Festival celebrates success of the Eastern Bluebird
BOYDS, MD – Black Hill Visitor Center at Black Hill Regional Park is hosting the annual, free Bluebirds Forever Festival on Sunday, May 20 from 1-4pm, to celebrate the success of the Eastern Bluebird. The festival will feature a play created by children for children titled “Quest for a Nest,” as well as opportunities to hike a bluebird trail, create bluebird-themed crafts, play games and listen to music. Visitors will learn about the birds’ habitats and nest box monitoring, and how to support local bluebird populations in private yards and gardens.
In recent years, M-NCPPC Montgomery Parks has experienced an increase in the nesting success of bluebirds thanks to the work of many dedicated volunteers who have helped build and monitor some 540 bluebird nest boxes scattered throughout the 34,000-acre park system.
“2011 was our best year so far,” said Rob Gibbs, parks’ natural resources manager, “over 1,300 baby bluebirds were fledged from park nest boxes. Our numbers have been going up steadily since the program began keeping records in 1992, thanks to the dedication of our volunteers.”
Many of the parks’ bluebird boxes are built by Scout troops and other volunteers. Parks staff installs the boxes in appropriate nesting habitats, and adult volunteers and some families monitor them weekly during the nesting season from March through mid-September. Monitors remove nests of non-native house sparrows which often out-compete bluebirds for nest cavities. They also remove bees and other unwanted visitors, keep boxes in good repair, clean out used boxes after young have fledged so the bluebirds can re-nest (some will nest three times in one year) and document how many bluebirds, chickadees, tree swallows and house wrens are fledged from the boxes. 
“Some of our very dedicated volunteers have been working with our bluebird program for more than 15 years,” said park naturalist Denise Gibbs, who initiated the countywide data collection effort to help promote and share information among the county’s four nature centers, which coordinate the program.
Ed Escalante, who started as a bluebird monitor in 1997, said. “Before taking on the trail, I had never seen a bluebird, and here I was meeting them regularly, from a close distance!” Ed’s enthusiasm led him to become a founding member of the Maryland Bluebird Society.
“I take a special delight in those bluebird pairs who recognize me each time I show up,” said Jim Cook who monitors 25 boxes at Little Bennett Golf Course. “Others will swoop down and try to chase me off, but the ones that know I’m not doing any harm will just perch in a tree nearby and watch me.”
Homeowners and bird lovers can help to increase the number of bluebirds in Montgomery County by installing bluebird nest boxes in large open grassy areas and providing berry producing plants, other food sources and water. It is extremely important that all nest boxes be monitored regularly; otherwise they can provide nesting for house sparrows which compete with bluebirds for nesting space often killing adult and young bluebirds in the process.
The Bluebirds Forever Festival is co-sponsored by Friends of Black Hill Nature Programs and the Maryland Bluebird Society and will be held rain or shine. It is a free event and will be held in and around the Black Hill Visitor Center, 20926 Lake Ridge Dr., Boyds, MD 20841. Some of the festival programs require advanced registration at www.ParkPASS.org. For a detailed schedule of events, please visit www.BlackHillNature.org.
Public Hearing to take place May 24, at *9:00 a.m. at Montgomery Regional Office, 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910
*Time subject to change: Visit www.MontgomeryPlanningBoard.org/agenda/ for updates
SILVER SPRING, MD –The M-NCPPC Montgomery Planning Board invites the public to provide testimony (limited to three minutes) at a public hearing on the draft 2012 Parks, Recreation, and Open Space (PROS) Plan Update. The hearing will take place:
Thursday, May 24 at 9:00 AM
M-NCPPC Montgomery Regional Office
8787 Georgia Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20912
The time of the meeting is subject to change. Updates will be posted at www.MontgomeryPlanningBoard.org/agenda/ where members of the public can also download the staff report, sign up to testify and listen to the live public hearing. Sign up to testify at www.montgomeryapps.org/planning_board/testify.asp. (select May 24 from the date pull down menu) or call 301-495-4600. Online sign-up closes 4 p.m. the day prior to the meeting.
