 APRIL 2026
IN THIS ISSUE:
A note from the County's Climate Change Officer, Sarah Kogel-Smucker
County Budget
Montgomery County Executive Elrich released the recommended Fiscal Year 2027 Operating Budget on March 16, and despite a challenging economic climate, climate action remains a priority. The budget maintains investments that expand public transit, upgrade low‑income housing with climate‑friendly improvements, and support our local Green Bank (see press release for more information).
As the County Council reviews the budget, it’s critical they hear from residents that want the County to continue to invest in real climate progress because they are facing tough choices among many competing programs. Public hearings will be held April 7–9 at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Your voice has a huge reach at the local level, so please testify or contact your Councilmembers to show your support (links here).
Earth Month
Earth Day is April 22, and Montgomery County is celebrating all month long with events that build community and spur environmental action. The first Earth Day in 1970 sparked major environmental protections, including the creation of the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Today, that progress is under attack. To respond, this Earth Month, we need everyone who cares about a sustainable future to get involved. Join one of the many events highlighted below and be part of the solution.
Warmly,
This graphic shows the average annual temperature change in Maryland, DC, and Virginia since the first Earth Day in 1970. The average annual temperature in Maryland has increased by 3.3°F from 1970 to 2024.
Image Source: Climate Central
It's Earth Month! Please join us at some of these incredible events.
Full calendar details of upcoming events can be found on the My Green Montgomery Community Calendar.
4/6: 10:00am - 1:00pm Beaver Day Celebration
4/9: 6:30pm - 8:15pm DC Environmental Film Festival - Screening & Panel Discussion
4/11: 10:00am - 12:00pm Stormwater Solutions & Sustainable Design for Home Ladscapes
4/11: 9:00am - 11:00am Earth Month Spring Cleanup in Oakview
4/12: 10:00am - 3:00pm City of Takoma Park Earth Day Event
4/16: 11:00am - 3:00pm University of Maryland EarthFest
4/18: 9:30am - 11:30am Earth Month Cleanup at Rock Creek Stream Valley Park
4/18: 2:00pm - 4:00pm Film Screening "Plastic People: The Hidden Crisis of Microplastics"
4/19: 12:00pm - 3:00pm Earth Day Market
4/21: 7:00am - 8:00pm Maryland Day @ DC Climate Week
4/21: 7:30pm - 9:00pm Science Trivia Showdown: Climate Change
4/22: 8:30am - 10:30am Through Our Eyes: Personal and Community Health as a Gateway to Climate Action
4/22: 3:00pm - 5:00pm Climate Change & Health Equity Mini Advocacy Lab
4/24: 4:00pm - 5:00pm DC Urban Food Forest Tour
4/24 - 4/27: City Nature Challenge 2026 - Washington, DC Metro Area
4/25: 11:00am - 4:00pm Montgomery County GreenFest 2026
4/26: 10:00am - 2:00pm Earth Month Family Celebration at Brookside Gardens
4/28 - 4/29: 8:00am - 5:00pm 2026 Montgomery County Energy Summit
4/29: 2:00pm - 4:00pm Getting Started with Native Plants: Nativescaping 101
Local climate news and updates from Montgomery County, the State of Maryland, and around the DMV.
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich released his recommended Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) Operating Budget. For more information on the FY27 Recommended Operating Budget, visit the Office of Management and Budget website. A video of the County Executive’s presentation is available on the County’s YouTube page.
Over the next two months, the Council and its committees will analyze these recommendations and will adopt the FY27 County budget in late May. The budget will take effect on July 1. The Council will hold public hearings on the operating budget on April 7 and April 8 at 1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., and April 9 at 1:30 p.m. Residents who want to testify in person or virtually can sign up on the Council’s webpage or by calling 240-777-7802. Additionally, written testimony, as well as prerecorded audio or video testimony, can be submitted through the Council’s webpage. Testimony may be mailed to: County Council, 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, MD 20850, or submitted through the Council’s budget hotline at 240-777-7802.
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Montgomery County Public Schools received sharp criticism for recently requesting purchase of almost 150 new diesel buses despite a plan to move toward an all-electric fleet. All new school bus purchases for MCPS were supposed to be for electric buses as of 2025, contrary to the request for diesel buses. The decision has ripple effects throughout the county. “I actually think it’s wrong,” Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said. “Maybe the county council and us need to consider legislation saying that county money can’t be spent on diesel buses,” he said. “Diesel buses are dirty. You know, they’re not even using natural gas buses, which are a step up. They’re picking the dirtiest vehicles to put on the road, and that’s not a good idea.” Read more in NBC4 Washington.
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National and international climate change news that affects life in the U.S. and beyond.
The Trump administration will pay the French energy giant TotalEnergies nearly $1 billion to abandon its plans to build wind farms off the East Coast, the Interior Department said on Monday at an energy conference in Houston. Under the unusual deal, TotalEnergies would forfeit its leases in federal waters for two wind farms, which would have been built off New York and North Carolina. The Justice Department would then reimburse TotalEnergies $928 million, the amount it paid for the leases during the Biden administration. Read more in The New York Times.
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Learn about Climate Champions in our community. This month, meet the Director of Green Living and Community Engagement at Bethesda Green, a leader strengthening local pathways from awareness to action.
As we enter Earth Month, we are reminded that community, coalition, and local capacity building are essential to sustaining environmental and climate work, especially as federal policies and funding streams shift. In Montgomery County, a key contributor to this effort is Sharon D’Emidio, Director of Green Living and Community Engagement at Bethesda Green, who helps turn awareness into action.
