Charlestown Launches Green Team / Wednesday Webinars / Green Festivals a Great Way to Celebrate Earth Day /
EFC Launches Municipal Online Stormwater Training program
Our monthly sampling of news, resources, events and other items of interest from across the sustainability spectrum in Maryland.
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GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
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Charles County Forestry Grant Program (Chesapeake Bay Trust)Deadline: Rolling More infoCommunity Engagement & Restoration Mini-grants (Chesapeake Bay Trust)Deadline: Rolling More infoPrince Georges County Weatherization Program Deadline: Rolling
Prince Georges County Raincheck Rebate (Chesapeake Bay Trust)
Deadline: Rolling More info
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EVENTS CALENDAR
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Backyard Buffer Education Day
Date: April 9
Location: Westminster
Link
Bowie Green Expo
Date: April 9
Location: Bowie
Link
Algal Flow-way Technologies webinar
Date: April 14
Link
Potomac River Watershed Cleanup
Date: April 16
Locations: various
Link
Earth Day Cleanups in the Anacostia Watershed
Date: April 23
Locations: Various
Link
Middletown Green Expo
Date: April 23
Location: Middletown
Link
Montgomery County Green Fest
Date: April 30
Location: Takoma Park
Link
Looking Ahead
UMD Climate Action Forum
Date: May 4
Location: College Park
Link
Makeover Montgomery 3: Balancing Change in America's Suburbs
Dates: May 4-6
Locations: Silver Spring and College Park
Link
Maryland Land Conservation Conference
Dates: May 5-6
Location: Linthicum Heights
Link
Boonsboro Green Fest
Date: May 7
Location: Boonsboro
Link
Greenbelt Green Man Festival
Dates: May 7-8
Location: Greenbelt
Link
DOE Better Buildings Summit
Date: May 9-11
Location: Washington, DC
Link
Prince George's County Green Summit
Date: May 19
Location: UMD-College Park
LinkBike To Work Day
Date: May 20
Locations: statewide Link
Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council SummitDates: May 24-26 Location: Washington, DC Link |
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SUSTAINABLE MARYLAND MUNICIPALITIES IN THE NEWS
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Montgomery County Office of Sustainability 2016 Annual Report(the County's SM-certified municipalities are featured on pp.126-127) LinkFrederick County group focused on climate change
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CHARLESTOWN KICKS OFF THEIR GREEN TEAM
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SM staff attended Charlestown's kick-off Green Team meeting in March, providing training on the program and facilitating some brainstorming on potential future projects. Situated right on the beautiful North East River in Cecil County, this town of 1,100 has an intimate connection with the Bay. The new Green Team is currently focused on conducting an energy audit of their streetlights, completing rain gardens throughout town, starting a farmers market, and partnering with local schools on town-wide cleanups. We look forward to tracking their progress and sharing their successes!
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WEDNESDAY WEBINARS IN SUSTAINABILITY THIS SPRING
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Join us for a FREE Wednesday Webinar on Sustainability this Spring. All webinars will be held from 2-3pm.
Wednesday, April 20
Topic: Growing a Food Forest in Your Community
(SM Action: Community-Based Food IDP)
Questions? Contact Brandy Espinola at bespinol@umd.edu or 301-314-9491. Sponsored by Sustainable Maryland
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EFC LAUNCHES NEW MUNICIPAL ONLINE STORMWATER TRAINING CENTER (MOST)
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The EFC, in partnership with the Low Impact Development Center, Inc. is pleased to announce the opening of the Municipal Online Stormwater Training (MOST) Center. Following a three-month pilot phase, the MOST Center launched to the Chesapeake Bay community on March 21. With open enrollment and free content delivered in short, self-paced modules, the MOST Center will provide communities with the technical and financial information needed to better communicate about and build effective and affordable stormwater management programs. MOST Center courses will draw upon the expertise of online learning specialists and subject matter experts to deliver content that is engaging, user-friendly, and quality assured. The MOST Center will launch with two introductory courses. Additional courses are being planned and will be added each year. Potential partners interested in sharing their stormwater expertise and delivering training content in this new, dynamic platform should contact mostcenter@umd.edu for more information.
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EARTH DAY IS THE PERFECT TIME FOR A GREEN FESTIVAL!
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Boonsboro Green Fair
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The perfect way to celebrate Earth Day (April 22 this year) is to hold a local green fair or festival in your community. Green Teams are the perfect vehicle for organizing one of these outreach and education events, and a great way to recruit volunteers and generate goodwill.
Green festivals come in all shapes and sizes. Common features include exhibitors from non-profit organizations, government agencies and vendors selling green products or services (like solar installers). Talks on sustainability-related topics are another draw for people looking to go green. Special events like native plant sales or clothes swaps are also common, and food is always a good option (think local and organic!).
Let us know if you are thinking about hosting a green festival in your community, and we'll put your in touch with Green Teams who are experts in bringing the sustainability message to the people in this fun and informative way!
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2ND FREDERICK COUNTY GREEN TEAM SUMMIT, APRIL 12
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1st Frederick County Green Team Summit, 2015
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Join us for the 2nd Frederick County Green Team Summit on Thursday, April 12, in the City of Frederick. This program will offer a unique opportunity for Frederick County Green Teams (including elected officials, staff and residents) to learn more about sustainability initiatives in neighboring municipalities; share best practices and identify common challenges; and access resources for local projects. This year's focus will be on Municipal/County interactions and overlap as it relates to sustainability-related projects.
For more information contact mikeh75@umd.edu or 301-405-7956.
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QUOTE
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"The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month."
--Henry Van Dyke, author, education and clergyman
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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
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Mike Hunninghake
Program Manager
 
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