Written testimony may be emailed to mcp-chair@mncppc-mc.org or mailed to Planning Board Chairman, 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910 and must be received 24 hours in advance of the meeting.
The 2012 PROS Plan is developed to analyze and prepare for future needs for park and recreation facilities and natural and history resource preservation, and develop specific service delivery strategies to meet these needs. The 2012 plan will include chapters on: Recreation and Parks, Natural Resource Conservation, Historic and Cultural Resources Preservation and Agricultural Land Preservation.
The 2012 PROS Plan Update is required under State law, and will build on earlier public comments and findings from the Vision 2030 Strategic Plan, finalized by M-NCPPC- Montgomery Parks and the Montgomery County Recreation Department in 2011.
Questions and written comments regarding the 2012 PROS Plan Update should be sent to MCP-PROSPlan2012@MontgomeryParks.org
M-NCPPC-Montgomery Parks, manages more than 35,000 acres of parkland, consisting of 416 parks. Montgomery Parks is part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), a bi-county agency established in 1927 to steward public land. The M-NCPPC has been nationally recognized for its high quality parks and recreation services and is regarded as a national model by other parks systems. www.montgomeryparks.org
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Join team members to learn about their work at a special open session, Sunday May 13 at 2:00PM at the Rachel Carson Greenway Trail in Northwest Branch Stream Valley Park.
May 9, 2012 – The Access Fund-Jeep Conservation Team, a national non-profit dedicated to maintaining and preserving open climbing environments, will provide much needed enhancements to the Rachel Carson Greenway Trail at Northwest Branch Stream Valley Park in Silver Spring, Maryland this weekend. The group will work with the Mid-Atlantic Climbers to improve the public access points.
- 30 volunteers participated in last year’s Northwest Branch trail renovation and clean-up
The weekend enhancements will wrap up with a special public open session on Sunday, May 13, at 2 PM where Access-Fund Jeep Conservation Team members will discuss their work at Northwest Branch Park as well as other sites around the United States. The session will be at Northwest Branch Park, located at 10701 Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20910 – immediately south of the strip mall where Trader Joe’s is located. More information can be found at http://midatlanticclimbers.org.
Mid-Atlantic Climbers at the 2011 Access Fund Adopt-a-Crag trail work and park cleanup at Northwest Branch Stream Valley Park
The Northwest Branch Stream Valley Park is part of a system of trails managed by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) Montgomery Parks, and is located alongside Northwest Branch, which is part of the Potomac River watershed. Because of its location on the fall line, the park has scenic waterfalls and enormous boulders that are reminiscent of mountainous areas. Frequent use of the park combined with its location in the middle of a heavily urbanized area, have caused erosion to park access points. The Access Fund-Jeep Conservation Team will be improving the trail near the public access point and parking lot by building stone steps and addressing other park needs.
The Conservation Team is the Access Fund’s newest stewardship program, in which two trail specialists travel the country ten months out of the year to help local climbers and volunteers maintain climbing areas. The team assesses climbing area conservation needs, works with local residents and community groups to address those needs, and provides training on planning and stewardship best practices to keep those areas healthy.
The sustained growth of climbing as an outdoor pursuit has put strain on popular climbing areas around the country. There are literally thousands of climbing areas in the United States, though the brunt of the impact occurs on several hundred of the most popular areas. As the sport continues to increase in popularity, unacceptable levels of impact could ultimately lead to partial or full closures. Many areas are in desperate need of expert trail building and multi-year stewardship plans. The Conservation Team was launched to meet this need.
“We are extremely excited and appreciative of the work that the Access Fund Team will be doing on this trail,” said Jim Corcoran, Trail Volunteer Coordinator for Montgomery Parks. “Trail renovation requires special skills and experience that is sometimes difficult to find in volunteers. It is this kind of contribution that enables Montgomery Parks to protect and preserve these amazing resources that are so cherished by the community.”
The Conservation Team is made possible by the generous sponsorship of Jeep® brand, as well as REI, Outdoor Research, CLIF Bar, MSR, and Thermarest. These companies have an outstanding commitment to supporting the grassroots conservation which protects climbing resources and access.
