GreenBowie News March 2020
Spring has almost sprung
“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.”
— Charles Dickens
*The Green Bowie e-Newsletter will be monthly now, but will likely be on hiatus while the Sustainability Planner is on FMLA June, July, and August*
Staff Spotlight:
Get to know your City of Bowie staff who work on all things "green"
Name: Ed Hall
Position: Superintendent of Parks & Grounds
Years with the City of Bowie: 43 (!)
What part of your job helps make Bowie green: By overseeing all horticulture, forestry, and agronomy aspects of the City, meaning all trees, flowers, and grass (1100 acres), Ed is able to affect change on our environment and add to the beautification effort. He feels a sense of accomplishment when he can look back on a beautiful, freshly groomed and well-kept area of open space. Ed's team also changes the planters in front of City Hall seasonally, leaving us all with a beautiful and sustainable display. How is it sustainable? The planters are actually "Earth Containers" that have a water reservoir and can wick moisture from the air and from the pot. This saves the City water, time, and money!
Did you know: The irrigation system used by Parks and Grounds staff is centrally controlled and has moisture sensors, meaning it doesn't just go off daily and doesn't run on timers. It is able to sense when the plants need water, cutting back water and electric usage from the process by about 50%.
Ed's Favorite Band: Led Zeppelin, of course.
  
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Food Waste Program
Do you live in Belair Town II, Victoria Heights, Idlewild, Yorktown, Overbrook, Saddlebrook or Saddlebrook West neighborhoods?
If so, sign up today to participate in our food waste program!
Have your food scraps picked up weekly, saving space in your own trash can, saving your garbage disposal, and preventing excess waste at the landfill. All food waste is brought to the County facility where it is turned into Leaf Gro soil. This is first come, first served, FREE program. The image below is from Dr. Sara Via regarding food waste in the United States:
Learn more about this fun and FREE program at www.cityofbowie.org/foodwaste
"So cool to think my banana peel may be represented in one of those bags!"-
Food Waste participant Narda Theobald, referring to the LeafGro soil that our food waste helps to produce!
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Tree-bates
Did you know the City of Bowie offers rebates for native tree species purchased and planted? To take advantage of our $50 and $100 tree-bates, simply fill out an application and attach an image of your planted tree (must be one of our accepted species) and your receipt. Make sure to check out the guidelines, as we have updated them & now allow for more cultivars!
*Tree-bates will be discontinued after July 1, 2020*
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Green Bowie Biz
There are now 10 certified Green Bowie Businesses
 Are you a business looking for ways to go green? Know a business that is green and should be certified? Need assistance with furthering your goals of sustainability? You've come to the right place! You can read about all Green Bowie Businesses at www.cityofbowie.org/greenbowiebiz.
The Green Bowie Business program is modeled after the MD Green Registry program. Admission into the state program automatically enrolls you into the City program and helps you access resources from both. Learn about the MD Green Registry here.
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Upcoming & Current Events
March 17- Libations & Lightbulbs: Join us for another CFL lightbulb exchange! This one will be a special St. Patrick's Day edition on March 17 from 4-6pm at Crescent Wine & Spirit in Bowie. Bring up to 10 old CFLs (the curly kind) in exchange for one free LED lightbulb, courtesy of Philips. The point of this is not only to provide you with a free LED, but to help you properly dispose of CFLs. CFLs contain mercury and when put into the trash, can break and leak out mercury into the environment. If you give them to us, we can get them to a facility that properly disposes of them. If you can't make any of our exchanges, you can always bring your old CFLs to Lowe's or Home Depot! Call Ashleigh at 301-809-3044 for more information.
March 28, May 16, June 13- Weed Warrior Workdays: Join members of the Green Team and community volunteers in removing harmful and invasive English Ivy from trees at Whitemarsh Park. This is a Student Service Learning (SSL) hour opportunity and runs from 9 am- Noon. Registration is required. Contact Ashleigh at 301-809-3044.
