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Meet our New Sustainability Commission Members
Karen Buchsbaum
Frederick Community Garden Association
J.J. Hartner
Howard Co. Planning
& Zoning | |
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Did You Miss the Summer Issue of the FNP's GREEN Magazine? |  | |
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Meet our New
Green Ambassadors
Emma Bowers
Hood College
Tim O'Keeffe
Frederick Community College | |
John Poyle
Community at Large | |
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RESOURCES for
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
IMPROVEMENTS
at HOME | |
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EVENTS, TRAININGS & CONNECTIONS
2011 Solar & Green Homes Tour
Oct. 1-2
(Web Updates
Coming Soon)
Green Drinks
Green Building Institute
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SummerServe volunteer, Marquis Wade, measures insulation for the Energy Action House Calls project. See story below. |
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Greetings!
I am excited to tell you that the new Brunswick Public Library building has been awarded LEED® Silver certification, established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). LEED is the nation's preeminent program for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings.
The Brunswick Public Library was awarded LEED® Silver certification by the USGBC for energy use, lighting, water and material use as well as incorporating a variety of other sustainable strategies. By using less energy and water, a LEED certified building saves money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduces greenhouse gas emissions; and contributes, to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community.
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LEED certified Brunswick Library |
The Office of Sustainability and Environmental Resources helped to make the certification happen, and the building effort was a partnership with our Management Services Division, Division of Public Works, and the Frederick County Public Libraries, as well as the City of Brunswick. Brunswick citizens discussed their desire for the LEED certification in initial public meetings about the project. Their participation is a great example of how citizens who take an active interest in their government can help make its efforts more sustainable. We work to serve you!
We've been busy this summer putting together lots of great programs and projects to serve citizens. We've constructed three projects for water quality and are working on a fourth- take a look at the wetland, stormwater bioretention, and fish passage projects taking place within the Watershed Management Section. These projects help to meet requirements of the pollution diet for the Chesapeake Bay, and work to restore local water quality.
In July, we welcomed two new Sustainability Commission members, Karen Buchsbaum, founder of the Frederick Community Garden Association, and J.J. Hartner, Planner and Project Manager with Howard County Government. At the end of August we said goodbye to Hood College Environmental Biology Master Program intern, Emma Bowers. She did a great job helping us evaluate what should be included in our green infrastructure plan. At this time we are also bringing on new staff and interns for the Green Homes Challenge! We are excited to share our efforts with you and we welcome your participation!
Regards,
Shannon Moore
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Energy: Youth Save Energy through Energy Action House Calls |
 This summer 18 Frederick County youth learned about energy efficiency and conservation. They then turned that knowledge into action at 20 targeted homes. The Energy Action House Calls project was implemented through the United Way of Frederick County's five-week SummerServe program and funded by Frederick County's Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant and its new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Climate Showcase Communities grant.
 SummerServe mobilized 30 youth as agents of positive change through five simultaneously running service projects each day. Each project had a different focus. Through the Energy Action House Calls project, groups of 4-5 youth worked with certified home performance contractors from Atlas Home Energy Solutions and assisted with home performance assessments, blower door tests, thermal imaging, and a wide variety of energy efficiency improvement projects. In addition to simple improvements like installing CFL light bulbs and outlet insulators, the youth sealed rim joists, ductwork, floor vents, and attic hatches. They worked together to install attic insulation and air vents; insulate hot water heaters and pipes; and test heater and gas lines for leaks. The  homes that benefited are owned by Advocates for Homeless Families, which provides transitional housing for families at risk of homelessness, and The Waystation, which provides Residential Rehabilitation Programs for individuals with serious mental illness.
Because of this project, 41,158 kWh of energy, 18,000 cubic feet of natural gas, and 29.3 tons of greenhouse gas emissions are estimated to be saved each year. Collectively, the utility bills for these houses will be reduced by approximately $3,000 each year.
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 GREEN HOMES CHALLENGE: New Staff, Interns & Green Ambassadors | |
As of August, 408 households have been engaged through the Green Homes Challenge (GHC) and 362 have registered to take the Power Saver Challenge. This summer, we welcomed several new Green Ambassadors (see photos in left panel) and our 5th Certified Power Saver household! We look forward to having more of our registered Challenge Takers achieve certification. This summer OSER welcomes new staff and interns to support the GHC and help Challenge Takers through the process. Learn more about our upcoming Powerware Parties here!
