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Open House at Chesapeake Bay Roasting Company

Wednesday, June 6, 4 - 7:30 p.m., 2100 Concord Boulevard, Suite J, Crofton
CBRC is inviting the community in to see their process in action. The roasters will be fired up and it's a great opportunity for 'green partners' to come in and see what CBRC is doing and how they are doing it. CBRC is also offering the opportunity to 'REFILL Your Can.' On the 6th, folks can bring in their empty CBRC coffee cans to refill for just $10. They will also have coffee samplings. CBRC was recently featured in an article in The Capital; click to read.
Information

Bike Maryland's Bike Friendly Maryland Program

Bike Maryland partners with the League of American Bicyclists to promote a Bike Friendly Maryland. The Bike Friendly Maryland program provides incentives, hands-on assistance, and award recognition for communities, universities and businesses that actively support bicycling. Learn more about the program and Maryland's businesses, universities and communities that have received recognition for their bike friendly initiatives here.
The next Bike Friendly Program workshop will be held in Salisbury, Maryland in early June. Please contact Anna Kelso to register for the Salisbury workshop or to schedule a Bike Friendly workshop at your location.

Annapolis City Dock Master Plan

A Facebook page has been established to disseminate information about the master plan. Have a look: https://www.facebook.com/CityDockMasterPlan

Playground or Parking?

Update: The School Board nixed the plan.

A note from Bevin Buchheister: Can we garner support in the green community to save our City playground at Annapolis Elementary School from developers who want to build a parking garage on top of it? I hope the green's can support open space and playgrounds for kids and communities. We need lots of e-mails to the school board urging them to vote "no" to entering into an MOU with the City. 

Somehow they took what Fred Kent said when he came to town: "... you need to get the cars off City Dock" as a green-light to plop a parking garage on top of one of our precious outdoor spaces - the community playground that the school also uses. (Does anyone have a tape of his presentation?)

The school board meeting is this Wednewday, May 2nd and a "no" vote from them will stop this whole project. Just cut and paste the addresses below. 

Patricia.Nalley@aacps.org Andrew.Pruski@aacps.org teresa.birge@aacps.org amalie.brandenburg@aacps.org Kevin.Jackson@aacps.org Eugene.Peterson@aacps.org

Deborah.Ritchie@aacps.org Deborah.Ritchie@aacps.org Solon.Webb@aacps.org Jillian.Buck@aacps.org mconnolly@aacps.org

And for good measure also send this to key members on our City Council members.
aldpaone@annapolis.gov 
aldsilverman@annapolis.gov 
aldpfeiffer@annapolis.gov 

Galway Bay is Maryland's First Green Travel Restaurant Partner

Galway Bay Irish Pub has been approved as a Maryland Green Travel Partner ... the very first restaurant in the state to obtain that designation. Galway Bay and the other restaurants in the Irish Restaurant Company group have some of the greenest practices in town ... and now state! They are not only Irish Green but Sustainable Green. Read their "Live Green Eat Irish" mission statement and practices. Congratulations to Fenton and Michael Galway and Anthony Clarke for the Maryland Green Travel designation! You'll be able to sample that sustainable Irish fare at our Green Drinks event in May.

True Blue Crabs

Soon you'll be able to tell if the crab soup, cake, or dip you order in a restaurant is made of real Maryland crab, and not from imported crab, just by looking for the True Blue logo. Read the story in the Capital.

Connect with Maryland’s Public & Private School Communities
in Environmental Education

The Youth Summit's purpose is to introduce school populations to organizations and programs available for environmental education, to showcase actions that schools have taken to reduce their environmental footprint,  and to celebrate schools that achieve Maryland Green School Certification in 2012. In a nod to this year's summer Olympics, this year's theme is: Green, Greener, Greenest Maryland Schools, Go for the Green! Attendance of 5000 students, teachers, principals, parents from all over Maryland is expected. For details, click here.

2012 National River Management Symposium

Registration is now open for the 2012 National River Management Symposium, sponsored by the River Management Society and RiverLink. From intimate creeks to the infinite sea, conservation professionals can explore the Tar Heel state, national river issues and take back valuable lessons that may be applied to your own river. Click the link below to learn more and reserve your spot, click here.