For more information about the Access Fund-Jeep Conservation Team, visit www.accessfund.org/ct.
About Access Fund
Having just celebrated its 20th anniversary, the Access Fund is the national advocacy organization that keeps climbing areas open and conserves the climbing environment. The Access Fund supports and represents over 2.3 million climbers nationwide in all forms of climbing: rock climbing, ice climbing, mountaineering, and bouldering. Five core programs support the mission on national and local levels: climbing management policy, stewardship and conservation, local support and mobilization, land acquisition and protection, and education. For more information visit www.accessfund.org.
SILVER SPRING, MD—Leaders from M-NCPPC Montgomery Parks and Montgomery County gathered with members of the Germantown community this week at the site of the future Germantown Town Center Urban Park for a groundbreaking ceremony. Montgomery Parks Director Mary Bradford was joined by Montgomery Planning Board Member and Commissioner Casey Anderson, Montgomery County Councilmember Nancy Floreen, Montgomery County Upcounty Regional Services Center Director Catherine Matthews, staff from U.S. Congresswoman Donna Edwards’ office and Montgomery County Councilmember Craig Rice’s office, as well as business leaders and residents from the area.
“This park has been a long time in the making and we are so pleased that all of the hard work and planning is now bringing it to the citizens of Germantown.” said Bradford. “We genuinely appreciate the patience and support from the community throughout this process. It shows that building a village center really takes a village.”
“This groundbreaking for the Germantown Town Center Urban Park is the culmination of years of hard work between Montgomery Parks, the County and the community,” said Councilmember Rice. “This is especially bittersweet for me because, as one of the first residents in Germantown Town Center, I was presented with a phenomenal environmentally-sensitive design that finalized the last piece of a vibrant Germantown Town Center.”
The Germantown Town Center Urban Park is slated for completion in 2014 and will be located on 8.8 acres of land adjacent to the Germantown Library on Century Blvd. The park will create plenty of inviting open space, as well as interpretive trails and boardwalks, gathering areas and enhanced wetland areas for education.
Montgomery County Councilmember Nancy Floreen, pictured left, shares some thoughts about the park. (also pictured: Montgomery Parks Director Mary Bradford).
“This is a great day for Germantown,” said Councilmember Floreen. “The park completes the town center, making it not only a great place for dining, shopping and culture but now outdoor enjoyment as well. It makes Germantown Town Center the total package.”
The park will also feature public art components created by artist David Hess that will inspire the imagination and complement the cultural setting of the Library and Black Rock Arts Center while serving as gathering spaces.
Hess will create three large pergolas using over 14,000 feet of twisted stainless steel material formed atop six large natural boulders. The pergolas will create gathering places within a raised plaza overlooking a formal lawn and the existing wetlands. Hess will also build sculptural handrails and benches within the Park.
“I wanted to bring a natural looking form into this beautifully controlled space,” said Hess. “The twisted stainless steel can be welded together and is extremely durable. It gives the impression of something architectural in nature, like a nest or beaver dam. Simultaneously, visitors might even think it was somehow “grown” this way.”
The Germantown Town Center Urban Park will be passive in nature and ADA compliant for universal access. The park will feature a fully integrated stormwater management system and improvements to the pond and naturalized wetlands to nurture and protect the various plant and animal wildlife native to the region.
- Andy Frank Montgomery Parks project manager for Germantown Town Center Urban Parks joins Montgomery Parks Director Mary Bradford to celebrate the ground breaking.
“There are a surprising number of birds that visit the wetlands within the park throughout the year, and we wanted to make sure we were able to preserve this natural area within the developed town center,” noted Andy Frank, project manager for the park.
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SILVER SPRING – Once a quiet rural crossroads with a store, post office and not much else, Burtonsville has evolved over 150 years into the busy northern edge of the US 29 corridor. The challenging retail environment, aging streetscapes, poor street pattern, and limited sidewalks and bikeways have left Burtonsville without the attractive, connected community residents want.
