Montgomery Parks, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, announces Brookside Gardens’ annual symposium GreenScapes on Friday, February 17 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The focus of this year’s program is “Designing with Purpose.” The symposium features experts discussing the latest advancements in landscape design strategies to achieve a range of goals, from public gardens that engage diverse audiences to landscapes that reduce carbon footprints and are resilient to climate change. The following topics will be explored:

GreenScapes will be offered as a series of live online lectures using Zoom with audience Q&A incorporated into the program. Each session will be recorded and a link to watch the symposium will be emailed to all participants. Tickets for GreenScapes are $55. Register online or call 301-962-1470. Continuing education credits are available from a variety of landscape design and master gardener professional organizations.


Playtime: Black Hill Regional Park is the place to bring your children three and older for exploring, creating, and climbing during Wild Forest Time(opens in a new tab) on Sunday, January 22, from 1 pm to 3 pm. Staff will supply materials and space in the woods, and your kids supply imagination and sense of adventure. Free drop-in program. Meet at Shelter F on Parking Lot 3.

Health: Adults, increase your flexibility and strength, and cultivate your mental focus with Yoga at Brookside Gardens(opens in a new tab) on Saturday, January 21, 9:30 am. Bring your own mat. Ages eighteen and older only.


The City celebrates & honors Black History Month with storytime programs, film screenings, discussions, and an official proclamation. A list of events can be found here.

Celebrated annually in the United States during the month of February, Black History Month was started in 1926 by Dr. Carter G. Woodson. He sought to bring national attention to the important contributions African Americans made to the history of the United States. Woodson chose February because it includes the birthdays of Frederick Douglass, Langston Hughes & Abraham Lincoln.


On January 28, from 9:30 – 11:30 am, Clarksburg High School will host a Family Forum on Fentanyl & Life Saving Narcan Training. Panelists will share important information for families on the dangers and prevalence of fentanyl, prevention tools, and protective factors for students and resources for treatment when needed.

This is a family discussion about what you need to know about this deadly drug, including Narcan training and distribution of Narcan kits to help reverse an overdose. The Community Opioid Prevention & Education (C.O.P.E.) trailer (a mock teen bedroom) will be available for tours to learn signs of substance use, plus a resource fair, refreshments, Covid-19 vaccinations, and SSL Hours available. You can register here.


Update Jan. 22, 2022 — Due to poor weather conditions in the Wallops area, Rocket Lab’s first U.S. launch of the Electron rocket is now targeted for Tuesday, Jan. 24.  Weather for Tuesday is 90% favorable for the 6-8 p.m. EST launch window.

NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility will support the launch of Rocket Lab USA’s first Electron rocket from Virginia at 6 p.m. EST, Monday, Jan. 23. The 59-foot-tall Electron rocket will lift off from Launch Complex 2 at Virginia Space’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island. The mission, named “Virginia is for Launch Lovers,” will deploy radio frequency monitoring satellites for HawkEye 360.


The conference is scheduled to include a special sneak preview of excerpts from Ain’t no Back to a Merry-Go-Round, an inspirational documentary that highlights the protests that led to desegregation of Glen Echo Park in the 1960s. Breakout sessions will cover topics such as restrictive covenants and housing discrimination, Frieda’s Cottage, LGBTQ+ history, the archaeology of the enslaved, suburban growth in the 1980s and the changing face of agriculture. There also will be a session on the Oyster Wars on the Chesapeake Bay.


Volunteering: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Everyone can be great because everyone can serve.” Honor his memory during MLK Week of Service and volunteer with Montgomery Parks. Pick up litter at a park and stream cleanup or remove invasive, nonnative plants at a Weed Warrior event from Saturday, January 14, through Saturday, January 21. Go to Volunteer Services(opens in a new tab) on our website to sign up.

Gardening: Thomas Christopher, author of Nature into Art: The Gardens of Wave Hill, gives a virtual tour of Bronx’s Wave Hill Public Gardens and discusses sustainability and climate change during this online presentation on Saturday, January 14, 10 am, brought to you by Brookside Gardens’ staff. Register for this online event(opens in a new tab).


Montgomery County is hosting its annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. tribute and celebration from 4–5:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 16 at The Music Center at Strathmore. This free event, “We Are Martin,” will feature special guests, performing artists and a 200-student chorus from Spark M. Matsunaga Elementary School. The Montgomery County Volunteer Center is also hosting the main event for the annual MLK Day of Service from noon–3 p.m. on Jan. 16, at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center at 5701 Marinelli Road in North Bethesda. There are also three partner sites hosting events on Jan. 16:

A full listing of local and remote opportunities to join an MLK Day of Service event is available here. Students can earn Student Service Learning (SSL) hours for attending and participating. Service will continue throughout the week with virtual, home-based and other on-site projects hosted by a variety of organizations.


The 2023 Montgomery County History Day competition is coming up, and local students need your help. The 2023 Montgomery County National History Day Contest will be held on March 4, 2023 at Northwood High School. Middle and high school students have been conducting research, diving into primary sources and creating presentations. The competition is seeking volunteers to serve as judges in evaluating student work. The goal is to encourage and foster a passion for history.

Virtual training will be provided. Judges will spend 20-30 minutes per project reviewing content and making comments. They then meet virtually with other judges to determine the projects that will advance to the statewide competition. Judging will take place in person on Saturday, March 4 at Northwood High School in Silver Spring. For more information, email Kelli Champagne, Prek–12 social studies content specialist, or visit the Montgomery History Conference website.


This year Soulfull Cafe and Main Street Connect, the inclusive community and café in downtown Rockville, are offering community members three ways to give back on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 16th: Writing cards to patients at Children’s National Medical Center; making dog toys for Lucky Dog Animal Rescue, and preparing a meal for Stepping Stones Shelter. Volunteers can write cards and make dog toys from 11 – 1 in the cafe.  Main Street Members will also prepare meals that afternoon in Main Street’s “Poppy Boy’s Kitchen” (the meal preparation is open to Main Street Members only). Participants can register here.

Main Street Connect is the first community-oriented, affordable, accessible housing solution to redefine the concept of inclusion through membership and programming for people of all abilities. Our community is a culture of kindness, opportunity and possibility, improving quality of life for everyone. Main Street ismoving the needle for more inclusive communities across the nation.


January 16- 23, 2023The City celebrates & honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by encouraging residents to give back to their community during a Week of Service, January 16 – 23. An official proclamation recognizing Dr. King & encouraging participation in service projects that strengthen our community & foster a spirit of equality and inclusiveness was made by Mayor Jud Ashman at the Mayor & City Council meeting on January 3. The City’s Youth Services Division, Gaithersburg Youth Club& Student Union were also recognized for providing thousands of hours of service each year through a variety of programs. View the presentation here.

Montgomery County hosts a Week of Service with opportunities for volunteers to help the community’s most vulnerable, keeping with the spirit of Dr. King’s message of nurturing an equitable & inclusive society. Residents are invited to explore the myriad of service activities that are being coordinated by the Montgomery County Volunteer Council. Explore all of the Week of Service opportunities at montgomeryserves.org. If you are interested in leading a service project at your own site and want to recruit volunteers, please contact the Montgomery County Volunteer Center at [email protected].


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