 OCTOBER 2025
IN THIS ISSUE:
A letter from Montgomery County Climate Change Officer Sarah Kogel-Smucker.
Be Climate Smart: Ride A Bike
Fall is the perfect season to get outside and ride. One easy way to do that is Capital Bikeshare. With 80 stations around the County, and hundreds more in the region, there might be one near you. Many employers, including Montgomery County Government, even offer discounted annual memberships.
Have an extra bike taking up space? The Montgomery County Department of Transportation’s (MCDOT) annual Bicycle Donation Drive on Friday, Oct. 3 from 7 a.m.-2 p.m., makes it easy to donate previously owned bikes and give them a second life. Bikes will be collected, rain or shine, outside of the Montgomery County Council Office Building Garage.
BikeMatchMoCo pairs bike donors and recipients year-round.
Federal Attack on Climate Action
There’s an aggressive federal push to weaken climate protections. From EPA's reconsidering its Endangerment Finding that climate change harms human health and the environment to federal lands being reopened for coal mining at discounted rates, we're seeing near-daily moves to increase climate pollution. In a time of federal backsliding, local action matters more than ever. This newsletter is here to connect you with climate events, programs, and policy solutions you can take part in right here at home. Together we can make progress in our community.
Budget Forums
County Executive Elrich is conducting community conversations on the Fiscal Year 2027 Operating Budget. Attend one near you and ask about County climate solutions.
Warmly,
Riding a bike can have several positive impacts on the planet. Replacing just one car trip with a bike ride helps reduce emissions and supports a cleaner, healthier community.
Image Source: @bikenewyork on Instagram
Full calendar details of upcoming events can be found on the My Green Montgomery Community Calendar.
10/1: 10:30am - 2:30pm Illumination Station at Brigadier General Charles E. McGee Library
Illumination Stations are information tables at your local library that provide an opportunity to shine a light on ways for people to lower their utility bills and apply for energy assistance. You also can bring your old incandescent and compact fluorescent bulbs to swap them for new energy efficient LED light bulbs.
10/3: 7:00am - 2:00pm Bike Donation Drive Do you have an extra bicycle you no longer need? Unused bicycles can become a valuable transportation resource for Montgomery County residents in need. Donated child / adult bikes and bike parts will be accepted (No bike helmets, please) at the Montgomery County Parking Garage located at the corner of East Jefferson and Monroe Streets, Rockville.
10/4: 1:00pm - 4:00pm Fall Harvest & Solar Celebration at One Acre Farm - Free
10/8: 6:00pm - 8:00pm Meet the author: Mike Tidwell, in person, "The Lost Trees of Willow Ave.: a Story of Climate and Hope.
In the Multi-Purpose Room of the Wheaton Library, the author will speak about his recent book, an absorbing and elegantly told story of climate change on one city street, in Takoma Park, Maryland, full of surprises and true stories of human struggle. More info: https://chesapeakeclimate.org/
10/15: 10:30am - 2:30am - 2:30pm Illumination Station at the Wheaton Library
10/15: 12:00pm - 1:30pm Looking to electrify your home? "Why Electrify" is a free 101 online course offered by Rewiring America that breaks down the basics of going electric. In this interactive online course, you’ll learn how electrification helps people save money, builds stronger communities, improves our health, and allows people to take steps to meet our climate goals.
10/29: 10:30am - 2:30pm Illumination Station at Quince Orchard Library
10/30: 10:30am - 2:30pm Illumination Station at Rockville Memorial Library
Local climate news and updates from Montgomery County, the State of Maryland, and around the DMV.
Students at A. Mario Loiederman Middle School — a school where most families qualify for free or reduced-price meals — broke ground on a one-acre campus farm in April 2024. A partnership with the Charles Koiner Conservancy for Urban Farming supported its planning and funding.
Now the farm is in bloom, yielding enough fresh produce to sustain a monthly farmers market.
The farm at Loiederman is a piece of Montgomery County Public Schools’ push for environmental sustainability. District leaders want students learning how to protect the planet they’re growing up on. Read more in the Banner.
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Climate Change Officer Sarah Kogel-Smucker, who has held the job for two years, fears that the loss of the money — at least $40 million in grants — would make it harder to protect the county’s environment.
“It’s heartbreaking because we know what we need to do to solve climate change,” Kogel-Smucker said. “The technology is there, the ability is there, and it improves people’s lives when you put these solutions in place.”
The money at risk — federal grants for climate change initiatives awarded to Montgomery County under the Biden administration — is now potentially on the chopping block, Kogel-Smucker said, pointing to similar grants canceled by federal officials in other jurisdictions. Read more in the Banner.
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Montgomery County was awarded over $2.1 million in competitive grants from the Maryland Energy Administration to support clean energy, energy efficiency, and EV charging projects across multiple departments. These initiatives are projected to save $214,000 annually, reduce electricity use by nearly 1 million kilowatt-hours, and cut over 500 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
The grants will provide funding to help push forward the County's efforts combat climate change. Read more in The Moco Show.
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National and international climate change news that affects life in the U.S. and beyond.
It’s officially fall in the northern hemisphere, but depending where you are, it might not look like it.
From Maine and Vermont to New York, tourists often flock to the U.S. East Coast to see the maple and oak leaves transform into vibrant oranges and reds. Leaves can change their color from as early as mid-September all the way through early November.
But pay closer attention and you might notice that it doesn’t always follow a predictable pattern from year-to-year. Research shows that climate change is impacting when leaves fall along with the vibrancy of their colors—a tree that was previously barren by the end of October might still have leaves come November, while a drought stricken region might see dull, brown leaves that simply crumble off the tree. Continue reading in TIME by Simmone Shah, Reporter for TIME.
