Environmental Finance Center News
UMD’s “Green” Grants Fund Gardens, Clean Energy and More Across Maryland Communities
Written by Katherine ShaverEastern Shore environmentalists hoping to lure more bees, hummingbirds and other pollinators to Salisbury, Md. just got $20,000 in help.A new grant from the University of Maryland’s “greening” program will bring to the city gardens of native flowering plants where pollinators can find food and nesting space. Salisbury is one of eight Maryland cities and towns awarded $5,000 to $20,000 from Sustainable Maryland to help protect wildlife, combat climate change, and make the state more environmentally resilient.View Article Details for UMD’s “Green” Grants Fund Gardens, Clean Energy and More Across Maryland Communities 
UMD Team Finds E. coli, MRSA Contaminating Potomac River After Sewage Spill
This article originally appeared in Maryland Today. Written by Fid Thompson. University of Maryland researchers have detected high levels of fecal-related bacteria and disease-causing pathogens in the Potomac River following a massive sewage spill, raising urgent public health concerns and underscoring the risks posed by aging sewer infrastructure.View Article Details for UMD Team Finds E. coli, MRSA Contaminating Potomac River After Sewage Spill 
2025 Sustainable Maryland Certified Awards
Sustainable Maryland honored 18 Maryland municipalities at the Maryland Municipal League’s annual Fall Conference on Tuesday, October 14 at the Wisp Resort in McHenry, Maryland. To date, 93 municipalities, or 59% of the state's 157 towns and cities, participate in the program, and 33% are currently designated "Sustainable Maryland Certified".The complete list of the 2025 newly certified and re-certified communities, with their Bronze or Silver level status, includes: View Article Details for 2025 Sustainable Maryland Certified Awards 
EFC Water Quality Expert Tapped by Gov. Wes Moore
Environmental Finance Center (EFC) Director Jennifer Cotting has been appointed to Maryland’s BayStat Program Scientific Advisory Panel by Gov. Wes Moore. The advisory panel oversees restoration programs for the Mid-Atlantic’s largest estuary, the Chesapeake Bay, as well as the Atlantic Coastal Bays.View Article Details for EFC Water Quality Expert Tapped by Gov. Wes Moore 
Green Infrastructure Makes “Cents” for Cities
A new brief on the economic benefits of green infrastructure demonstrates the dollars and “sense” behind trails, urban trees and other landscapes, making a case for communities to “scale up” nature-based solutions. Developed by UMD’s Environmental Finance Center for the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), the summary will be shared with global and U.S. policymakers at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change COP 29 in Baku, Azerbaijan this month.View Article Details for Green Infrastructure Makes “Cents” for Cities 
Congratulations to the Sustainable Maryland Class of 2024!
The Environmental Finance Center at the University of Maryland announced that 17 Maryland municipalities were honored at the Sustainable Maryland Awards Ceremony at the Maryland Municipal League’s annual Fall Conference last week.View Article Details for Congratulations to the Sustainable Maryland Class of 2024!