Sabrina Harder, Green Homes Program Coordinator, joined OSER in July 2011 soon after relocating to Middletown from San Diego, CA. She holds a B.S. in Environmental Systems from UC San Diego and has worked with several nonprofit organizations focused on science and environmental education. Most recently, she worked as a Volunteer Coordinator for San Diego Hospice and The Institute for Palliative Medicine. Sabrina looks forward to promoting the Green Homes Challenge throughout Frederick County and working closely with our Green Ambassadors.
 Nicole Robinson, Chesapeake Conservation Corps Volunteer, joins OSER in August 2011 for a year of service with the GHC. Nicole recently received a B.S. in Biology with a Chemistry minor from Washington College. Nicole has served as a Water Quality Research Intern, a Research Assistant for Alzheimer's research, an Animal Caretaker, and an organic farm worker for the Colchester Farm Community Supported Agriculture Project. For more information about the Chesapeake Conservation Corps, visit the CBT web site. One project Nicole will tackle is developing the handbook for the Green Leader Challenge.
 Linganore High School senior, Jessica Bast, will be interning for the Green Homes Challenge for the 2011/2012 school year. She will be serving as an Energy Action Tracker, helping us keep up with the status of our Challenge Takers and providing navigation assistance to those seeking certification.
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Monocacy and Catoctin Watershed Alliance
Partner Highlight: FCPS Schoolyard Habitat Program |
 Last spring FCPS Elementary, Middle, and High Schools were very busy planning and completing Schoolyard Habitats. The program, funded by a grant from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, works to educate students about the important connections between the water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and their local watersheds and land use on their school campuses.
 During the coming school year, Frederick County's Community Restoration Coordinator, Heather Montgomery, will be working with Schoolyard Habitat Teams at a number of Frederick County public schools to plant trees and help FCPS reach their "20% by 2038" tree canopy goal. View photos and read an update on "habitat happenings" from FCPS Schoolyard Habitat Teacher Specialist, April Wells, here.
For more information about FCPS Schoolyard Habitat program and activities at participating schools, click here.
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WATERSHED MANAGEMENT: Restoration Projects | |
Watershed Management Section staff began construction on four restoration projects this summer - two wetland restoration projects, a bioswale project, and a brook trout stream project.
Wetland Restoration Projects
Frederick County Watershed Management Section staff completed two wetland restoration projects during July 2011 using grant funds from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) passed through the Maryland Department of Environment (MDE). The wetland projects are part of a pilot effort to develop an Urban Wetlands Program (UWP) for Frederick County. The UWP pilot is targeted in the Bennett Creek Watershed and is composed of four initiatives - (1) wetland habitat assessments to monitor amphibians, birds, and vegetation; (2) wetland mapping; (3) installation of wetland restoration projects; and (4) education and outreach for Frederick County students, teachers, and citizens. The wetland restoration projects were installed at the Worthington Manor Golf Course and Bar-T Mountainside Outdoor Challenge and Retreat Center with the goal of improving wetland habitat. The projects consisted of invasive species removal, excavation of shallow (~1-2 feet in depth) pools, and installation of native wetland trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants.
Urbana Elementary Bioswale Project
 Bioswales are modified vegetated swales that contain an engineered filter bed beneath the swale surface, typically consisting of 18-30 inches of prepared bioretention soil media (sandy loam). Similar to bioretention areas, bioswales encourage infiltration in order to retain runoff volume and use a variety of physical, chemical, and biological processes to reduce runoff pollutant loadings. Runoff from the Urbana Elementary School's impervious surfaces (rooftop and parking lot), Urbana Pike, and the adjacent volunteer fire department property currently flows to the bioswale project area. The bioswale will slow, filter, and convey the stormwater runoff to the school's Great Heron Wetland.
The project is currently being constructed by Harland J. Shoemaker and Son, Incorporated. In September, after the bioswale construction is complete, Urbana Elementary students (led by teacher Jeff Esko) will plant the bioswale with more than 300 native trees and shrubs to complete the project installation.
This project is funded using grant funds from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) passed through the Maryland Department of Environment (MDE).
Spanning Arch Culvert on Mt. Ephraim Road
The Bear Branch of Bennett Creek on Sugarloaf Mountain contains one of the County's surviving Brook Trout populations. People who love brook trout often call them brookies. Brookies are the only native trout in our region. They are treasured by fly fishermen and other conservationists, and they serve as a real indicator of the health of our waterways. Brookies have been on the decline for over a hundred years and they are in great danger of becoming locally extinct within the next several decades.
