Per Montgomery County: A series of Summer Shady Hikes organized by Montgomery Parks will help people stay active in August, despite the heat. The hikes will be especially geared to help beginning hikers. The three hikes in August, designed for ages 8-and-older, wlll take place from 6-7 p.m.
The upcoming Summer Shady Hikes schedule:
Montgomery Parks and the Montgomery Parks Foundation are making summer camp dreams come true for 34 local children and teens by awarding them the Marye Wells-Harley Dream Camp scholarship. The scholarship is funded by donations and provides one week of camp tuition to young people ages 3-18 whose families need financial assistance. The 34 scholarships awarded this summer represent the largest number granted since the program started in 2018.
“This record number of awardees means that we are getting the word out to the people that need the services,” said former Planning Board member Marye Wells-Harley. “Summer camp is an opportunity for children to explore, learn, meet new people, and have fun in a safe and secure environment. And it also gives mom and dad a little break during summertime.” The scholarship fund was created to honor Marye Wells-Harley’s commitment to young people and parks and recreation. She is a former member of the Montgomery County Planning Board and a retired director of the Prince George’s County Department of Parks and Recreation.
Warner Circle Park will remain a public park managed by Montgomery Parks.
Montgomery Parks, in conjunction with Montgomery County Government, has entered into an agreement to transfer the historic Circle Manor and Carriage House at Warner Circle Park to Washington Landmark Construction (WLC) to develop seventeen residential condominiums. The Historic Preservation Commission recently approved the proposed work as described in the Historic Area Work Permit. WLC is now working to complete the design documents and obtain all necessary permits.
The oldest white oak tree in Montgomery County will be removed next week, according to a press release by Montgomery Parks. Montgomery Parks will be taking down the historic Linden Oak tree because it is in declining health on Tuesday, July 18, 2023 at 8:30 a.m. (Date subject to change based on weather conditions.)
The usable wood from the tree will be taken to nearby Ken-Gar Local Park where a chainsaw artist will carve it into a sculpture. The trunk of the Linden Oak will remain in place, along with two existing memorial plaques. One plaque commemorates the Linden Oak being named a Bicentennial Tree in 1976, for surviving the American Revolution. The other plaque recognizes the efforts of local citizens to save the tree from destruction during Metro construction in the 1970s.
Montgomery Parks aims to inspire a new generation of environmental stewards during Latino Conservation Week. Activities planned in Parks July 15-23, 2023.
Montgomery Parks is celebrating the tenth annual Latino Conservation Week July 15-23, 2023, with events and programs to support the Latino community in getting outdoors and participating in activities to protect our natural resources. Latino Conservation Week was started by the Hispanic Access Foundation to connect Latino communities with access to outdoor recreation and conservation education. More than 200 events are planned nationwide to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards. Montgomery Parks has several free events planned for adults and children. All events will be conducted in Spanish and English:
On July 1, 2023, Montgomery Parks was recognized with a proclamation from the Governor of Maryland, Wes Moore, for Park and Recreation Month acknowledging the important role that parks and recreation play for communities throughout Montgomery County. Read the proclamation (can also be seen below).
Per Montgomery County: The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) has awarded The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) an $18.5 million RAISE grant to fund the rehabilitation of multi-use paths to fill gaps in the Capital Trails Network. The Capital Trails Network is a plan developed by local jurisdictions, the National Park Service and trail advocacy organizations, to connect 990 miles of trail between Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. Two Montgomery County trails will be among the five that will benefit from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) money. Those are the Northwest Branch Trail and the Sligo Creek Trail.
The funds will be used in Montgomery to:
Visit the Summer 2023 Montgomery Parks Program Guide. Go to Montgomery Parks event calendar for a complete list of special events and programming and to learn how to sign up using ActiveMontgomery
Montgomery Parks Program Access Office has received a Community Inclusion Award from the ARC of Montgomery County, in recognition of its commitment to supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The ARC is the largest organization in the world for people with IDD and their families. Each year the Montgomery County chapter holds a Community, Volunteer and Employee Awards Ceremony to honor those who show a strong commitment to connecting people of all ages and abilities with their communities.
“It is an honor to be recognized for our efforts to support people of all abilities in building active and fulfilling lives,” said Montgomery Parks Director Mike Riley. “Our Program Access Office is a dedicated team of inclusion specialists working hard to make parks and programs easily accessible for everyone.” Montgomery Parks’ Program Access office ensures that individuals with disabilities are welcomed to participate in enjoyable leisure-time activities in accessible places and programs. They accomplish this by offering enhanced staff-to-participant ratio at programs, providing inclusion and disability training for staff, providing adaptive equipment at various park locations, and working with event planners to ensure events are accessible to the public.
Montgomery Parks is hosting “Espectáculo de comediá en español” (Spanish Comedy Show), a free Spanish-language comedy show on Thursday, July 6, at Flower Avenue Urban Park. The event is appropriate for ages 13 and older and is part of the Parks Playhouse series. Five nationally recognized Spanish-speaking comedians (Che Guerrero, Carmen Lynch, Pedro Gonzalez, Elena Torres, and Jepherson Guevara) will take the stage and perform their stand-up routines that will touch on relatable topics such as family, relationships, inheritance and how to navigate life.
What: Espectáculo de comediá en español (Spanish Comedy Show)
Money from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant will be used to enhance trails in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties as part of the Capital Trails Network.
The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced this week that it has awarded The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission an $18.5 million RAISE grant to fund the rehabilitation of multi-use paths to fill gaps in the Capital Trails Network. The Capital Trails Network is a plan developed by local jurisdictions, the National Park Service and trail advocacy organizations, to connect 990 miles of trail between Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia.