SILVER SPRING, MD—With only 17 shopping days left until Christmas, the Montgomery County Department of Parks offers two new green gift ideas for the holiday season: a donation to help save trees in Montgomery Parks and merchandise from the new Montgomery Parks online store.
“Our new donation program to help save trees in Montgomery Parks makes a great holiday gift,” said Department of Parks Natural Resources Specialist Lynette Scaffidi. “One hundred percent of any tax-deductible contribution you make will go directly to paying for contractual work to control and manage nonnative invasive plants on Montgomery parklands.”
Nonnative invasive plant species present one of the greatest threats to the health and biodiversity of county parklands. These plants disrupt the ecology of natural ecosystems, displace native plants, impact native animals and degrade Montgomery County parks. For 10 years, Department of Parks volunteer Weed Warriors have been donating countless hours of service to physically removing nonnative invasives from parklands. This new donation program now offers a process to make monetary contributions too.
“Giving the gift of green this holiday season can also mean supporting the programs and services you love in Montgomery Parks in style,” said Kate Stookey, park information and customer service division chief for the Department of Parks.
Just in time for the holidays, the Department of Parks has launched a new online store, which offers apparel and merchandise for men, women, children and pets. Items include t-shirts, sweatshirts and baseball jerseys, bodysuits and bibs, and dog t-shirts and pet bowls. There are also general-merchandise items including mugs, clocks and magnets. Some of the slogans on items include: “Park It”, “Future Fisherman”, “Got Parks?” and “Trail Mix”. All proceeds from online store sales go to support Montgomery Parks programs and services.
“Consider giving the parks lover in your family a gift this holiday season that keeps giving back to the parks they love to enjoy, explore and protect year-round,” added Stookey.
To make a donation to help save trees in Montgomery Parks, visit www.WeedWarrior.org and to shop on the new Montgomery Parks online store, check out www.MontgomeryParks.org.
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Contact:
Kelli Holsendolph
Media Relations Manager
Montgomery County Department of Parks
301-650-2866