Potomac Almanac

Beautifying Montgomery County through Plogging

Leslie Wilcox, Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection

Valeria Espinoza, Montgomery Parks

Plogging? Never heard of it? Join this virtual lecture to learn about this new trend in environmental activism. Plogging is a great challenge to take on this spring while helping you to get outdoors. Its part jogging, part picking up litter. You’ll learn about the community cleanup initiatives of Montgomery County groups working together on this important campaign and how you can get involved throughout Earth Month in April. There will be weekly challenges for you to tackle that offer an assortment of prizes.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/X33PNMUM2XE

Become a Scientist in Your Own Backyard – Join the City Nature Challenge

Jacqueline Raiford, Naturalist, Locust Grove Nature Center, Montgomery Parks

Have you heard of the City Nature Challenge? From April 29 to May 2, and from May 3-May 8, cities around the world are competing to see who can make the most observations of nature, find the most species, and engage the most people. When you submit photos of wildlife through the iNaturalist app, you contribute to important ecological studies that help scientists better understand the plants and animals of our local landscape. Join us to find out just how easy it is to participate, including how to use the iNaturalist app to submit your observations. Anyone can participate and become a citizen scientis.! Please have your smart phone with the free iNaturalist app pre-downloaded.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/WI1W6cddnTw

Aiming for Zero Waste: Compost Food Scraps in Your Backyard

Kathy Vazquez, Recycling and Resource Management Division

Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)

Join DEP for a virtual hands-on workshop to learn how to compost certain types of food scraps in your backyard using rodent-proof compost bins. We will discuss the acceptable types of materials that can be composted, best practices to manage the composting process to prevent critters and odor, and what to do with the amazing “black gold” after the materials are composted. Composting food scraps in your backyard reduces the amount of trash disposed at County disposal facilities, while providing you with nutrient-rich soil amendments to grow healthier plants.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/sWJTgzXpBRo

Creating a Planter with Native Plants

Ann English, Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection

RainScapes Program Manager

This lecture will highlight the benefits of using native plants to beautify your garden while helping to support local wildlife and pollinators. Ann will walk participants through the steps needed to create a beautiful planter using plants native to our region. Ann will demonstrate how to plant the right combination of thrillers, fillers, and spillers to create a beautiful composition rich in color, texture, and form. Plant options will be discussed for both sun and shade gardens.