Sharon’s connection to this work began early. Growing up in an outdoors-oriented family, she developed an appreciation for nature and a strong sense of empathy. She first explored women’s health and considered a career in medicine, earning a degree in Women’s Studies from Fort Lewis College. There, her reproductive health work revealed how structural inequities drive many public health issues. A mentor’s observation—that medicine pulls people out of the water while public health asks why they are in it, to begin with—guided her toward systemic, preventive solutions. She deepened this focus through graduate studies in Health, Population, and the Environment at the London School of Economics, where she first connected environmental conditions to population health.
In her current role, Sharon leads environmental education, manages grants, and supports hands-on projects such as rain gardens and pet waste stations. She also helps organize Montgomery County GreenFest (happening later this month), coordinating partners, vendors, and logistics. Events like GreenFest, the Green Living Fair, and the Youth Climate Summit show how Bethesda Green brings together nonprofits, government, schools, and local businesses. Through her leadership, she continues to build partnerships, strengthen community networks, and support a more sustainable and resilient Bethesda and Montgomery County. What Sharon finds most rewarding is working with youth, whose energy fuels momentum even as national policy and funding changes make environmental work more challenging.
Over the course of her time with Bethesda Green, including her initial role beginning in 2011 and her return in 2024 after working with the County’s Department of Environmental Protection, the organization has grown from a community sustainability hub into a regional connector, expanding its work across business incubation, certifications, community events, and youth programming. She has also observed engagement broadening beyond traditional gatherings, with online platforms now playing a larger role in education and connection. As awareness has grown, she notes that most residents understand the basics of climate change, allowing her work to focus more on mobilizing people through targeted, meaningful action. As Bethesda Green continues building community through education, partnerships, and events, residents can learn more and get involved by visiting their website.
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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.
The Conservation Alliance Member Collective Grants FY 2026: Applications due April 10, 2026. Nonprofits may apply to support conservation projects that aim to protect and conserve land and water. The maximum grant is $50,000.
Maryland Department of Agriculture Tree Planting Incentive Programs: Application dates vary, starting April 30, 2026. Farmers may apply to the Conservation Buffer Initiative to install a riparian forest buffer with pasture fencing. The incentive is $4,500/acre.
Wild Geese Foundation Grants: Applications due May 1, 2026. The Wild Geese Foundation invites small, grassroots 501(c)3 nonprofits to apply for small grants that support Youth work, Reproductive Justice, or Climate Justice. Most grants range from $2,500 to $30,000.
Urban Agriculture Water & Power Grants (Maryland Department of Agriculture Small Farm and Urban Agriculture Program): Open enrollment until funds are depleted. Applicants who produce a farm product with at least $1,000 in annual sales or donations are eligible to apply for support with installing water meters, water pipes, irrigation hoses, electric meters, electrical lines, or other authorized equipment. The maximum funding limit is $75,000 with a 12.5% cost-share.
Waste Management (WM) Charitable Contributions Program: Applications accepted year-round. WM funds environmental stewardship, environmental justice, sustainability education, workforce and skills development, community vitality, and supplier diversity.
Cisco Technology Grant Program: Applications accepted on a rolling basis. Nonprofits that serve the community at large may request donations of Cisco technology to realize significant gains in productivity, security, scalability, and cost efficiency; or apply for cash grants in climate impact and regeneration; Cisco Crisis Response (which includes shelter, water, food, and disaster relief); economic empowerment; and education. The maximum cash grant is $50,000.
Exciting opportunities available for job seekers. Check out DEP’s Green Job Portal for additional climate and sustainability jobs, including these highlighted positions:
Summer Climate Intern, Office of the County Executive, Montgomery County Government (Hybrid): Come work with us! We are seeking college and graduate students for paid Summer Climate Internships. Interns will support local climate initiatives through policy research, program assistance, communications, and community outreach. Positions are paid through a temporary services agency and detailed to the County for the summer. Apply by Friday, April 17, 2026.
Environmental Programs Manager, One Montgomery Green (Silver Spring, MD): The person in this role will support and coordinate community‑based environmental programs, including youth climate initiatives, small‑business sustainability outreach, climate resilience efforts, and community events. They will assist with research, planning, communications, and program operations while engaging regularly with local schools, businesses, nonprofits, and residents.
Director, Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination (OEEC), Fairfax County Government: The person in this role will lead countywide climate and energy initiatives, oversee implementation of CECAP, the Operational Energy Strategy, and Resilient Fairfax, manage a multidisciplinary team, and coordinate with agencies and community partners to advance county climate goals.
Director, Center for Urban and Coastal Climate Science Research, Morgan State University (Baltimore, MD): The person in this role will lead a new climate research center focused on urban and coastal systems, guide the Center’s strategic vision, develop a robust research program, secure external funding, mentor students and early‑career researchers, and advance scientific work addressing climate impacts on ecosystems, communities, and infrastructure.
Managing Consultant, Climate Change and Sustainability, ICF Incorporated, LLC, (Reston, VA / Hybrid): The person in this role will lead climate and environmental analyses, develop GHG inventories and policy assessments, support organizational sustainability planning, manage environmental data, and oversee technical projects for a range of clients.
Green Corps Organizer, Green Corps (Hybrid / Travel): A yearlong training and field program that includes learning core organizing skills, running multiple environmental campaigns across the country, managing a grassroots canvass office, engaging volunteers and communities, and gaining hands‑on experience to launch a career in environmental organizing.
Environmental Engineering Intern, Montgomery County Parks, Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) (Wheaton, MD): The person in this role will assist with environmental inspections, data collection, and mapping to support stormwater management, dam safety, and ecological restoration projects. They will review plans, conduct field visits, gather measurements and GIS data, and help compile and analyze inspection results for park infrastructure and natural resource programs.
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