Planners have drafted a vision for the Burtonsville Crossroads that emphasizes a complete community with a main street, public green and village center yet retains the area’s rural character. The plan envisions a mix of uses in the town center and connections that both move local traffic and encourage walking and cycling.
The staff draft of the Burtonsville Crossroads Neighborhood Plan goes to the Planning Board Thursday for a first look. The plan, reflecting input from members of the community for more than a year, recommends new mixed-use zoning, a series of street and trail connections, and parks and open space to protect the headwaters of the Patuxent River.
After reviewing the draft, the Planning Board will set a public hearing, likely in June, to invite testimony from residents, business owners and anyone interested in the future of Burtonsville. After the hearing, the Board will refine the plan in work sessions and send a draft to the County Council for consideration and eventual approval.
The plan prioritizes and coordinates future private and public projects. It establishes three areas, with the Main Street/Public Green the most visible, pedestrian-oriented place with retail, housing, services, a new street grid and a public gathering space off MD 198. The Village Center on local Route 29 would benefit from a new grid of streets and a better integrated Park and Ride lot, which, with 500 spaces, is a regional bus transit hub.
For both areas, proposed rezoning from commercial only to mixed commercial and residential uses would encourage redevelopment with homes, providing residents with easy access to jobs and services.
The Rural Edge area in the northern part of the plan area should remain at a low density to protect the tributary headwaters of the Patuxent River Watershed. The plan recommends placing stricter limits on the amount of paved surfaces for new development in the area, from 10 to 8 percent.
Planners develop master and sector plans to create a framework for each community designed to last 15 to 20 years. Those plans help policy-makers – such as the Planning Board and County Council – develop land use strategies and decide on proposed development.
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SILVER SPRING – Planners are beginning work on a community plan for an area called White Flint 2 that lies between White Flint and the Rockville city limits. Yesterday, the Planning Board approved a scope of work that establishes the plan goals.
White Flint 2 is ripe for planning thanks to myriad factors: the community straddles Rockville Pike, which has been identified for change – both in a countywide study of rapid transit and the sweeping vision for a pedestrian-friendly boulevard in the 2010 White Flint plan. Moreover, recent development at the nearby Twinbrook Metro Station and a proposed new MARC train station will create spinoff effects for the area.
The plan will analyze land use, transportation and urban design in that changing context. It also will address the future of one of the county’s few light industrial areas as well as what makes up an appropriate level of new development.
In addition to recommending changes to Rockville Pike in the plan area, planners also will analyze how proposed realignment of area roads, such as Old Georgetown Road and Executive Boulevard, will impact White Flint 2. They also plan to recommend ways to improve the area bicycle network and pedestrian environment.
Since school overcrowding, particularly at the elementary school level, remains a concern in North Bethesda, the White Flint 2 plan will consider school capacity issues.
Planners will host an open house late this spring to engage area residents and solicit their ideas, and will work closely with Rockville city staff, particularly on proposed changes to two miles of Rockville Pike. Stay in the loop as the plan develops by signing up for our community contact list.
The staff draft of the plan is expected to go to the Planning Board for consideration in early 2013, then to the County Council later that year.
Planners develop master and sector plans to create a framework for each community designed to last 15 to 20 years. Those visions help planners and policy-makers – such as the Planning Board and County Council – develop land use strategies and decide on proposed development.
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FIFTH-GRADER WINS ARBOR DAY POSTER CONTEST, AS A RESULT CEDAR GROVE ELEMENTARY IS SELECTED FOR SPECIAL ARBOR DAY CELEBRATION
Woody the Tree, Montgomery Parks Director Mary Bradford, Cedar Grove fifth-grader Rachel Ma and Principal Lee Derby
SILVER SPRING—Students at Cedar Grove Elementary in Germantown were treated to a special Arbor Day celebration at their school this week thanks to one of their classmates artistic talents. Fifth-grader Rachel Ma’s winning entry into Montgomery Parks Arbor Day Poster Contest gained the school a robust day of hands-on tree-focused activities, culminating in a sky-high-bucket truck trip to the canopy of a mature tree accompanied by members of the Montgomery Parks Tree Crew. Ma’s poster showcasing the benefits of trees in Montgomery County will be displayed at park facilities around the county.
