November 2018

Nov 28

Ways to Give this Holiday Season

By Cindy Edson Blog

Four Ways to Make and Impact for a Cleaner, Greener Watershed

Each year, the Chesapeake Bay Trust provides resources to hundreds of communities throughout Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay watershed for projects big and small.

This means that people in your community are making a BIG difference for our waterways, our forests and parks, and our schools and neighborhoods with just a little bit of help from the Trust.

As we enter the holiday giving season, we are so thankful for supporters like you! We can’t do our work without your support!

Below are several ways that you can support the Trust this holiday season.

1. Make a Gift

Chesapeake Bay Trust supporters kicked off the holiday season with a bang on#GivingTuesday. Thanks to you we more than exceeded our Giving Tuesday goals!

But we still have a way to go to meet our goals for the year!

Gifts to the Chesapeake Bay Trust support projects to green local parks, add trees to urban neighborhoods, remove trash that chokes tiny streams, send students on life-changing outdoor experiences, and more.

You can make your gift to the Chesapeake Bay Trust this holiday season at www.cbtrust.org/make-a-gift.

2. Shop AmazonSmile

When you’re shopping for that perfect holiday gift—or even if you’re just stocking up on household goods—be sure to shop through Amazon Smile at smile.amazon.com/ch/52-1454182. When you do, Amazon donates a percentage of every purchase to the Trust!

Checking items off your holiday to-do list and making a difference for the Bay has never been so easy!

3. Get Your Bay Plate

Did you know Chesapeake Bay license plates help restore the Chesapeake Bay and other natural resources of our region?

Simply by purchasing a Chesapeake Bay plate for only $20, car owners can show their support for the environment. Your contribution is distributed through the Trust in the form of grants to schools, community groups, and other not-for-profits for K-12 environmental education, restoration and protection of our waterways.

Learn more at www.bayplate.org and order your plate from the MVA here.

4. Contribute through the Maryland Outdoor Recreation and Clean Water Fund

Calling all boaters, hunters, and anglers! Did you know that when you obtain your registration or licenses through Maryland Department of Natural Resources Compass online registration system you can now make a contribution to support fish and wildlife habitat, clean water,wetlands, and K-12 student field trips. Donations to the new Maryland Outdoor Recreation and Clean Water Fund will be equally distributed as grants to not-for-profit entities through the Chesapeake Bay Trust and DNR, with an average of 95 cents of every dollar spent on programs.

Learn more about this new program here.

Please know that however you contribute to the Trust this holiday season, you are making a difference for a cleaner, greener, healthier watershed. And you can rest assured that your contribution will be used wisely for what you intended: 92 cents of every dollar we receive goes directly to projects and educational programs in the community.

Nov 19

Love0

Chesapeake Conservation Corps Profile: Jesus Munoz Buenrostro & Southeast Community Development Corporation

By Cindy Edson Blog

This year we’re showcasing the unique experience of participating in the Chesapeake Conservation Corps by sharing profiles of each member of the 2018-2019 cohort along with information on their host site and descriptions of the work they’ll be doing. Corps members met their host site mentors and began their year of service in August 2018.

Jesus Munoz Buenrostro grew up in Baltimore and is currently a senior at the University of Baltimore, studying Environmental Sustainability and Human Ecology.

Last year, he served as a Legislative and Community Engagement intern with the Baltimore City Council, where he was able to advocate and gather support in Southeast Baltimore for the polystyrene ban. Most recently, he gained experience in the conservation field working for the National Aquarium as an Urban Conservation and Education intern, where he worked on restoration projects, invasive species management, and community outreach events with the National Aquarium, U.S Fish and Wildlife Services, and the Living Classrooms Foundation.

As a Chesapeake Conservation Corps member, Jesus is working with the Southeast Community Development Corporation (Southeast CDC), a nonprofit, community-based organization dedicated to growing and supporting a thriving socioeconomically and racially diverse Southeast Baltimore where residents share in the success and improvement of their communities.

Southeast CDC operates a number of community revitalization programs in the Highlandtown area of Baltimore, including partnering with a wide variety of environmental organizations, such as Blue Water Baltimore, the Parks and People Foundation, and the Chesapeake Bay Trust to reduce storm water runoff and increase the tree canopy in southeast Baltimore, offering Jesus the chance to work on community engagement events, environmental education, and conservation projects during his year of service.

Nov 14

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Now Open! Prince George’s County Litter Reduction and Citizen Engagement Mini Grant Program

By Nguyen Le News

Get the resources you need to make your community cleaner and greener through the Prince George’s County Litter Reduction and Citizen Engagement Mini Grant Program.

According to the Prince George’s County Litter Reduction Campaign, “litter costs [the] County millions of dollars a year, decreases property values, has a negative impact on health and wellness, and threatens wildlife, reservoirs and waterways.” Therefore, “reducing litter is critical to improving the economic, environmental, and social health of [the] County.”

To support and engage County residents in the fight against litter, the Prince George’s County Government and the Chesapeake Bay Trust announce the Prince George’s County Litter Reduction and Citizen Engagement Mini Grant Program. This program supports community-driven litter reduction and litter-related citizen engagement projects that engage and educate residents, students, and businesses about ways to make their communities cleaner and greener. Communities may request funding for community cleanups, “Adopt-a-Stream” cleanups, storm drain stenciling projects, and more through this program.

Join the fight against litter for a #LitterFreePGC! Contact Nguyen Le at (410) 974-2941 x110 or nle@cbtrust.org if you have questions or to discuss project ideas.

Community-based organizations (homeowner associations, civic associations, and nonprofits) and small municipalities are encouraged to apply. Faith-based organizations interested in participating are encouraged to be a partner for a community group nearby that will serve as the lead on the project. If you are a resident interested in participating, we encourage you to reach out to your community organization and share this opportunity.

Applications for this program will be accepted on an on-going basis until funds for this fiscal year are exhausted.

Learn More and Apply

Nov 07

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Chesapeake Conservation Corps Profile: Kelly Peaks & Environmental Finance Center at the University of Maryland

By Cindy Edson Blog

Kelly Peaks graduated from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY, in May 2018, with a B.S. in Environmental Science with a concentration in Policy and a minor in music.

As a member of the Chesapeake Conservation Corps, Kelly is working with the Environmental Finance Center at the University of Maryland, which is one of ten University-based centers across the country providing communities with the tools and information necessary to manage change for a healthy environment and an enhanced quality of life.

Kelly is assisting with the Center’s Sustainable Maryland Program; a certification program for municipalities in Maryland that want to go green, save money, and take steps to sustain their quality of life over the long term.

In addition to assisting in the Sustainable Maryland certification process of select municipalities, Kelly will also assist with the pet waste program, developing new actions in the certification process, preparing small water systems resilience workshops, and preparing and hosting program events.

In 2019, Kelly hopes to build on her experience in the Chesapeake Conservation Corps by attending graduate school to study international issues related to climate change.

Ways to Give this Holiday Season