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Sustainable Maryland Update
October 2015


New Sustainable Maryland Website Launched! / Wednesday Webinars /
Leadership Trainings in November / Procurement Survey

Our monthly sampling of news, resources, events and other items of interest from across the sustainability spectrum in Maryland.  
Check out our new website!
GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
 
Smart Growth America Free Technical Assistance Workshops
Deadline: October 21
More info

EPA Urban Waters Small Grants
Deadline: November 20
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

EVENTS CALENDAR

MD Sierra Club Jamboree
Dates: Oct. 16-18
Location: Frederick
Link

Grow Your Own Good conference
Date: Oct. 21
Location: Washington, DC
Link

Celebrate Design 2015- Montgomery County
Date: Oct. 22
Location: Silver Spring
Link

Film: "Climate Refugees"
Date: Oct. 22
Location: Bethesda
Link

Maryland Municipal League Fall Conference
Dates: Oct. 26-28
Location: Cambridge, MD
(featuring the Sustainable Maryland Certified Awards Ceremony on Oct. 27)
Link

National Walking Summit
Dates: October 28-30
Location: Washington, DC
Link


Looking Ahead

Engineering Green: Urban Design and Revitalization Using Green Infrastructure
Date: Nov. 3
Location: Towson University
Link

PastForward: National Trust for Historic Preservation
Dates: November 3-6
Location: Washington, DC
Link

Wildlife Habitat Council Conservation Conference
Dates: Nov. 11-12
Location: Baltimore
Link

Home Grown Transit in Maryland - Workshop
Date: Nov. 12
Location: Baltimore
Link

Turning a New Leaf Conference
Date: Nov. 13
Location: Towson
Link

MD Water Monitoring Council Conference
Date: Nov. 13
Location: North Linthicum
Link

Conscious Capitalism: The Economics of Doing Good
Date: Nov. 17
Location: Towson
Link

Greenbuild Conference and Expo
Dates: Nov. 18-20
Location: Washington, DC
Link

Rural Summit 2015 - "ASPIRE Rural Maryland"
Date: Dec. 3
Location: Annapolis
Link


SUSTAINABLE MARYLAND MUNICIPALITIES IN THE NEWS

New Market Latest Frederick County Town to Join Sustainable Maryland
  
Emmitsburg Cuts Ribbon on Large Solar Project
NEW SUSTAINABLE MARYLAND WEBSITE LAUNCHED!
We are pleased to announce the launch of our new Sustainable Maryland website! In addition to improved functionality of the certification application process, we have added several new features that we hope will provide a one-stop shop of sustainability resources from across the state of Maryland.

NEW FEATURES:
  • Events calendar: a wide range of sustainability-related events from across the region are listed, including Sustainable Maryland programs.
  • Grants portal: search for funding opportunities from federal state, county, local and non-profit agencies and organizations across a variety of topic areas and Actions.

You can also check out a map of our participating municipalities, where you can click on full reports from our Certified communities.

 

You can create an account in order to receive access to post information about your organization's events and grant opportunities, or to register your community with the Sustainable Maryland program. We look forward to making this new website a valuable asset for those working on sustainability initiatives in Maryland!    

 

 

CREATIVE FINANCING FOR SUSTAINABILITY WORKSHOPS

Leadership Training Workshops: 
Creative Financing for Sustainability Projects 

OVERVIEW:
You've heard of some these creative options for financing sustainability projects in the last few years: solar coops, public/private partnerships (P3s), green bonds, power purchase agreements... But maybe you still don't know what they are all about???

Our upcoming Leadership Training workshops will provide you with:
  • An overview of the range of potential funding sources and implementation mechanisms on the market TODAY!
  • Tools to help save money and create efficiencies.
  • Direct access to financing providers and real-world examples.
3 DATES / 3 LOCATIONS - SAME GREAT PROGRAM! 
 
Choose the most convenient date/location: 

Monday, November 16, 9:00am - 4:00pm
Location: Cambridge Public Safety Building, Cambridge

Wednesday, November 18, 9:00am - 4:00pm
Location: Stamp Student Union, University of Maryland, College Park
Thursday, November 19, 9:00am - 4:00pm
Location: University System of Maryland at Hagerstown
 
REGISTRATION FEE: $35.00 (includes breakfast, lunch, program materials, free parking)
 
SESSIONS: 
    • Business Case for Sustainability: Session overview
    • Basics of Financing: Five Steps for a More Resilient Program, Determining Costs and Creating a Realistic Budget
    • Grants: Building your case for support and framing your message
    • Co-ops, Bulk Purchasing and Regionalization: Leveraging partnerships to bring down prices
    • Innovative Financing Techniques: P3s, Green Bonds, and tapping into rebates
    • Envisioning a Sustainability Financing Plan: Making the Case and Building Your Team
    • Sustainability Speed-Dating
***session topics subject to change***

A detailed agenda will be available on October 19.

Questions? Contact Mike Hunninghake at mikeh75@umd.edu or 301-405-7956.

Sponsored by Sustainable Maryland

Many thanks to the Town Creek Foundation for their support of our Leadership Training programs. 

Co-Sponsored by:
Smart Growth America - MD Chapter of the Local Leaders Council  
 
WEDNESDAY WEBINARS ON SUSTAINABILITY - OCTOBER

Sustainable Maryland is pleased to offer webinars on a variety of topics related to Sustainable Maryland Actions and sustainability projects this fall. October webinars include:

Wednesday, October 14, 2:00pm   
Topic: Marketing and Outreach for Green Teams and Local Advocates   
REGISTER

Wednesday, October 28, 2:00pm    
Topic: Sustainable Purchasing Made Easy (SM Action)   
 
COST: FREE
 
Questions? Contact Brandy Espinola at bespinol@umd.edu

 

ARE YOU INVOLVED IN PURCHASING OR PROCUREMENT IN YOUR TOWN OR COUNTY? PLEASE TAKE OUR SURVEY!
If you are involved in purchasing or procurement for a municipality or county, please take 5 minutes (it's only a few multiple choice questions!) to take this SURVEY. Your input will help us to design better programming on this topic, and refine our Sustainable Maryland Actions related to sustainable procurement policies.

Thanks!

QUOTE
"Since climate change and the global economy now affect us all, we have to develop a sense of the oneness of humanity." 

--Dalai Lama, spiritual leader

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 Town Creek Foundation, 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   

Mike Hunninghake
Program Manager 
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