Here’s info that was too long for our most recent email blast.

GreenScape

The 30th Anniversary GreenScape will take place on Saturday, April 23. GreenScape is when you’ll see 300 of your neighbors – all over Annapolis – working to spruce up over 70 public areas such as parks. It’s a city/community partnership. The City provides native plants, mulch, and yard waste pick-up and the community provides volunteer workers – not just on GreenScape day but year-round to keep the locations weed and litter-free. An organizational meeting will be held on March 9, and plant orders are due on that date.

The City provides free native trees, perennials, ground covers, grasses, vegetables and herbs, and a limited number of annuals (for container plantings only). Take this opportunity to plant vegetables and herbs in with the flowers like we’ve done for years in our Here We Grow program.

There are two ways to participate. Pick a public space in your neighborhood and find out from GreenScape coordinator and horticulturalist Marisa Wittlinger if it’s been claimed by a group. If not, get some friends together and plan how you want to beautify the area – whether it’s by removing invasive plants, weeding, removing litter, painting, or planting. Register your effort with Marisa and submit your plant order, if that’s applicable.

If your favorite spot is already claimed, contact the site captain and volunteer to help. The more hands available, the quicker it will go and the more fun it will be.

Want to help Annapolis Green? We need a small group to spruce up the sidewalk tree well under a young sycamore on State Circle, by our former office on Maryland Avenue. It’s a small spot so we need just a few volunteers for no more than two hours (probably less). Then we’re going over to the West Street Library to help the GreenScapers there. Please click here to let us know you’ll join in on State Circle!

Federal Funds Coming to Maryland

In a call with Senator Chris Van Hollen today arranged by the Maryland League of Conservation Voters (MdLCV), the senator spoke to the likelihood of passage of the Build Back Better bill in the Senate. The odds are not good, but he said some aspects of it are likely to get through in separate legislation. He characterized this as reason to be optimistic and emphasized that we not let the perfect be the enemy of the good and that we can always come back in another year to further these important provisions.

Yet, there IS federal money coming to Maryland from the big infrastructure bill that did pass. Specifically, he said Maryland will receive $7 billion including:

• $1 billion in water infrastructure, including money for sewage plants improvements that will benefit the Bay
• $1.8 billion for transit projects that will benefit air quality
• $63 million in formula funding for electric vehicle charging infrastructure
• $94 million to reduce transportation related emissions

And states, counties and municipalities will be able to compete for substantial funds for specific projects that include resilience and environmental justice issues. He said his office is available to help with that process.

When asked what the average person can do to get these important federally funded projects off the ground, the senator replied that it is vital for people to stay in touch with their current elected officials — here’s one way to do that — and to elect people who will vote for the environment.

Find out how your state legislator stands with their environmental score by using the Maryland League of Conservation Voters’ Conservation Voter Report. You can also take action by signing the MdLCV petition for Build Maryland Back Better.

It’s hard to keep up with all the environment-related bills in the General Assembly; there are over 60 currently under consideration! To that end, the Maryland League of Conservation Voters is providing easy ways to keep us all up to date. Learn more.