Last fall, Frederick County Government and its partner, Potomac Conservancy, removed a fish passage barrier on Mt. Ephraim Road at a crossing with Bear Branch. The project replaced a culvert that was perched too far above the stream to allow for fish to pass. This summer, the partners replaced a nearby ford crossing on the same road with a spanning arch culvert to allow the fish to pass freely. The two projects restore nearly a mile of fragmented fish passage! The projects meet goals of the Chesapeake Bay Executive order and are part of a larger Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture in the eastern United States.
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TRAINING:
GBI Offers Permaculture Design Certificate Course |
 Join the Green Building Institute for their Permaculture Design Certificate Course this September! Permaculture teaches us to observe, learn from, and incorporate natural processes in our buildings, energy systems, food systems, and other aspects of our lives. There will be an Intro to Permaculture Session on Friday, September 16, from 5:30-7:30PM, with refreshments served. The week-long class runs September 17-24, from 9:00AM-5:00PM. Check out the course web page for more information about fees and registration. Back to Top |
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MYTHBUSTERS:
MYTH - Organically Farmed Foods are Always Better for the Environment |  Many super market chains now offer organic food and produce, but is organic farming always better from a environmental standpoint? Many of the organic foods you see on store shelves have to be shipped in from another location, very often, another state. Most foods have to travel between 1,500 and 2,500 miles to reach the shelves. This translates to higher prices for you, more fossil fuel consumed, and up to 5,550 pounds of carbon emitted into the environment for each trip (Source). So while organic is good, from an environmental perspective, local may be better, and local organic may be the best! This fall check out your local farmers market for organic and local produce. Frederick County has no less than 10 farmers markets, most of which run well into October and November. Times and information about all the farmers markets in the County can be found online here. Buying local isn't just good for the environment it's also good for the economy. When purchasing from a local farm you help support a local business and promote jobs in your neighborhood. The Frederick County "Buy Local Challenge" ran in July, but consider supporting local farms year-round, and especially this fall during harvest season. Next year, think about buying a community supported agriculture share (CSA share). These shares help farmers by giving them the profits from their produce early in the season and you benefit by getting fresh produce every week from a local and often organic farm. Be sure to talk to the farmer about what their CSA shares may contain and remember production can vary. Another option would be to find out about buying directly from farms in your area. This way you know where your food is coming from, who is making it, and the only distance it has to travel is from the farm to your home. For a list of local farms and more information about local farming, check out Frederick County's Virtual Farmers Market. For more information about CSAs, organic foods, and local farming, visit: http://www.mda.state.md.us/ http://www.discoverfrederickmd.com/IndustryFocus/agriculture.htm http://www.localharvest.org/ Have you heard a myth or urban legend related to sustainability and the environment that you would like resolved? Send it to sustainability@frederickcountymd.gov and we'll get to the bottom of it!
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| TOP PICKS: Online Tips & Resources for Sustainability | |
 For Homeowners:
New Lighting Standards Begin in 2012
What does this mean for you? Basically, the light bulbs available for purchase will be 25 - 80% more efficient. Incandescent bulbs will still be available, but not inefficient ones. Learn more here. Let Light Bulb Finder help you upgrade your lighting efficiency. Replacing 15 inefficient incandescent bulbs in your home could save you $50/year. Don't forget! You can get up to $25 in Potomac Edison rebates and automatic rebates when purchasing efficient bulbs at Lowes, The Home Depot, Walmart, and Sam's Club.
For Kids:
The Department of Energy's Kids Saving Energy website includes energy awareness games, videos, activities, coloring books, and lots of tips and facts just for kids who want to save energy.
For Businesses:
Did you know that businesses can also get significant rebates for improving lighting efficiency? Potomac Edison Watt Watchers rebates from $15 to $25 are available for upgrading to T-8, T-5, or LED lighting fixtures or installing occupancy sensors. Potomac Edison will even send businesses 2 to 36 free LED bulbs for "Exit" signs! Learn about other rebates for HVAC, Variable Frequency Drives, and custom applications here.
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The Frederick County Sustainability and Environmental Resources Office advances practical solutions for protecting the environment, conserving energy, and living sustainably in Frederick County.
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