April 2021

In the District of Columbia, we are celebrating all of April as Earth Month. With the weather getting warmer and more opportunities to spend more time outside, it’s a great time to appreciate sustainability this month. April also contains specific days that mark different aspects of sustainability:

World Health Day (April 17) – promotes the importance of health issues, including mental health and the effects of climate change. The celebration is an opportunity to focus worldwide attention on the important implications of global health.

Earth Day (April 22) – a globally recognized day to demonstrate support for the environment, and the protection of its natural resources. Celebrated every year as a global day of action, Earth Days calls for a change in human behavior and policy change to protect these vital resources.

Arbor Day (April 30) – celebrated the last Friday in April, a day to celebrate and support our trees. Washington, DC, known as the City of Trees, has an arboreal history that is rich and fascinating, including diverse native plants as well as international tree species brought to the District from around the world.

If these major sustainability holidays don’t excite you, there is surely a national holiday in April that will (like International Carrot Day on April 4, National Walking Day on April 7, National Picnic Day on April 23…). In all seriousness, April is an important time for us to recognize sustainability and the importance of protecting the environment. The impacts of climate change are being felt here at home in the District. Our summers are warmer, sea levels are higher, and rains are more intense. The District has taken steps to build a culture of resilience and develop innovative solutions to our most complicated concerns, including Climate Ready DC and Climate Resilient by 2050. Climate change is no longer a distant threat, so let’s act to curb the effects of climate change.

JOBS

DOEE Program Analyst (Product Stewardship)

Come and join the DC Department of Energy and Environment's Urban Sustainability Administration working on product stewardship! Located in the Department of Energy and Environment’s Urban Sustainability Administration, The Program Analyst (Product Stewardship) leads DC's recycling programs for electronics, paint, batteries, and other products as new programs start. This position will manage the District of Columbia’s product stewardship programs, currently consisting of electronics and paint. This includes providing oversight of regulated manufacturers, inspecting District retailers carrying covered products, communicating recycling opportunities to the public, and analyzing the program for continuous improvement.

Apply by April 15, 2021 at the DC Careers Page using Job ID #12644.

VOLUNTEER

33rd Annual Potomac Watershed Cleanup

Join staff and your fellow park-lovers as we clean up the trash that finds its way onto the banks of Oxon Cove. Spend your afternoon in the fresh air, getting some exercise, or earn service hours needed for your organization. Come alone or bring a group, and spend the day helping the National Park Service.

- Saturday, April 17, 8:45 am – 12:00 pm

When attending the event, make sure to wear old clothes and shoes that you don't mind getting wet and muddy; work gloves will be provided. Current coronavirus (COVID-19) requirements will be followed: all volunteers must wear face masks and remain socially distanced. These events will be canceled in inclement weather. For more information, visit the National Park Service Volunteer page!

EVENTS

Nature Connections: Livestream with Environmental Experts

Nature Connections is a new series to provide students of all ages with virtual field experiences. All sessions will take place from 10:00 am - 10:30 am. To participate, teachers must sign up on behalf of their classroom using the link below. Here is the next one:

- Thursday, April 22, 10:00 am – 10:30 am: Your City, Your Trees: Celebrate Arbor Day! Join Casey Trees as we explore the reasons we love trees. Meet some of our staff and discover some of the benefits trees provide to our city. To register click here!

DOEE and DCRA Offer Green Building Professional Seminar Series

DOEE and the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) are conducting free virtual educational events designed to accelerate the implementation of the Clean Energy DC Act and the new building construction codes. The virtual events will be held on the second Wednesday of each month at 1:00 pm Eastern Time. Register for the 2021 Virtual Green Building Professional Seminar Series:

- April 14, 2021: Getting Ready for the new Building Energy Performance Standards

eCYCLE Collection Events

By recycling used electronics, individuals can help recover valuable resources and properly manage potentially hazardous materials. eCYCLE DC, through manufacturers’ collection and recycling plans, is bringing District residents more options for recycling their electronics.

