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Support
Bethesda Green
Bethesda Green relies on corporate sponsorships, grants, in-kind donations and individual contributions. We:
Thinking about making a contribution to Bethesda Green? You can now make a secure donation to Bethesda Green by clicking on the "Donate Now" button. It's quick, easy and safe.
You can set up an automatic monthly donation or make your gift in memory or in honor of someone special.
Thank you for your support.
Sponsorship info >>
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Bethesda Central Farm Market -- Every Sunday, 9 am - 1 pm. Winter location on the Elm Street parking lot between Woodmont and Wisconsin Aves.
Fields of Green Internship Fair -- Saturday, Feb. 25, 10 am - 2 pm. Learn about college-age internship opportunities with many organization, including our own Bethesda Green Business Incubator companies.
Thanksgiving in February -- Tuesday, Feb. 28. You can help the hungry by dining out. Participating restaurants contribute a percentage of sales to local hunger relief programs. More >>
BG 101 -- Wednesday, Feb. 29, 4 - 5:30 pm. Bethesda Green orientation and review of upcoming events and volunteer opportunities. Contact: info@bethesdagreen.org.
First Thursday Happy Hour -- Let's Talk Food with Bethesda Green @ Chef Tony's Restaurant, 4926 St. Elmo Avenue in Bethesda, Thursday, March 1, 5 - 8 pm. RSVP
Clean Water Summit -- Saturday, March 3, 8:30 am - 3:30 pm. Silver Spring Civic Building. More >>
Check the Events page regularly for updates.
More >>
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Subscribe to the BG Blog News Feed . . .
and get immediate access to Green News & Events, posted regularly by Dan Rudt, Montgomery County Sustainability News. See the latest version here. Green Biz Certification: Two-Year AnniversaryMontgomery County is celebrating the two-year anniversary of the Green Business Certification Program, launched through a partnership between the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection, the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce (MCCC) and Montgomery College. Thirty-five diverse organizations, including Bethesda Green, have been certified so far. See News Release for more info. Volunteers Sought to Help Save Nick's Organic FarmOrganizers involved in trying to save Nick's Organic Farm are recruiting volunteers at a public meeting Thursday, February 23, 6:45 pm - 8:30 pm at the Potomac Community Center, 11315 Falls Rd, Potomac, MD 20854. For more information about the issue and to RSVP for the meeting, click here. Recycle old cell phonesLocal high school green teams and other interested recyclers, here's a great way to do your part to reduce waste and help support Bethesda Green. Collect your old cell phones and bring them to Bethesda Green for recycling. We've partnered with two of our Green Business Incubator Companies -- GreenSavings.Coop and their Supplier Member VertiGO Solutions -- to turn your old cell phones into a valuable donation. More >>
Reel Water Film Festival Call for Submissions
A unique film festival to raise awareness of the clean water crisis is seeking short film submissions to show at its event Saturday, June 16 at the Black Rock Center for the Arts in Germantown. Submission deadline is May 5. See press release for more details.
Changing the Way We Eat
More than 70 people attended the second annual Bethesda Green viewing party of TEDxManhattan's "Changing the Way We Eat," a one-day event in New York City simulcast at viewing parties all over the world. Co-hosted by Full Plate Ventures and SlowFood DC, our local program featured discussion about several new initiatives and entrepreneurial businesses bubbling up in Montgomery County. More >>
Local News Listing
To see past Newsletters.
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From the Executive Director
 | | Dave Feldman |
Big environmental issues are in the news lately. Though Bethesda Green focuses locally, and we have plenty on our plate, we feel it's important to understand national events and how they shape our future. We avoid advocacy but in the name of education, I want to touch on three stories that significantly impact small business, the environment and a large number of citizens. The Keystone XL Pipeline is a proposed 1,700-mile pipeline that would carry unrefined oil to the Gulf of Mexico from Alberta, Canada. The oil lobby says the pipeline would create jobs and help the U.S. achieve energy independence. However, we don't own the crude (it's Canadian), the potential damage to the environment is excessive, and the jobs created are short-term. Just this month, the Obama administration put the decision on hold until further evaluation. Monsanto. A group of 300,000 American organic farmers are taking Monsanto to court, countering the company's 144 patent infringement cases for raising crops using Monsanto's genetically engineered formulas. The farmers claim their crops were contaminated because canola, corn and other food sources are wind pollinated by genetic material carried for miles. At stake is the survival of many small farmers. Offshore Wind in Maryland highlights Gov. Martin O'Malley's 2012 legislative agenda. Offshore wind unites environmentalists and labor to deliver pollution-free electricity as part of our energy portfolio. This could create 3,000 manufacturing, construction and maintenance jobs. Opponents are concerned that the cost to consumers (monthly increase estimates vary) is too prohibitive. Setting aside any personal biases, I recognize these issues are complex and controversial -- and critically important. Regardless of how we respond, awareness is the first step. Yes, questions regarding food and energy policy originate as national or regional issues, but don't you think they are really local? |
Internship Fair
Are you an employer looking for a stellar intern to help you grow your green business or organization? Are you that stellar student or recent grad looking for an internship to get real world experience in the green sector?