April 4- Urban StreetScapes: Want to learn about how to plant native trees in our ever increasing (sub)urban jungle? On April 4 at the Kenhill Center from 9:30-11:30, you can! Come and learn how to create and care for landscapes that provide much needed summer shade and winter interest. The focus of this workshop will be native species for pollinators that work in combination with native trees and shrubs to create beautiful and sustainable natural areas in your own backyard.
April 18- Bowie Green Expo: This year is the 10th annual Bowie Green Expo and its also the 50th anniversary of Earth Day! The Bowie Lions Club is proud to host this event that showcases green vendors and exhibitors, kids stations, giveaways, and more. Join them at Kenhill Center from noon to 4 pm for an exciting day of all things "green". For more information, visit http://www.bowiegreenexpo.org/. If you'd like to nominate someone you know for the annual Green Citizen Award, which is presented every year at the Expo, please download the form here: https://www.cityofbowie.org/2247/Sustainability.
April 24- Annual Earth Day Concert: Join members of the Bowie Green Team at the Bowie Center for Performing Arts at 7 pm as they host the annual Earth Day Concert! The concert provides a venue for local music and art groups to perform while bringing attention to April and all of the ensuing Earth Day celebrations. More info forthcoming.
April 29- Dog Park Pawty: Join Bowie Animal Control staff and the City Sustainability Planner for a pawwwty at the Bowie Dog Park! Not only do the first 50 pups receive a treat bag, owners can receive treats and give-aways too regarding pet waste information, Green Bowie Programs, pet licensing, and more! The party will be from 5-7 pm, no registration is required.
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Interested in Becoming a Volunteer?
The City of Bowie Green Team is an excellent way to get involved in the community, gain volunteer experience and hours, and help with green initiatives. To find out more, please contact Ashleigh Armentrout at 301-809-3044, e-mail aarmentrout@cityofbowie.org OR attend a Green Team meeting. The next meeting is March 16 at 6:30 pm at Bowie City Hall.
In case you missed this delicious, healthy, plant-rich recipe last time here it is again, courtesy of the Green Team's very own Michelle Balfe:
For the salad:
1 sweet potato, diced
1 cup dry quinoa
1 can of black beans, rinsed
2 handfuls of baby spinach, chopped
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 bell pepper, color choice, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
For the vinaigrette:
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp lemon/lime juice
1 tsp dijon mustard
Salt & pepper, to taste
Directions:
1. Dice sweet potato into 1/4 or 1/2 inch pieces. Toss in olive oil and bake for 15-20 minutes at 375. Let cool.
2. Cook quinoa according to package. You can cook it with water or broth of choice, typically for about 15 minutes until all liquid is absorbed. Let cool.
3. Mix remaining salad ingredients in a large bowl.
4. Mix all vinaigrette ingredients in smaller bowl.
5. Add sweet potato, quinoa, and dressing into the salad bowl and toss to mix. Add extra salt and pepper or lime juice to taste and garnish with extra cilantro if desired.
Enjoy!
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Green Bowie Incentives
Interested in Community Solar?
Having solar panels on your home is not the only option for obtaining residential solar! By subscribing to a Maryland based community solar farm a customer is allotted a specified percentage of the entire farm’s electricity output each month, which the customer agrees to purchase from the supplier at a price that is typically 5%-25% below the rate the utility charges.
That percentage of the overall output is then converted into a dollar amount which is calculated at the current rate that the utility charges their residential customers. That dollar amount is then reflected on the customer’s utility bill in the form of a credit.
The first and largest of these solar farms was recently completed by Neighborhood Sun in the Pepco service area and is scheduled to start generating electricity in June 2019. They also have 3 additional farms being developed in the BGE service area with 350 subscriptions reserved for households of low to moderate income with savings at the 25% rate ~ or hundreds of dollars each year.
Links to companies with community solar projects under development in Maryland are below:
Arcadia Power
CleanChoice Energy
Groundswell
Neighborhood Sun
Solar United Neighbors of Maryland (SUN MD)
Municipal Collaboration for Home Weatherization Upgrades:
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