Riverdale Park Targets Sustainable Maryland Certification

It takes more than recycling to get a municipal certification by Sustainable Maryland—and the Green Team of Riverdale Park is prepared to lead the action.

It has been a hectic past few months for Ashley Wilburn. She is a graduate student studying environmental management at the University of Maryland and in January, along with three other people, Wilburn ramped up the Green Team efforts to get the town certified.

Wilburn says the goal of the certification is to reduce costs through efficiency,to educate and promote stewardship of the environment and to instill pride in communities.

The path to certification involves earning points for every action towards sustainability a community takes. Actions include hosting a farmers markets, creating watershed stewardship programs or setting up land preservation projects. A town needs to reach 150 of these points to qualify.

The next Sustainable Maryland application date is June 28, one of only two dates for applying a year. Completing by this date would mean being certified in nearly half a year's time, versus the average one year it takes most communities to get certified.

The Green Team has been conducting surveys around town to assess the needs of the town and what the people want to pursue. So far, 39 people have responded, though mostly from Ward 1.

“We’re using the data from our survey to make the path forward," Wilburn said. "We’re kind of looking for our strength."

To that end, projects on the table for the Green Team include building a dog park that can manage pet waste, working with students at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy to develop a living wellness program, working with the Anacostia Watershed Society to protect the water, and promoting the Tree City U.S.A membership for Riverdale Park.

The certification isn’t a one-time deal; it only lasts three years. In future years, Wilburn would like to see a municipal energy audit, especially with town hall renovations coming up. But the idea is that the town gets behind the project, not just a few people.

 “It’s a community plan, it’s asking ourselves ‘what else can we do?’,” said Wilburn. “It’s constantly pushing ourselves.”

There are currenlty three Sustainable Maryland certified communities in Prince George's County—Bowie, Mt. Rainier and Bladensburg. To learn more about the program, click here.