Ok, Green Drinkers, do your "no-rain" dance tonight so we can enjoy the lovely grounds at the Carroll House tomorrow. Rain or shine, we'll have a wonderful time showcasing Annapolis' historic properties and sustainable steps being taken to preserve them. Don't miss it!

 May is National Preservation Month and this year's theme is "Discover America's Hidden Gems" so we are partnering with the Historic Preservation Commission and MainStreets Annapolis (MAP), hosted by the Charles Carroll House of Annapolis.  

We've made a suggestion that has resonated with the Carroll House and may spread to other historic properties. How can we maintain integrity of a historic property while integrating modern-day energy efficiency technology? One of our Founding One Hundred Sponsors, Infrared Tools Energy Services, has stepped in to help. The company will be conducting an energy audit on the Carroll House in the next few weeks! We will let you know what they find and more importantly, what steps can be taken to keep fine buildings like this grand and authentic while saving money and doing good for the environment too.    

At our event, the Annapolis Historic Preservation Commission and the Heritage Commission are planning to recognize stewards of landmark "gems" currently undergoing restoration in Annapolis and Senator John Astle may be in attendance to make the presentation, if the special session at State Circle permits.

The Carroll House is adjacent to St. Mary's Parish and its school. The Parish has made impressive strides in the past few years to: "make sustainability a strategic priority, working to further reduce our effect on our planet, the Annapolis area, and the Chesapeake Bay by continually adopting greener practices and developing conservation measures in a sound fiscal way." See the parish's website for more info, particulary about the project they embarked upon to address stormwater runoff from the parking lot, which you'll be able to see as you approach the Carroll House:

St. Mary's joined hands with the Spa Creek Conservancy and Carroll House and Gardens and obtained a $105,000 state grant to retrofit the 2.1 acre parking lot behind St. Mary's Church that drains polluting stormwater to Spa Creek. Nine rain gardens were installed to allow much of the runoff to naturally infiltrate the soils and the large old storm drain and parking lot were cleaned-out. St. Mary's students helped plant the gardens with water-absorbent native plants. These rain gardens and improved stormwater management will greatly decrease nutrients, sediment, and toxic chemicals running off into Spa Creek after each rain storm. The project won the top environmental award from Anne Arundel County in 2009 and only used $56,000 of the grant. St. Mary's is examining a pilot project for a floating living shoreline along the border of the Carroll House and Gardens on Spa Creek that would prevent erosion and cleanse run-off by using floating vegetated mats. 

Parking at the Carroll House will be limited so carpool, walk, take an eCruiser, or park on the street if you can.

Come in the "back door" on the ground level ... with your namebadge, all weather gear (we'll have a coat rack), and wine/beer/soda glass, if you remember! 

Be sure to check our website for info about the sustainable food (Galway Bay, Level, O'Callaghan's John Barry Restaurant and Boatyard Bar & Grill) and drink we'll enjoy at Green Drinks, purchased locally, of course!   

See you tomorrow,

Elvia & Lynne  

PS - Bring us your corks... your natural, not plastic corks. We'll have a great new recycling collection container for them at Green Drinks.