November 13, 2010 - Vol 1, Issue 2
News from
Conservation Montgomery
Working together to enhance our quality of life
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Please forward this e-mail to friends and
 ...for updates on our events and county programs related to natural resource conservation and sustaining the quality of life in our communities.
In this newsletter: -
Community Stroll: NEXT SATURDAY -- Blockhouse Point Conservation Park, Nov. 20
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Countyside Green Business Certification Program off to a good start

We are running a fall special with a discounted price of $30 for annual family memberships.
Board of Directors
Ginny Barnes
Arlene Bruhn Mark Buscaino Diane Cameron Jennifer Chambers Evan Glass David Hauck Barbara Hoover Caren Madsen Mike Rubin Helen Wood
IMPORTANT DATES
November 18th Planning Board hearing on Falklands Chase project.
November 20th Community Stroll through the Blockhouse Point Conservation Park, beginning at 1 p.m.
Audubon Naturalist Society Autumn Lights Fundraising Event at the ANS Woodend Santuary on Jones Mill Road. The ANS reception starts at 6 p.m. Conservation Montgomery Board members and other members will be attending this terrific annual event. Check the ANS website for more details on Autumn Lights.
November 23rd County Council hearing on Bill 53-10. December 4th World Conservation Day
December 18th
Community Stroll through McKenney Hills forest
Other calendar items.
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Dear Friends,
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Our October Community Stroll through the Northwest Branch Stream Valley Park was a success thanks to CM Board member and environmental educator Jennifer Chambers and our friends who came out for the walk along the Kemp Mill trail. Photos of that Stroll are posted on our website and on our Facebook page. Details about the Nov. 20th Blockhouse Point Conservation Park Community Stroll are in this newsletter along with a brief article about the County's new Green Business Certification Program.
A County Council hearing will be held on Nov. 23rd on Bill 53-10, which would bring our Forest Conservation Law into minimum compliance with a new threshold established by the state of Maryland for applicability of our forestry law. Please visit our webpage for more details and plan to attend and support stronger legislation for tree and forestry preservation. Additional legislation to protect our forest canopy is on the horizon so please continue to check our website for updates and information on how you can speak up for the trees.
Business consultant Barbara Hoover of Potomac has joined our board of directors. You will find Barbara's bio on our website along with her vision for working with Conservation Montgomery. Welcome aboard Barbara!
This month, we also welcome new corporate partners: Jobuntu LLC IT Services and IT Gurus LLC. Links to their websites are on our homepage.
Finally, we welcome new Montgomery County Council members Craig Rice (District 2) and Hans Riemer (At Large), who will be sworn in with 7 incumbents in early December. We look forward to working with all of our elected and appointed officials in the years ahead. Happy Thanksgiving season, Caren Madsen Chairman, Conservation Montgomery Board of Directors |
Blockhouse Point Conservation Park Community Stroll Set for November 20th | Civil War history buffs and nature lovers will find Conservation Montgomery's stroll through Blockhouse Point Conservation Park fascinating. This is an area rich in the natural and cultural history of the Potomac Valley. This approximately 630-acre park features mature upland forest, floodplain forest, wetlands, streams, river-rock outcrops, at least nine species of threatened, endangered, or watch-list plants, a diversity of wildlife and grand views of the Potomac River and C&O Canal. The Park also encompasses historic Civil War ruins of national significance. Stroll leader and veteran environmentalist Ginny Barnes will discuss the true definition of a park and a forest, and what makes our county park system important to the environment and overall quality of life in Montgomery County. Ginny will be accompanied by Department of Parks Natural Resource Manager Rob Gibbs and Don Housley from the Parks Cultural Resources Stewardship section. Please bring water to drink on the Stroll. Children under the age of 13 are welcome but must be supervised and accompanied by an adult at all times. Registration is not required but advised. You will also need to contact the leader prior to Nov. 20th for the exact meeting place location on the western edge of the park. Please send an e-mail to GinnyBarnes@Juno.com, or contact us at 240-793-4603 or at ConservationMontgomery@live.com Start time: 1:00 p.m. on Nov. 20th. Stroll ends at 3 p.m. Donations from strollers, of about $5.00 per person, are appreciated but not required. If lost on the day of the event, call 240-793-4603 and we'll try to direct you to the starting point. Click here for more details and a map to the meeting place. When you arrive, look for the large "Conservation Montgomery" banner to find us.
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Green Business Brief
Facts, Updates and Resources for an Engaged Community

Featured Item: Green Business Certification Program
Almost a year ago, the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) launched the county Green Business Certification Program. This local step toward a green economy is off to a strong start with 22 county business certified and another four applications pending. Conservation Montgomery interviewed Doug Weisburger, who manages this program for the county.
"This program is all about connecting the assets in a community so that it's mutually beneficial to businesses, residents, the civic community, government and the goals of the environmental community," said Weisburger. "Think of it as a mosaic. Each of us has a piece of the mosaic related to sustainability."
The county DEP has worked with members of the Bethesda Green nonprofit in the early stages of the program. A number of businesses affiliated with Bethesda Green are now certified. DEP partners with Montgomery College and the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce to conduct training sessions to coach businesses through the application process.
After completing an online application and paying a small fee, the next step is an onsite verification held by a consultant contracted by DEP. Approved businesses get a certificate and a window emblem to display so customers or clients will know that they are patronizing a county-certified green business. Conservation Montgomery will support the program by coaching small businesses on a case-by-case basis to help them with questions about sustainability and the application process. We will also offer suggestions for templates for some of the employee communications requirements listed in the application. DEP can set up a three-hour crash course for an individual business to learn how to become certified. Or DEP can offer a more detailed course for a group of businesses.
"This program can become a complement to the county's new Environmental Site Design (ESD) legislation," said Conservation Montgomery Board member Diane Cameron. "ESD presents a lot of interesting opportunities to build a green economy."
To apply or learn more about the Green Business Certification Program, please see the link at the top of the www.ConservationMontgomery.org homepage. A directory of businesses that are already certified is also on the Green Business Certification website.
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About Us
Conservation Montgomery is a nonprofit coalition of civic and environmental organizations as well as individual residents interested in a broad spectrum of environmental and quality of life challenges facing Montgomery County over the next decade as the county approaches a population of one million. The organization helps county residents understand their role in environmental stewardship and serves as a resource for informed decision-making among elected officials.
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$ave on a family membership this fall
Become a family of Conservation Montgomery members and save on the annual dues. Until the end of the year, we are offering our family memberships for $30. Please make out checks to "Conservation Montgomery" and mail to us at P.O. Box 7292, Silver Spring, MD 20907 or visit our Join/Donate tab at www.ConservationMontgomery.org . Your support makes Community Strolls and other Conservation Montgomery community education programs possible. Please write "coupon offer" on the memo line of your check to receive the fall discount.
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| Offer Expires: Dec. 31, 2010  |
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