Rachel Ma's winning poster submission
Other activities students participated in with experts from Montgomery Parks Arboriculture Section included:
- A live composting demonstration using the Park’s “secret” recipe
- Planting three trees (from the Park’s Nursery, Pope Farm) on school grounds
- A tree walk to learn how to identify different types of trees
- Learning about the anatomy of a tree including studying its growth rings and how it gets food and water from any location
- Photos with the Park’s mascot Woody the Tree
The school was presented with the Arbor Day Foundation Tree City Award Flag by Maryland Department of Natural Resources In addition Montgomery Parks donated a collection of tree themed books to the school’s library. Each student received a tree seedling to take home.
“Montgomery Parks has an extensive tree care program and one of the highlights is getting out into the community to share our knowledge with students and help them fall in love with trees as we have,” said Department of Parks Senior Urban Forester, Holly Thomas.
For the 15th year, Montgomery County has been recognized with the designation of Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation in honor of its commitment to tree planting and tree care. Montgomery County met the four standards necessary to become a Tree City USA by having a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, a comprehensive community forestry program and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.
Montgomery Parks Arboriculture section provides a comprehensive tree care program that supports the protection, management and long-term health of trees and forests on parkland and provides a safer environment for park patrons, through the removal of high risk trees and limbs. The program also provides consultation for park renovation and development projects and preserves the most significant and highest valued parkland trees. In addition the Arboriculture section utilizes all green waste produced in the management of parkland to generate compost, soil conditioners and wood products. The Arboriculture section is part of the Montgomery Parks Horticulture, Forestry and Environmental Education Division supporting the acquisition, conservation, development, maintenance and management of parks.
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SILVER SPRING, Md–The Montgomery Parks Foundation Board of Trustees elected Theresa Cameron and Kelly Groff to three year terms on the governing body at its March 28 meeting. The appointments were approved on April 19 by the Montgomery County Planning Board. The Montgomery Parks Foundation, a 501 c (3) charitable organization, is a champion for M-NCPPC Montgomery Parks, promoting the values and benefits of the park system to residents and policy-makers and raising private sector revenue to help it preserve and enhance its award-winning status.
“Both Kelly and Theresa are well-connected in the County, bring an incredible amount of local experience and appreciate well the importance of our parks to what attracts businesses and residents to our county,” indicated Joseph Isaacs, President of the Board of Trustees of the Montgomery Parks Foundation. “Their insights into our community will help the Foundation enormously as we identify private sources of revenue to support the preservation and improvement of our parks at a time when tax revenues are limited and appropriations to parks cannot meet the demands.”
Teresa Cameron
Theresa Cameron is the Manager of Local Arts Agency Services at Americans for the Arts, where she develops and implements programs and services to strengthen the area’s 5,000 local arts agencies. Previously, Cameron served for 10 years as the CEO of the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County (AHCMC), overseeing the operations of this $4 million quasi-governmental agency. Prior to joining AHCMC, she was manager of corporate and foundation relations at the Association of University Women Educational Foundation and held a post with the National Endowment for the Arts.
Cameron brings considerable board experience to the Montgomery Parks Foundation Board of Trustees, having chaired the Maryland Association of Nonprofits Board, Maryland Citizens for the Arts and the Silver Spring Arts and Entertainment District Advisory Committee. She also served on the Boards of the Montgomery County Conference and Visitor’s Bureau and the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce. She is a graduate of the Leadership Maryland and Leadership Montgomery programs and was named one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women.
Kelly Groff
Kelly Groff was appointed Director of the Conference and Visitors Bureau of (CVB) of Montgomery County, Maryland in 1994. Prior to joining the CVB, she served as an Economic Development Specialist in the Tourism division of the Baltimore County Department of Economic Development. Groff began her career in 1985 as a travel trade development officer with the Baltimore City Office of Promotion and Tourism. Following this position, she worked as the director of catering and room sales at the Admiral Fell Inn in Baltimore’s Fells Point, and then as director of sales for the new Clarion Inn at Pier 5 at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.