Request for Proposals: Habitat Restoration and Water Quality

Deadline: May 16. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is soliciting proposals to restore the habitats and water quality of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributary rivers and streams. The Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund will award over $10 million in grants and technical assistance in partnership with the Chesapeake Bay Program. Major funding for the Stewardship Fund comes from the Environmental Protection Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Forest Service and Altria. Through this Request for Proposals, NFWF will award at least $8.5 million in Implementation Grants, and will award technical assistance valued at approximately $1.5 million through a new Local Government Green Infrastructure Initiative. Applications must be submitted through NFWF's online Easygrants system by Wednesday, May 16, 2012. NFWF will host a webinar for potential applicants on Friday, March 30. To learn more, and to register for the webinar, visit www.nfwf.org/chesapeake.

Patuxent Riverkeeper Fred Tutman speaks on this important issue:
Building a Larger, Inclusive Environmental Bandwagon

Sunday, April 1, 10:30 a.m. - noon
Baltimore Ethical Society, 306 W Franklin St, Suite 102, Baltimore

In the movement that deals with environmental causes, critical opportunities for inclusion and diversity can be missed. Cultural background, sense of place and social identity cause people to view the “environment” subjectively and to view environmental problems very differently depending on their experiences, access, privilege, and social perspective.Grassroots needs and concerns may not be reached and served if the funded environmental community, which thrives off “messaging campaigns,” loses its connection or cultural competency. Such a loss creates an inadvertently segregated environmental movement increasingly divided by factors such as class, ethnicity and world view. This talk will examine what might be done to make these divisions less severe and how to create a more inclusive moment.

Fred Tutman, born and raised along the Patuxent River as were seven generations of his ancestors, in 2004 founded Patuxent Riverkeeper — a nonprofit watershed advocacy organization affiliated with the Waterkeepers Alliance in New York. Prior to that he operated a business providing professional media and mass communication services internationally. In his current position, he works to protect the Patuxent and the natural environment of his watershed. Just a few of the various boards, task forces, and commissions Tutman has served on are the Environmental Integrity Project Board, Scenic Rivers Land Trust, The Anne Arundel Community College Foundation, the State’s Patuxent River Commission, and the international Waterkeepers Alliance Board. As an adjunct instructor at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, he teaches an upper-level course in environmental law and policy. An avid kayaker and backpacker, in his spare time, he also helps to maintain trails on the Appalachian Trail.

For more information please call 410 581-2322. www.bmorethical.org

What's New With Maryland Green Travel?

Maryland Green Travel has spent the past nine months redesigning the online, self-certification application making it more user friendly. The new comprehensive, all-inclusive self-certification application for Accommodations, Restaurants and Attractions should be live on the Maryland Green Travel website by the end of March with an official announcement/launch in April. 

During the redesign process, Maryland Green Travel continued to welcome new lodging partners and now has 36 Lodging Partners who are all doing wonderful things. Visit the website at www.visitmaryland.org/green/Pages/LodgingPartners.aspx to see the full list of Maryland Green Travel Lodging Partners. 

In addition, Maryland Green Travel launched a partnership with DNR’s Clean Marina Program to welcome Clean Marina members as Maryland Green Travel Partners. There are currently 45 Maryland Clean Marinas recognized on the VisitMaryland.org website. Visit the website at www.visitmaryland.org/green/Pages/DNRCleanMarinas.aspx to see the full list of Maryland Green Travel Clean Marina Partners.

Maryland Green Travel also welcomed 19 destination marketing organizations and other associations as Supporting Partners of the Maryland Green Travel program. Supporting Partners pledge to support and promote the ideals of the Maryland Green Travel program, help to recruit new members and attempt to hold green meetings, conferences and events.

Maryland Green Travel also launched its Green Event guidance and provides a great checklist of ideas to green your next meeting, conference or event. The checklist can be downloaded from the website at www.visitmaryland.org/green/Pages/GreenEvents.aspx.

Galway Bay to be Featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives on Feb. 20

The Food Network Channel’s Diners, Drive-ins, & Dives will feature Galway Bay in Annapolis on its Monday, February 20 show, airing at 10:00 PM. EST. Galway and the other properties in the Irish Restaurant Group are some of the Greenest establishments in town. In honor of the occasion, the 61-63 Maryland Avenue restaurant will host a celebration that all are invited to attend. Beginning at 8:00 p.m., festivities will include door prizes, a charity raffle, a special Diners, Drive-ins, & Dives-themed menu, and more.

