GreenFest is a chance for residents, businesses, nonprofits and neighbors to come together, share ideas and get involved in finding ways to make the County a cleaner, greener place.
GreenFest partners include the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Montgomery Parks, Brookside Gardens, the County Department of Transportation, Poolesville Green, Bethesda Green, One Montgomery Green and University of Maryland’s Sea Grant Extension.
Greenfest events in April include educational workshops by industry experts on a variety of topics that will help residents “green” the Earth and their home environments. GreenFest partners also will join the DC Environmental Film Festival to offer free online documentary screenings.
All lectures and screenings will be held online using Zoom. After registering, a link will be emailed to 24 hours prior to the live webinar.
The continuing schedule of free GreenFest educational workshops will include:
- Become a Community Scientist in Your Own Backyard – Join the City Nature Challenge. Thursday, April 22. 7-8 p.m. The “City Nature Challenge” from April 30 to May 3 features cities around the world competing to make the most observations of nature, find the most species and engage the most people. Residents can submit photos of wildlife through the iNaturalist app and contribute to ecological studies that help scientists better understand the plants and animals of the local landscape. Lecture will detail how easy it is to participate, including how to use the iNaturalist app to submit observations. Have a smart phone with the free iNaturalist app pre-downloaded. Registration required at .https://apm.activecommunities.com/montgomerycounty/Activity_Search/115146
- Creating a Planter with Native Plants. Thursday, April 29. 7-8 p.m. Lecture will highlight the benefits of using native plants to beautify gardens while helping to support local wildlife and pollinators. Participants will learn steps to create a beautiful planter using plants native to this region. One participant will win a native plant container. Register at https://apm.activecommunities.com/montgomerycounty/Activity_Search/115148
The DC Environmental Film Festival at GreenFest will feature environmentally themed films available free to the public as part of Earth Month activities. The presentations will have virtual panel discussions with experts.
The festival schedule:
Register at https://apm.activecommunities.com/montgomerycounty/Activity_Search/115149. Links to watch the films online will be emailed to participants after they register.
- The Story of Plastic. Tuesday, April 27. 7-8 p.m. Plastic pollution is everywhere, smothering watersheds, bays and oceans and poisoning communities around the world. The session will address what is being done to increase recycling and eliminate plastic waste. Join environmental leaders to discuss the efforts underway in Montgomery County and Maryland to reduce waste stream and improve the environment.
Scheduled to be on the panel:
- Moderator: Adam Ortiz, director of the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection
- Shane Robinson, executive director of Trash Free Maryland
- Lori Nicholson, community activist in Montgomery County
- Lorig Charkoudian, Maryland State Delegate
Sign up for the #MontgomeryPlogs #Challenge can be done at https://mcgmd.wufoo.com/forms/greenfest-plogging-challenge/.
Children’s games and activities will be scheduled throughout the Greenfest celebration. Greenfest Scavenger Hunts will be part of the fun. They are family friendly nature exploration events for all ages and abilities. These outdoor adventures will offer lessons about eco-friendly features in the community and at local parks. More information is available at https://montgomerycountygreenfest.org/family-fun/.