If either of these descriptions sounds like you, then please plan to join us Saturday, February 25, 10 am - 2 pm for our third annual Fields of Green Internship Fair. This is a great opportunity for young people aged 18 and older to line up internships with companies, government agencies and non-profits offering job experience in the green business sector.
More than 20 companies will be in attendance. Come learn about and meet directly with the hiring managers of these wonderful internship opportunities.
If you represent a company that would be interested in participating, please contact Bethesda Green Program Manager Sharon D'Emidio, sharon@bethesdagreen.org, ASAP as space is limited and filling up quickly.
Check out our website for more information, or see a recent blog post by Montgomery County Sustainability News.
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March 1 Happy Hour -- Let's Talk Food
Join us for Casual Conversation and Social Networking
Thursday, March 1, 5 - 8 pm, Chef Tony's Restaurant, 4926 St. Elmo Avenue in Bethesda
RSVP via Meetup
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Incubator Spotlight
A.I.R. Lawn Care
by Dana Burton
Every April, the Boys of Summer return. The grass shows that dark green color. Readers undoubtedly expect allusions to "Field of Dreams" here. But this is not about baseball. The subject is lawns.
Zack Kline is one of those Boys of Summer. He has already spent several cutting grass from Darnestown to Derwood fo r someone else. Now Zack's spring training is to perfect a pitch for his A.I.R. (Atmosphere Improvement and Renewal) Lawn Care to cut grass for denizens of Bethesda and its environs.
Entrepreneurship runs in the Kline family; Zack's dad has a remodeling firm. A.I.R. Lawn Care stakes out some new ground in the Kline family and the small service firm model. All of his equipment is battery-powered. It does not leave a carbon footprint or pollute the air with gasoline engines. Like other businesses that get their start at the Bethesda Green Incubator Program, Zack's customers will not pay extra for the knowledge that they are caring for the environment while getting their lawns cut.
Zack developed his ideas about the small lawn care company as part of the Bernstein Business Plan Competition at Salisbury University last year. He was so persuasive that he won the competition and the first place prize of $5,000. That money capitalizes A.I.R. Lawn Care. Like many service firms, success for Zack will be to maximize his capacity for the lawn care business in a life with a full-time sales position.
Zack wants to start working with homeowners: the retired, those pressed for time by job or else, aging Baby Boomers who have too much lawn for aching backs and knees. But he already sees the day that his high-quality lawn care will bring commercial business such as corporate accounts, local governments or non-profits. Success is in the grass and the A.I.R. for Zack Kline.
A.I.R. Lawn Care
Zack Kline
zkline@airlawncare.com
301-661-3705 www.airlawncare.com
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 Bethesda Green Intern Profile
Name: Sumi Shrestha
Age: 23
Hometown: Gaithersburg
How did you get involved with Bethesda Green?
I graduated from UMCP with degree in Biological Sciences. I was interested in pursuing a graduate degree in Public Health concentrating in Environmental Health. However, I wanted to take a year off and get some experience before I continued my education. I learned about Bethesda Green while attending a Symposium on Clean Technology and later, through Universities at Shady Grove Career Connector. I was interested in learning about sustainability and green initiatives in local communities and I knew Bethesda Green would be a perfect opportunity to do just that.
What kind of work do you do at BG?
I am involved in maintaining and restructuring the database, supporting outreach efforts, helping with events and social media marketing, coordinating tasks with volunteers, and assisting with general administrative duties. Additionally, I am working on creating a vibrant center for Bethesda Green.
What have you gotten out of your experience at BG so far?
I have learned a lot while working at Bethesda Green and meeting passionate individuals through BG events. Being a part of BG has also taught me the internal operation of business and non-profit organization. I am learning about the various initiatives focused on sustainability and the importance of engaging the community to have a positive impact on the environment. Overall, my experience at BG has been very exciting and meaningful. The active community members and the staff at BG inspire me through their dedication to the collaborative efforts focused on improving our environment and I feel very humbled to be part of it.
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