Anthony Clarke, co-owner of Galway Bay, says he’s grateful to the Food Network and Celebrity Chef Guy Fieri for choosing Galway Bay. “Galway Bay has long been recognized for providing quality food and excellent service. Receiving the stamp of approval from the Food Network’s most popular show could well inspire a host of inquisitive food lovers from across the county to head our way.”

The Galway Bay segment was taped in November when Mr. Fieri interviewed restaurant patrons on-site in Annapolis. The restaurant’s Food Network debut will be matched by another history making event for Galway Bay. February 20 marks the first time that televisions will be hooked up at the restaurant since it opened in 1998. They will be removed promptly the following day!

Help the Environment with Just a Checkmark on Your Tax Return

Donations made to the Chesapeake Bay and Endangered Species Fund through Maryland’s income tax check-off program support education, community stewardship, and Bay restoration efforts. With the April 18 tax deadline fast approaching, Marylanders are encouraged to “Check Line 37” on their Maryland state income tax form and contribute to the Chesapeake Bay and Endangered Species Fund, a voluntary mechanism created to support Bay restoration and education programs and to protect Maryland’s endangered species. The fund, which is split evenly between the Chesapeake Bay Trust and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, allows Marylanders to donate through their state income tax return to help the Bay and conserve Maryland’s native wildlife and endangered species. Read more on the Chesapeake Bay Trust website and Check Line 37!

Bounty of the Bay

On Tuesday, Feb, 28, DNR and the Boatyard Bar & Grill are sponsoring a feast to highlight local seafood sourced to local tables and restaurants with the Bounty of the Bay dinner. Your $49 ticket entitles you to a raw bar and five-course meal featuring Maryland oysters, crabmeat, striped bass, and yellow perch. It is limited to 125 people. The ticket includes all food, tax, and gratuity. It is sure to sell out so buy tickets early. Information and to buy tickets: Call the Boatyard Bar & Grill, 410 216-6206 | flyer

Yellow perch is highlighted. Historically, most of what was caught commercially went to the Great Lakes region to supplement their catches and satiate the palate of folks in that region who viewed that as one of their local foods. By shifting the awareness to our local restaurants, we lower the carbon footprint of transport costs and connect people to a local, high quality product. It's pretty green!

Police Explorers Collecting Empty Toner and Ink Cartridges

The Annapolis Police Explorers Post 199 are collecting empty toner and ink cartridges to recycle and raise money to benefit the Explorer program. The brands accepted are Apple, Brother, Canon, Compaq, Dell, Hewlett Packard, and Lexmark. Please put the used toner and ink cartridges in a Ziploc bag and bring them to the Annapolis Police Department. The toner cartridges should be given to Officer Card or Patty Norris.

Severn Watershed News

On Jan. 18, the Severn River Association unveil its new, proactive program to help fight stormwater pollution that threatens the Severn River watershed. The SRA Watershed Audit program will document widespread stormwater pollution violations and seek amiable and quick resolutions to the runoff problems. SRA President Duane Wilding and Richard Klein of Community & Environmental Defense Services explained SRA's goals to enlist and train citizen volunteers to help educate the public on proper maintenance of stormwater control techniques. Information about CEDS recently completed Severn River Preliminary Watershed Audit which does not bode well for efforts to restore the Severn River. Read more.

CBT Grant Opportunities

The Chesapeake Bay Trust announces four grant opportunities with due dates in February and March 2012. Please visit www.cbtrust.org and click on grants for additional information and the full Requests for Proposals, and visit www.cbtrustgrants.org to apply.

Call for Vendors – 2012 Howard County GreenFest

The Howard County GreenFest team announces vendor applications for our Fifth Annual GreenFest 2012 “Saving the Environment One Yard at a Time” are now available online at www.hcgreenfest.org. They are looking for local businesses and non-profits that provide sustainable products, educate about natural resources, and/or have sustainable business practices. With this year’s theme/focus in on Bay-friendly backyards, habitat gardening, native plants, and  exploring our natural resources at home. They also welcome vendors with other green themes such as energy and water conservation, recycling, sustainable home goods, organic food and farming, etc. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis for $25 for non-profit and $35 for-profit businesses, but after January 13, 2012, the price increases. Sponsorship opportunities are available. Check out the “GreenFest 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011” section at www.hcgreenfest.org for photos and highlights from past events.

