of pollution and in support of our local economy. And, between now and April 22nd, you can register at
MakeMarylandShine.com
to put your town ahead of the game, and get a chance to win money towards a local charity AND an extra 5% off your electricity bill for a full year. So, join Neighborhood Sun in their initiative to help Make Maryland Shine!
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BY THE NUMBERS: SM 2018 ANNUAL REPORT
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- 74 SM-registered municipalities (47% of Maryland's towns and cities)
- 35 SM-certified municipalities (including 1 new community)
- 10 SM Green Team trainings
- 5 Wednesday Webinars
- 2 full-day leadership training workshops (topic: Growing the Community Forest)
- 2 county-wide Summits (Montgomery & Prince George's Counties)
Some notable or innovative projects recognized last year included:
- Berlin: Held the fourth annual "Take Pride in Berlin" event to encourage Berlin residents to have pride in their community.
- Chestertown: Chestertown has been a certified Tree City USA for 37 years, making it the second longest participating municipality in Maryland.
- Cottage City: Cottage City sponsored a series of 12 environmental field trips for senior citizens in Cottage City and the surrounding community.
- Emmitsburg: Approximately 15 miles of natural surfaced multi-user trails for mountain bikers, hikers, bird watchers, and trail runners have been created as part of a stacked loop network in the Emmitsburg Watershed.
- Laurel: Held its first health fair for the community in 2018. The event had a total of 50 vendors, and attendees received complimentary flu shots as well as health screenings for cholesterol, diabetes, hearing, and vision.
- Mount Rainier: The Green Team created a video series called #GreenisLife, which focuses on environmental living in Mount Rainier.
- Poolesville: The town has introduced a series of free "Wellness Wednesdays". These seminars are given by health professionals and are designed to raise awareness, and provide useful strategies to residents for making positive lifestyle changes.
- Rockville: Conducted assessments of the health of its three watersheds: Cabin John Creek, Watts Branch, and Rock Creek, and implemented a series of stream restoration projects.
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GREEN TEAM CLIMATE ACTION TRAINING FROM UMD
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Dr. Sara Via at recent Maryland Climate Leadership Academy training
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Scientists agree that climate change is real and that climate impacts like increases in severe weather, flooding and heatwaves are already affecting Maryland communities. In order to help our communities understand and respond to the localized effects of climate change, Sustainable Maryland will be offering
Green Team Climate Action Training as the first of a set of new actions related to climate change. The two-hour training will give Green Teams the information they need to understand climate impacts and convey them to local government and community members. This understanding is a first step to increasing climate resilience. The Green Team training and guidance for implementing additional climate actions will be provided by Dr. Sara Via, Professor and Climate Extension Specialist at the University of Maryland. The first trainings will be in February and March of 2019. Interested Green Teams should contact Dr. Via directly (
svia@umd.edu
) to receive details of the Green Team Climate Action Training and to work out a date and time for the training.
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CHESAPEAKE CONSERVATION CORPS VOLUNTEERS HELP PROTECT HABITAT
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Chesapeake Conservation Corps volunteers
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A group of Chesapeake Conservation Corps (CCC) volunteers, including EFC's Kelly Peaks, paid a visit this month to the Woodend Nature Sanctuary at the Audubon Naturalist Society in Montgomery County. The group's "all hands on deck" event was a deer drive, whereby volunteers helped move deer out of the nature preserve in order to prevent over-browsing and protect native plants. For more information about the CCC, and how your organization or municipality can host a CCC volunteer and boost your capacity for sustainability projects,
The deadline for host applications is February 19.
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QUOTE
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"
While it is February one can taste the full joys of anticipation. Spring stands at the gate with her finger on the latch."
---Patience Strong, poet, United Kingdom
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Sustainable Maryland is an initiative of the Environmental Finance Center at the University of Maryland. It is a free and voluntary program designed to help Maryland communities choose a direction for their sustainability efforts, improve access to resources needed to implement action, and recognize their accomplishments. Our sponsors include the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Maryland Municipal League. For more information about how your municipality can register in the Sustainable Maryland program, plus customized Green Team training and access to student resources that are available to provide consultancy services for municipal planning, please contact 301-405-7956 or mikeh75@umd.edu
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Mike Hunninghake
Program Manager
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