Environmentalist of the Month-Tackles Invasives by Hand

Gaithersburg, Md

Sunday, February 17, 2013

By: Alex Stavitsky-Zeineddin

Concern for one’s environment moves people to take action in a variety of ways, and for Ken Bawer it is getting rid of invasive plants that otherwise would drown out native plants in Montgomery County Md. parks and trails.

Bawer is a certified Weed Warrior supervisor, a volunteer  position in Montgomery County’s Parks department.  A supervisor requires weed warrior certification and then commitment to leading volunteers at least twice a year to identify and cut invasive plants in Montgomery County’s parks. … Continue Reading

Cheryl Kollin, December’s Environmentalist of the Month

By: Alex Stavitsky-Zeineddin

Gaithersburg, Md

December 14, 2012

Cheryl Kollin was selected as the Green Gaithersburg.com December environmentalist of the month. Kollin came up with an innovative program called “Farm to Freezer”, a  way to reduce food waste by freezing excess fresh organic vegetables and having the veggies then incorporated into meals for the homeless in Bethesda, Md.

Kollin has partnered with Bethesda Cares, a non-profit that cooks and feeds the homeless every day. … Continue Reading

Food Recovery

Naomi Bloch

December 12, 21012

Potomac, Md

I hope that all of you had an abundant and enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday and  that you are preparing for the upcoming ones too.  The holiday season has two key aspects to it, food and giving.  It is also a time of year when many of us are reminded of just how many people are struggling with various levels of food insecurity

With this serious problem in mind, I was so happy to learn that our Montgomery County Council has adopted a resolution that establishes a working group to study the feasibility of a countywide food recovery system. This measure was inspired in part by the successful food redistribution program called The Food Recovery Network at University of Maryland, College Park.  Ben Simon, a University of Maryland undergraduate student concerned about food waste and hunger here in the DC metro area, started up this program. … Continue Reading

Let’s Not Forget About Global Warming

Naomi Bloc

November 7, 2012

Potomac, Md

By: Naomi Bloch

After a bit of a gap in my posts, this one was going to be about the recent conference my husband and I attended up in Boston, October 24 – 25.  The name of the conference was: “Transportation Weight Loss Diet Conference 2012”.  www.transportationWeightLossDiet.com

My husband gave a talk about reducing the weight in automobiles without compromising safety, or even size.  A large portion of the conference dealt with modern trains and other modes of public transportation, which was of particular interest to me because of my concerns for the future. … Continue Reading

Clean Energy Victory Bonds – Everything Old is New Again!

Naomi Bloch

October 23, 2012

Potomac, Md

Naomi Bloch

I recently attended a meeting at the Green America offices, in downtown Washington D.C., to learn about the The Clean Energy Victory Bonds Act of 2012.

Green America (Formerly Co-Op America) is working on a campaign to create these U.S. Treasury Bonds to “encourage and reward citizen investment in the clean energy industry.” … Continue Reading

Teacher Awards and Student Scholarships Available

2012 winners, Erol Miller- Teacher of the Year, Robert Gallagher- Ellen Fraites Wagner Award, Solon Snider- Student of the Year Scholarship, Natalie Oliver- Arthur Dorman Scholarship, C.A.R.E Community Association- Melanie Teems Award

Monday, October 15th, 2012

Annapolis, Md

Kristin Foringer

Chesapeake Bay Trust 

Ms. Foringer will be posting on GreenGaithersburg.com to update readers about the Chesapeake Bay Trust’s grant award winners and grant opportunities. 

The leaves are beginning to change and school is back in session, which means it is time for the Chesapeake Bay Trust’s annual awards program! The Trust’s Student of the Year Scholarship, Honorable Arthur Dorman Scholarship and Teacher of the Year award, celebrate Maryland students and teachers who have shown a strong commitment to their local environment and the Chesapeake Bay. The students are honored with a $5,000 college scholarship and the winning teacher will be given a $2,500 grant award through the Trust.

Applicants can be self-nominated or nominated by individuals who are not family members. The deadline to apply is December 20, 2012 at 5:00 pm. … Continue Reading

There is a New Local Market in Town

Naomi Bloch

October 11, 2012

Potomac, Md

By: Naomi Bloch

My husband Byron and I were in Rockville Town Square, eating a late breakfast at First Watch, on Gibbs Street, in Rockville and decided afterwards to go see what the new market in Rockville was all about.

Well, we were absolutely thrilled to discover Dawson’s Market!  Turns out, Dawson’s opened just two weeks ago, on September 29^th. … Continue Reading

Izaak Walton League Wins Grant For Conservation Landscaping Projects

Monday, October 8th, 2012

Annapolis, Md

By: Kristin Foringer

Chesapeake Bay Trust

Ms. Foringer will be posting on GreenGaithersburg.com to update readers about the Chesapeake Bay Trust’s grant award winners and grant opportunities. 

Most residents of the City of Gaithersburg are unaware that between Muddy Branch Avenue and Great Seneca Highway, tucked back in a forested area along the Muddy Branch, is the national headquarters of the Izaak Walton League of America (IWLA). If you are unfamiliar with this group, they are a nationwide conservation organization, founded by anglers who wanted to protect the environment they so thoroughly enjoyed. Thanks to a recent grant, conservation practices will now be coming to the Gaithersburg community. … Continue Reading