Report: Water Works - Rebuilding Infrastructure, Creating Jobs, Greening the Environment

A 57-page report released in October 2011 says that spending $188 billion on green infrastructure would generate billions more in economic activity and create almost two million jobs nationwide. The report, produced by Green For All, in partnership with American Rivers, Pacific Institute, and the Economic Policy Institute, sets out the problem facing cities throughout the United States: Aging infrastructure surrounding drinking water, waste water and stormwater. Read the report.

RainScaping Education Station and Rain Garden Installation at Quiet Waters Park

As part of the RainScaping Campaign, Quiet Waters Park, the Chesapeake Ecology Center, and the South River Federation pooled resources for the installation of a RainScaping Education Station and Rain Garden at the 340-acre Quiet Waters Park. The project was completed in early December.

  

Take Action: Support the Stormwater Bill

Update: Stormwater Legislation Action Report

About 30 people turned out on Monday night [Dec. 5] to testify in favor of Bill 79-11, Stormwater Restoration Fund legislation introduced by Anne Arundel County Council members Chris Trumbauer and Dick Ladd. Watershed Stewards, the local Homebuilders Association, commercial builders, persons who have gotten sick from contact with the water, and watershed groups all supported passage of a $35 a year fee to create a dedicated fund to restore our waterways. The Council voted to hold the bill until the next session after several questions were raised about State plans to raise the "flush fee" and what impact that increase might have on businesses and individuals.

There will not be a hearing on December 19th, but if the bill is amended there will be another hearing in January. Keaghan Muller, the South Riverkeeper's young son, got the Council's attention when he said, "I would like to proclaim that it is not fair that the stormwater runoff is destroying our resources like in the South River. We have dirty water and cancerous catfish. We must pay our share so that future kids can have clean water."

Kincey Potter, Board Vice Chairman
Anne Arundel Watershed Stewards Academy
H 410 280-6254 C 443-223-6392

Last month [November 2011] Anne Arundel County Councilmen Dick Ladd and Chris Trumbauer introduced a County Ordinance Entitled "Stormwater Management and Restoration Fund and Stormwater Management Charge."

Stormwater runoff is the biggest polluter of the streams, rivers and Bay in Anne Arundel County. The bill will establish a dedicated fund especially for stormwater management and restoration. For most residential homeowners, the charge would be only $25-$35 PER YEAR. That's a small amount to pay for restoration of our waterways. Image right, courtesy Magothy River Association, shows an eroded, polluted stream.

As stated in a recent message from the Magothy River Association, "This is a modest fee, with a waiver available for low-income residents, and will not solve every problem. However, in a protected fund that is managed carefully and responsibly, with yearly public review, the money raised by this bill can be used to attack problems in a strategic manner and will likely earn key federal or state matching funds."

You can read the bill for yourself by clicking here.

There will be a public hearing on this bill on Monday, Dec. 5, at 7 p.m. at the Arundel Center.

What can you do? Send an email to every member of the Council and to the County Executive urging support of the bill. And if you can, attend the hearing to show your support. For your convenience, here are the email addresses. Just click on each to send your message.

Daryl Jones - daryl.jones@aacounty.org
John Grasso - john.grasso@aacounty.org
Derek Fink - derek.fink@aacounty.org
James Benoit - james.benoit@aacounty.org
Dick Ladd - dladd@aacounty.org
Chris Trumbauer - ctrumbauer@aacounty.org
Jerry Walker - jerry.walker@aacounty.org
John Leopold - jleopold@aacounty.org

Take action. This is something YOU CAN DO to improve our water quality and bring the Bay back to life.

Read the story about the Watershed Stewards in Bay Journal.

Sail Aid to Haiti

Our boat show partners, TransMarine Pro, who founded Sailors Without Borders, have a new video online about their sailing aid project for the children of Haiti. Have a look at this moving video, open your heart and donate to this great cause.

Annapolis Green Team Launches Initiative
to Move Special Events Toward Sustainability

Wow, have we been busy! Annapolis Green is coming into its own as a sustainability force in the area.

Here's what we've been up to in the past few weeks since we've partnered with WasteStrategies on our "Festival Greening" initiative. We've helped to provide "eco-stations" for recycling/trash with easy-to-follow signage at:

• Annapolis Race Week tent parties
• Maryland Seafood Festival
• Hospice Cup Shore Party
• Selected sites in and around the US Sailboat Show in partnership with Yacht2BeGreen
• Boat Show Bash at EYC
• New Market House Dining Area
• Market House Community Area in partnership with the City's Environmental Commission

Most significant is the waste audit being performed by WasteStrategies of the boat shows that will guide us in the future. If you attend this weekend, check out our eco-stations and remind visitors and vendors alike to be kind to our town and Bay.

