Written by: Danna Matheus 🇻🇪
Community members visiting green vendors at the Green Summit on Oct.19 at the David C. Driskell Community Park in Hyattsville, MD. (Image via Danna Matheus)
Prince George’s County hosted its 10th Annual Green Summit Fair in the City of Hyattsville at David C. Driskell Community Park on Oct. 19.
The event included resources and demonstrations from environmental organizations, local food and vendors, kid's activities, and a pet adoption station.
“Our ultimate goal is to expose everybody to more green initiatives. Climate change is real, so we have to take advantage of knowing how we can do electric vehicles and solar panels. And it comes down to how we get rid of trash these days: recycling, composting,” said Rodney Taylor, Prince George’s County Special Assistant of the Director of the Environment.
Taylor said that one of the county’s priorities is illegal dumping. According to a statement by Angela Alsobrooks, “Litter doesn’t grow like grass, and every single one of us has a responsibility to pick up after ourselves and to remind people close to us that they should do the same thing.”
Cameras are now out to prevent illegal dumping in the county. “We now have cameras out to let people know that illegal dumping won’t be accepted in Prince George's County no longer,” said Taylor.
The county worked closely with the City of Hyattsville to bring the Green Summit to Driskell Park. The City of Hyattsville, also recognized as a tree city by the National Arbor Day Foundation, provided the community with resources for waste disposal, a free tree planting program, invasive species removal, street clean-ups, and volunteer opportunities.
The City’s Department of Public Works also organized an invasive plant species removal at the park, which helps the native trees thrive. Protecting trees is one of the city’s main priorities.
“We just rewrote the city’s trees guidelines, which hadn't been done since the 70s or 80s, so we updated it to make sure that the trees are protected,” said Kyla Gallagher, Shade Tree Board Member of the City of Hyattsville.
Dawn Taft, the City Arborist, oversees the approval of city permits, while the Shade Tree Board collaborates with her to enforce and recommend new guidelines for better protecting trees. This includes requiring permits to cut down large trees, which are vital for providing shade and contributing to the canopy, according to Gallagher.
The Shade Tree Board also partners with Casey Trees, a non-profit organization; together, they have an ongoing initiative to plant 750 trees on private property for free this year per Gallagher.
“Casey Trees would come by your house and tell you where a tree would grow nicely and what type of tree would grow well there,” said Gallagher.
Image via Danna Matheus
“A lot of residents don’t know that the tree giveaway program exists. I didn’t know it existed until I joined the Shade Board, so part of what we try to do is get the word out. Make sure that people are aware of the wonderful resources that the City of Hyattsville has for them,” said John Healy, Shade Tree Board member.
“A lot of people move to Hyattsville because they like living in a shady, leafy environment, and over the last decade or so, some streets that used to have a lot of trees don't have any trees anymore, so we are just trying to do what we can to keep the neighborhood pretty,” said Healy.
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