A native Marylander, Groff was an Adjunct Professor with the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Department of Hotel Management at the Universities at Shady Grove. She taught Eco & Cultural Tourism and Hospitality and Leisure Services Marketing.
The Montgomery Parks Foundation provides opportunities for county residents and businesses to support Montgomery Parks as members, donors, sponsors, and advocates, and actively seeks individual donations, sponsorships, legacy gifts, and endowments to support park operations, development and maintenance.
SILVER SPRING, MD – Rollin Stanley, who has directed the Montgomery County Planning Department for the last four years, announced his resignation last week to head the Planning, Development and Assessment Department for Calgary, Alberta, which consists of 800 employees.
The Canadian city of one million residents, the country’s third largest, recruited Stanley last winter after interviewing him several years ago for another position and after an international search. Stanley did not seek out the position, he said, but considered the offer too good to refuse because it provides the challenge of managing Calgary’s tremendous growth as well as professional opportunities for his wife, also a planner.
Stanley leaves the 140-member Planning Department after making his mark as a strategist for smart growth in a county that is expected to continue to be a magnet for new residents. Stanley not only strengthened the county’s vision for compact growth around Montgomery County’s existing and future transit stations, but he also developed tools to enable the right kind of development to occur.
Stanley oversaw development of the recently adopted Commercial Residential Zone, which allows a mix of uses to reduce driving and create pedestrian-oriented, dynamic communities. He directed the vision in the 2010 White Flint Sector Plan that is changing the face of the mid-county with exciting new building projects, and he has helped advance the countywide Zoning Rewrite Project to modernize an old and outdated code.
“We’re sorry to lose him,” said Planning Board Chair Françoise Carrier. “He motivated all of us with his ideas and energy, and he helped set a great course for the county. Our focus now is to keep up the momentum to implement the county’s vision for its future.”
Commissioner Casey Anderson expressed disappointment at losing Stanley, but said it was a chance to take on broader responsibilities and new challenges. “I would have loved to see him spend the rest of his career in Montgomery County, but I certainly understand why the Calgary opportunity is so attractive,” he said. “It’s a huge undertaking, and they are lucky to have someone with Rollin’s energy and creativity to take it on.”
Carrier said she hopes to hire a new director before the end of the year. In the next few weeks, the Board will make an announcement concerning interim management.
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After a distinguished 24-year career with the Maryland-National Capital Park Police, Chief Darien L. Manley has announced his retirement plans effective May 1, 2012. “It’s been a good ride,” Chief Manley said. “I am proud to say that I have served with the best of the best. I’m looking forward to a new challenge but will miss my colleagues.” Chief Manley has served in both Montgomery County and Prince George’s County as an Officer, Detective, Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, and for the last four years as the Chief of the Montgomery County Division.
Chief Manley is best known for his innovative technology solutions to everyday policing. Under his watch, the Division has been on the cutting edge of technology and communications. Chief Manley was a Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commissions’ Police Training and Firearms Instructor for more than two decades. He will be joining the State Highway Administration.
Chief Manley received numerous commendations and awards from the community, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, and other public safety agencies and organizations, including national recognition as the APCO Public Safety Communications Center Director of the Year for the Mid-Atlantic Region. He was awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award and the Prince George’s Parks & Recreation Meritorious Achievement Award. Chief Manley has completed the Maryland Leadership Challenge and the DEA National Drug Enforcement Academy.
“Commander Manley managed his Park Police division with strength and kindness, and with a deep commitment to the parks and community he served,” said Mary Bradford, M-NCPPC Montgomery County Parks Director. “He directed his force through some difficult times and leaves them stronger and well-prepared for the future. He was a key part of the management team for Montgomery Parks, and his shoes will be hard to fill as we search for a new Division Chief for the Park Police. I relied upon Commander Manley’s skills, and respect him both personally and professionally. We will truly miss him.”
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