On Thursday, Oct. 13, did our thing for the US Powerboat Show's VIP Party hosted by the Annapolis Economic Development Corporation at Historic Annapolis' William Paca House and Garden with eco-stations and signage.

We are taking the lead in guiding the hosts and venue toward sustainability by encouraging the use of reusable china, glassware, linens and water containers, providing electric transportation via the eCruisers, providing reusable name tags and encouraging the serving of wine from sustainably managed vineyards. Of course the location is as green as could be -- a historic home. "The greenest building is the one already built." - Carl Elefante. Read more     

As we move toward our launch -- or splash -- as a non-profit, we will be doing more of this type of work -- partnering, encouraging, consulting, and celebrating greening at big, visible public events.  

Annapolis Green is now moving our public engagement beyond our signature Green Drinks networking events to more visibly promote sustainable living in the Annapolis area.

The Annapolis Environmental Commission, since October 3 and through October 16 has installed a Green Marine Eco-center in the community corner of the Market House, having gathered info, service supplies and small pieces of green equipment from exhibitors at the Boat Shows and local eco groups.

October 31-November 14 the Commission will be showcasing efforts, achievements, challenges in making the City of Annapolis Green City USA and will have demos, eco-meets and more.

Maryland Smart Green & Growing

The new Smart, Green & Growing website at www.green.maryland.gov. will help citizens, businesses and local governments more easily find their way to an increasing number of sustainable programs, services and ideas. Consider becoming a partner.

The SGG team has put together great green programs from multiple state agencies in one place where you can access some really useful stuff that can save you money, get you statewide recognition for the green things you are doing and give you the upper hand in keeping up with innovations from Maryland's businesses.

• Sign up to be a Smart, Green & Growing Partner on the website. The initiative is also actively recruiting new Smart, Green & Growing partners, that, by sharing their own green successes and initiatives, can gain a reputation for being environmentally responsible and inspiring others to take action.
• Send SGG your success stories so they can highlight them statewide. Each week they will feature a new story from three partners that will show how they are making a difference.
• Add the Smart, Green & Growing link to your website and give your customers and employees easy access to great state programs, information and resources.
• Deposit a green idea into the Smart, Green & Growing Idea Bank. The more user-friendly and interactive format also encourages regular input from the public. The Idea Bank is a new, ongoing forum in which local governments, businesses and citizens can share green ideas.

Governor O'Malley launched the Smart, Green and Growing Initiative in 2008 to engage every Marylander in the State's efforts to create a more sustainable future - one that recognizes the inherent connection between our quality of life, our economy and our environment.

SGG brings together state agencies, local governments, businesses and citizens to create more livable communities, improve transportation options, reduce the state's carbon footprint, support resource based industry, invest in green technologies, preserve valuable resource lands and restore the health of the Chesapeake Bay. It is by working together to make these choices that we are creating a stronger economy, a healthier environment and a greener, more sustainable future for all Maryland families.

Open House at the Show

TransMarine Pro and its Yacht2BeGreen eco-marine group hosted an open house on H Dock Friday, Oct. 7, at the Sailboat Show to bring awareness about the next mission of the non-for-profit Endangered Planet Foundation (endangeredplanetfoundation.org) and Sailors without Borders (sailorswithoutborders.com) Sail AID to Haiti 3 this fall. The voyage’s mission is to deliver computers to the children of La Gonâve, Haiti, for a better future through the communication of technology and visual arts.

It's a Big Weekend for us!

Annapolis Green Team Launching Initiative
to Move Special Events Toward Sustainability

Look for our "eco-stations" in and around the boat shows!

Local events over the next two weekends will take on a decidedly Green tone as we continue to make effective recycling a reality at special events and locations surrounding the boat shows in Annapolis.

Annapolis Green is now moving our public engagement beyond our signature Green Drinks networking events to more visibly promote sustainable living in the Annapolis area.

We've partnered with WasteStrategies, a local environmental management firm headquartered in Annapolis, to form the Annapolis Green Team and conduct recycling activities, supply trash/recycle bin “eco-stations,” and promote successful recycling campaigns at prominent events such as regatta parties and large festivals.

We