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ANNAPOLIS GREEN

Annapolis Green believes in thinking globally while acting locally. Our mission is to connect, inform, and inspire Annapolis residents, organizations, and businesses to care for the environment, live more responsibly and create a more beautiful, thriving community.


Annapolis Green is different. We’re not a shovels-in-the-ground stream restoration organization. We are environmentally effective in a distinctive way. Climate Change continues to be our focus, whether we bring this information to the public by advocating for driving electric, planting trees, growing food in our home gardens, reducing plastic waste, composting, and saving energy and water. Your support makes it possible for us to continue to do this important work.

We see ourselves as the connectors, having worked for the past 14 years to bring the environmental community together and ensuring meaningful interactions.

Have you refused a plastic straw, filled your reusable water bottle, participated in a Zero-Waste event, or stopped by the Green House on State Circle? If so, you’ve met Annapolis Green!


You might know us best for Green Drinks Annapolis, our monthly signature events. Legendary after 13 years, these gatherings bring together people from all facets of our community over drinks who then go forth to create environmental magic! Important connections are made inspiring like-minded Annapolitans to take action on themes we’ve introduced like Single-use Plastic Pollution, Climate Change, Sustainability, Electric Vehicles, Environmental Legislation, Clean Water, Recycling and Composting.

 

Annapolis Green is the only local non-profit with an ongoing campaign to educate about the importance of reducing single-use plastics, including water bottles, plastic bags, and plastic straws. The oceans, and the Chesapeake Bay, are overrun with plastic pollution, particularly microplastics which wildlife mistake for food. We are proud of the fact that our "Don't Suck. #Sip Responsibly." campaign has resulted in a growing number of local restaurants and bars voluntarily eliminating plastic straws. We have widened the  campaign now to include all sorts of single-use plastics from throw-away water bottles to plastic bags, and rebranded is as "It Starts with a Straw."

 

As the capital of Maryland, a state with over 400 miles of Chesapeake Bay shoreline, plastic pollution reduction – much of which ends up in our waterways – should be a part of everyday life. We're trying to make that happen with a coordinated effort that includes:

  • Responsible Events & Festivals Program (The Green REF) The REF program affects more than 25 special events per year, offering guidance, resources and messsaging for sustainability on the go.

  • Refill RevolutionAnnapolis Green’s NAPTOWN TAP portable water refill stations have eliminated the equivalent close to 6000 throw-away 16.9 oz. plastic water bottles. 

This year we launched a discussion series about Climate Change entitled "Tread Lightly on the Earth." The first, "Climate Change 101," was held in March to a standing-room-only audience. At least three more will follow on topics such as Climate Change and Health and Food Supply, Climate Change and National Security, and What Our Local Governments are Doing About Climate Change Resiliency.

As a Keep America Beautiful affiliate, we have leveraged the power of that organization, and its proven expertise in Litter Prevention, Waste Reduction & Recycling, and Beautification. Through Keep America Beautiful, we have been able to present the City of Annapolis with 22 recycling bins and two environmental sculptures. We have also organized litter cleanup days, and helped message proper ways to recycle.

For four years we have brought sustainability to one of the largest local events -- the annual Annapolis Rotary Crab Feast. Prior to our involvement most of the waste from that 2500-person event went to the landfill. Now, with our assistance, virtually nothing goes to the landfill and over 14 tons of waste has, instead, been composted. In December we sold over 300 15-pound bags of "Christmas Crab Compost" as a unique holiday gift for gardeners.

We have also highlighted the importance to the environment of renewable energy and alternative transportation by hosting an electric vehicle showcase for the past five years during National Drive Electric Week. We continue to advocate for growing the local EV infrastructure to keep our air cleaner.

 

Seeing the power of partnerships, we strive to work with and celebrate the work of like-minded organizations whenever possible. We have collaborated with just about all of the GreenGive partner organizations by volunteering at their events, helping them achieve Zero-Waste through our Green REF program, and helping with grant writing and capacity building. In addition, we are the proud recipient of two Unity Gardens grants used to establish an urban pollinator garden and an urban conservation/vegetable garden at our office, the Annapolis Green House, on State Circle and Maryland Avenue, in the shadow of the State House.

The garden and the City street tree we've adopted (on the sidewalk next to our office), serve as examples to other organizations and businesses that it is possible to provide habitat without chemicals and to make our city beautiful!

 

We are a unique organization. We hope you'll be moved to support our efforts.

Visit our website.

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