The following items are banned from the trash and are collected at the eCYCLE DC collection events: computers and monitors, tablet, e-readers, mice, keyboards, DVD or VCR players, printers, televisions, game consoles and portable music players. For more information, check out this fact sheet.

- Saturday, April 17, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm, 4450 Wisconsin Avenue NW (near Tenley Friendship Library)

- Saturday, April 24, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm, 1801 23rd Street NW (near Mitchell Park)

- Saturday, April 24, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm, 1801 Hamlin Street NW (near Woodridge Library)

- Saturday, May 1, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm, 5200 Sherier Place NW (near Palisades Recreation Center)

How to Go Solar in DC

Curious about going solar? Learn everything you need to know with the DOEE’s solar seminar series!

Many residents and landlords are interested in solar power but do not know are where to start. DOEE invites residents, landlords, and clean energy stakeholders to attend the solar seminar series and learn what steps they can take to go solar. Each of these events begins at 1:00 pm and focuses on a specific aspect of going solar. Register here for How to Go Solar in DC: A Solar Seminar Series!

- May 6, 2021: Community Solar

Smithsonian Social Studies Online: Environmental History & Activism

Join the National Museum of American History for an online exploration into key social studies topics, featuring museum resources from the Smithsonian on Thursday, April 22, from 11:00 am – 11:30 am. This episode will focus on Environmental History & Activism. To learn more about this event, and others in the series, visit their website!

City of Trees: Washington, D.C.

On the eve of Arbor Day, Thursday, April 29, 2021, 12:00 pm - 1:15 pm, join naturalist and tree expert Melanie Choukas-Bradley on a virtual tour of the trees in our nation’s capital through stunning photographs of the Tidal Basin, U.S. Capitol, White House, National Arboretum, Rock Creek Park, and many other notable locations. To register for the event, visit the Smithsonian’s website.

DC Home Composting

Curious about composting and the benefits of reducing your waste? Attend the DC Home Composting Workshops to learn about the science of composting, what can be composted at home, how to compost at home, different types of home composting systems, best management practices, and more! The workshops will last approximately two to three hours, and due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, will be offered online.

- Friday, April 23, 9:00 am - 11:00 am, Register here.

- Tuesday, May 4, 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm, Register here.

- Saturday, May 8, 9:00 am – 11:00 am, Register here.

For more information on the DC Home Composting program, check out the ZeroWaste DC website.

FUNDING

Trash Free Shorelines

DOEE seeks eligible entities to propose projects that will protect and restore the District’s water bodies by capturing and removing litter from the shorelines of the Anacostia River and Washington Shipping Channel using non-permanent structural control devices and monitoring them for their effectiveness. Applicants will: identify and propose how to install a minimum of five new and innovative devices to capture litter along the shorelines of the Anacostia River and Washington Shipping Channel; propose how to collect data on the amount and types of litter captured by these new devices; develop a maintenance program for devices installed; and incorporate educational opportunities for local communities on the impacts of litter on our local waterways. The amount available for the project is approximately $60,000.

The deadline for application submissions is April 30, 2021, at 11:59 pm. A complete electronic copy must be e-mailed to 2021trashfreeshorelines.grants@dc.gov with a time stamp before the due date and time. For more information, check out the DOEE website.

Outrage + Optimist Podcast: A weekly podcast about acing the climate crisis and how we can thrive beyond it!

Wendy, Where Does Out Wastewater Go?: This story takes students on a fun and informative tour of the wastewater treatment process at their local plant. Wendy and her companions learn where wastewater goes and how it is treated in Washington, DC.

Outside/In: How Urban Trees Shape Our Cities & Our Identities: There’s a tendency to think of “the natural world” as everything beyond the asphalt. But soil often lies just a couple inches below the concrete, and the design of our cities represents choices about how much space we give to “built environment” and how much we give to “grown environment" — and specifically to trees.

Exploring Health Equity: Episode 1: About DC's Health Disparities: In this episode, we detail some of the health disparities in DC, as well as how the Rodham Institute works to fulfill our commitment to health equity in DC.