Local organizations receive Maryland Beautiful grants

Forever Maryland recently announced the awarding of 85 grants totaling $320,000 have been awarded toward environmental education, community cleanup and beautification projects through the Keep Maryland Beautiful program.

The annual grants are funded by the Maryland Environmental Trust, Forever Maryland, Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development and Maryland Department of Transportation.

“Keep Maryland Beautiful grants help improve, sustain, and enhance communities all across our state,” Maryland Natural Resources Secretary Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio said in a news release. “These local initiatives also help Maryland meet our goals of cleaner water and access to green space for all our citizens.”

Keep Maryland Beautiful recipients includes schools, nonprofit groups, municipalities and land trusts in 20 counties and Baltimore City, many of whom focus on developing and supporting communities, families, youth and students who take personal responsibility for the health of their communities, protecting nature in their backyards and seeking ways to help reduce or resolve environmental challenges.

Southern Maryland received a total of 14 grants, including eight in Prince George’s County, three in Charles County and two in Calvert County. St. Mary’s County received one grant.

“These grants provide support for local projects and activities that directly impact litter removal, greening and beautification, and improving citizen stewardship in communities statewide,” DHCD Secretary Kenneth C. Holt said in the release.

The awards included an Aileen Hughes award totaling $5,000, which was awarded to an individual representing a Maryland land trust for outstanding leadership, partnership and innovation in a conservation project. The grant is awarded to the Maryland land trust in recognition of the individual’s efforts and good work and honors the late Aileen Hughes, a leader in the conservation movement.

Twelve Citizen Stewardship awards totaling $17,500 were awarded in honor of Bill James, who drafted the legislation that founded Maryland Environmental Trust, and Margaret Rosch Jones, former executive director of the Keep Maryland Beautiful program. These grants are awarded to schools, nonprofits and other community organizations whose missions are centered upon directly engaging community members in environmental education and stewardship.

Other grants that were awarded included 61 Clean Up & Green Up Maryland awards totaling $250,000 and 11 Janice Hollmann Grant awards totaling $47,500.

The following organizations were awarded 2022 Keep Maryland Beautiful grants:

Calvert County

All Saints Episcopal Church American Chestnut Land Trust Inc Charles County

Beyond the Classroom Inc. Charles County Government Conservancy for Charles County Inc. St. Mary’s County

Southern MD RC&D Board Inc. Prince George’s County

Alice Ferguson Foundation Cheverly Native Planting Project City of Greenbelt – Department of Public Works

Defensores de la Cuenca

Keep Prince George’s County Beautiful

Laurel Main Street Organization Town of Edmonston University of Maryland