Learn about Climate Champions in our community. This month meet one of our two 2025-2026 Climate Fellows.
Moving for the Planet and Yourself
Hello! I am Indigo Ferdinand, a third-year Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) student at Morgan State University, specializing in Health Education and Environmental Justice. I am one of two Climate Fellows with the Montgomery County Office of the County Executive. In both my professional and personal life, I am interested in how choosing climate-smart transit can benefit the planet as well as ourselves.
Coming from another metropolitan area where my family relied heavily on cars, I quickly noticed how limited transportation options left many people without reliable access to services, education, recreation, and employment. That observation makes me especially appreciative of how the DC metro area offers a network of accessible transit options. I use active and public transit at least four days a week for school, work, errands, and leisure, often combining walking, the metro, commuter train, and bus. Train rides give me a chance to relax or get work done while traveling.
Using transit consistently has tangible benefits. After several weeks, I notice improvements in my polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) symptoms, including better sleep, more energy, healthier skin and hair, and a better mood. Active transit also supports overall physical and mental health, including blood sugar and pressure regulation, heart health, joint comfort, and lowered stress levels. Because PCOS management is complex, building movement into my daily routine this way is a simple yet effective strategy.
Active and public transit, of course, play a major role in climate action. They reduce greenhouse gas emissions, cut down on air and noise pollution, and encourage people to spend more time outdoors. Public transit in the U.S. saves an estimated 37 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, and electrifying entire bus fleets, like Montgomery County is currently working to achieve by 2035, further amplifies these benefits. They also, by decreasing traffic, lower accident risks and make streets safer.
Whether biking along tree-lined streets or riding the train into the city, every trip becomes a small but meaningful way to care for ourselves and the world around us.
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We are excited to share the below news and opportunities below. These important grants are offered by both local and federal funding opportunities, and are made available to local governments, universities, community organizations, businesses and individuals.
MacFarlane Foundation FY26 Grants: Letters of Inquiry accepted starting January 2026. The Foundation is interested in supporting nonprofit organizations addressing a range of issues, including but not limited to: education, economic empowerment, climate change and the environment, health, human services, and the well-being of women and girls, and is particularly interested in catalyzing organizations into their next phase of growth or impact. Category One grants range from $10,000-$75,000 and Category Two grants range from $200,000-$250,000.
Waste Management (WM) Charitable Contributions Program: Applications accepted year-round. 501(c)3 or public organizations may apply for a charitable contribution to make communities safer, stronger, and more sustainable. WM funds environmental stewardship, environmental justice, sustainability education, workforce and skills development, community vitality, and supplier diversity. No maximum is specified.
Can'd Aid: Crush It Crusade - FY 2025: Applications accepted on a rolling basis. Government and nongovernment organizations may apply to support the launch or improvement of local recycling programs and education on the importance of infinitely recyclable aluminum. Grants range in size from $5,000 to $10,000.
Exciting opportunities available for job seekers. Check out DEP’s Green Job Portal for additional climate and sustainability jobs, including these highlighted positions:
Historic Horticultural Specialist – MC Parks-Park Planning and Stewardship (M-NCPPC) (Derwood, MD): The candidate will be responsible for planning, managing, maintaining, and interpreting both the vegetable and herb demonstration gardens at the Bussard farmstead in the Agricultural History Farm Park, which represent plantings during the interpretive period of the 1890s to 1940s. This includes researching historically appropriate crops, contributing to the development of interpretive gardening programs, and maintaining a garden plan. This job is year-round, with up to 30 hours per week. More information here.
Project Manager, Sustainability - Montgomery County Public Schools is seeking two Project Managers to Assists in administering the design, implementation, and warranty for a variety of systemic and infrastructure projects that support sustainability improvements, such as the installation of new technology including utility monitoring, troubleshooting and improvements, solar/clean energy, etc. Monitors energy usage and expenditures to detect, investigate and resolve unusual utility usage, and coordinates across the division of facilities management and vendors on identifying and implementing related improvements. Applicants can visit the MCPS careers web page and type in the keyword: project manager.
Research Fellow – Resources for the Future (RFF) (Washington, DC): Resources for the Future is seeking early career, PhD-Level researchers in economics or a related field who have a strong desire to engage with policy audiences and make a lasting impact on environmental decisions. We seek candidates with expertise on the analysis of environmental, natural resource, and/or energy policies – particularly related to U.S. economic policy issues (for example, candidates with expertise in climate risks and resilience and/or the industrial, fuels, electricity, forestry, and agricultural sectors). More information here.
Planner II/ III (12769, Grade 24/28) – MC Planning-Upcounty Planning Division (M-NCPPC) (Wheaton, MD): Seeking a Planner II or Planner III to lead and contribute to the Upcounty Planning Division's long-range master plans and development review projects. This position requires experience in project leadership. You will collaborate with a diverse team including county residents, developers, planners, architects, engineers, attorneys, and public officials. Evening meetings, site visits and fieldwork within various communities will be required when working on long-range plans. More information here.
Workforce Development Board – Volunteer: In partnership with the County Executive, oversees the administration of the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which includes Montgomery County’s American Job Centers (AJC). To carry out workforce development activities, the board utilizes WorkSource Montgomery, Inc. (WSM) as its’ staffing and fiscal agent. In partnership with WSM, the board executes the county’s vision for workforce development through the critical work of connecting underemployed and unemployed residents to training and employment opportunities, as well as working directly with businesses to understand and help meet their talent recruitment and retention needs. The Board is also responsible for developing Montgomery County’s 4-Year Local Workforce Plan, which outlines the direction for workforce development services and opportunities for improvement through innovative programs to meet needs of local employers. More information here.
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