Maryland PLANT Community - Awards Program

People Loving And Nurturing Trees (PLANT) is a statewide award program to recognize communities for their tree planting and tree care efforts. Communities range from schools, homeowner organizations and parks to metropolitan areas, cities and towns.

There are four PLANT award levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Green. Successive levels require more formalized tree care activities. Although a community may remain at any level for an unlimited number of years, the goal of the program is to encourage a community to grow through the award levels by strengthening their commitment and care for their urban trees.

Description: Awards are given based on the number of accomplishments completed by the applicant during the award year. A minimum of 4 accomplishments is required to be recognized. Acceptable accomplishments for PLANT awards range from holding a one-time tree event or ceremony (Arbor Day) to having built comprehensive ongoing planting and maintenance programs. PLANT is sponsored by the Maryland DNR Forest Service and the Maryland Community Forestry Council. Applications must be received by the Maryland DNR Forest Service by 11/30.

Plant Award Winner
At an Arbor Day celebration at Riverdale ES, Town of Riverdale Park received a PLANT award from MD DNR forester, Horace Henry, in recognition of the town's reforestation efforts.

Communities submit an application in which they describe the events and activities that meet an award criteria. Applications are submitted to the DNR Forest Service by December 15th each year and awards are presented in April, often in conjunction with local Arbor/Earth Day celebrations.

This application can be filled in on your computer. Return the completed, signed form and suggested documentation to either of the contacts listed below.

If you have any questions about the program please contact:

 

Heather Montgomery
Frederick County Division of Public Works
Watershed Management Seciton
118 North Market Street
Frederick, MD  21701
301-600-1741
hmontgomery@fredco-md.net

Terry Galloway
MD DNR Forest Service
Tawes State Office Building E-1
580 Taylor Avenue
Annapolis, MD 21401
410-260-8510
tgalloway@dnr.state.md.us

Plant Community Award Winners
In 2008, 129 of Maryland’s communities demonstrated their commitment to caring for their Urban Forest resources by being PLANT Communities! PLANT stands for People Loving And Nurturing Trees. As you can see from the list of winners, communities from Oakland (Garrett County) to Ocean City (Worcester County) and from Chesapeake City (Cecil County) to LaPlata (Charles County) - all across Maryland - are full of people loving and nurturing trees!
 

Bronze Award The BRONZE AWARD is an attractive framed certificate indicating the award level and community name. Communities qualify for the Bronze Award by sponsoring a single activity or "one time event" relating to trees or tree care. Typical activities include a tree planting, or Arbor or Earth Day event.

The SILVER AWARD includes an etched wooden plaque with silver nameplate and date tag engraved with the year of the award. The plaque is designed to display additional PLANT awards of silver (or higher) in subsequent years to document a community's on-going commitment to their trees. The Silver is intended to encourage activities that lay the groundwork for developing an urban forestry program. Such activities might include data collection for a tree or natural resource inventory or the creation of a Tree Board or Beautification Committee. Silver Award

Gold Award The GOLD AWARD is an engraved, gold-colored date plate to be mounted on the wooden PLANT plaque. The Gold Award recognizes communities for actively developing urban forestry programs to improve the health of their community's trees. Activities that qualify for this award level may include development of a tree management plan based on a previous inventory or adoption of tree protection regulations.


The GREEN AWARD is a green-colored date plate for display on the wooden PLANT plaque. Although simple in form, it represents the highest PLANT honor to recognize a community that has developed a well-established urban forestry program. This coveted award is reserved for programs that are funded, fully functional and staffed by qualified professionals (including volunteer assistance). Communities that are recipients of the federally awarded Tree City USA status automatically qualify for PLANT's Green Award.

To participate in Maryland's PLANT Program, simply fill in the PLANT application print it and mail to the region in which you live. The addresses are shown on the first page of the application. You may submit any time during the year but the yearly deadline is December 15
th for awards to be made the following April.

The History of the PLANT Program


Plant Award Winner The Maryland PLANT Program was established in 1991 as a cooperative effort between the Maryland Community Forest Council (MCFC) and the Maryland Forest Service. The goal of the program was to help local communities step through the process of developing an on-going urban forestry program. By reinforcing small, initial efforts, communities begin to "adopt" their local tree resources and once engaged, become invested in maintaining the health and survival of the tree canopy. As the tasks become more complex, evolving into tree inventories and management plans, MCFC and the Forest Service can provide technical support and volunteer assistance to aid in the development of a formalized urban forestry program.

Before PLANT was established, national programs such as Tree City USA were providing these services for incorporated communities but smaller groups and unincorporated communities were not qualified to participate. PLANT was established to fill this gap and to encourage involvement by communities of all sizes.

During the first few years of the program, the number of participating communities grew to 30 in 1994. After program revisions in 1996, the number of PLANT communities skyrocketed from 67 in 1998 to 161 in year 2000. But the number of participants is only half of the story. Fostering growth through the award levels is a major goal of the PLANT program. Many communities enter at the Bronze Award level and gradually intensify their efforts; others may skip one or more levels to quickly achieve the top Green Award. PLANT encourages communities to intensify their efforts at their own pace. Sustainability is encouraged.
 


2008 PLANT Award Winners
People Loving And Nurturing Trees

Plant logo and MUCFC logo
Name   City 2008
CENTRAL REGION    
Aberdeen Proving Ground APG Green
Baltimore City Dept Rec & Parks Baltimore Green
Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. Baltimore Green
Bel Air, Town of Bel Air Green
Campus Hills CA Towson Bronze
Chesapeake City, Town of Chesapeake City Silver
Chevy Chase, Town of Chevy Chase Green
Eastern Technical High School Baltimore Bronze
Friends of Patapsco Valley & Heritage Greenway Ellicott City Certificate
Greening of Dundalk Dundalk Bronze
Hampstead, Town of Hampstead Green
Harford County Governmant Bel Air Green
Harford Glen Environmental Education Center Bel Air Silver
Havre de Grace Middle School Havre de Grace Silver
Havre de Grace, City of Havre de Grace Green
Hickory Elementary School Bel Air Silver
Howard Co Dept Rec & Parks & Environmental Service Columbia Bronze
Howard County Government Dayton Green
Inverness HOA Potomac Silver
Jarrettsville Elementary School Jarrettsville Silver
Kensington, Town of Kensington Green
Lutherville Lab for Science Math & Comm Lutherville Gold
Maryland National Guard Havre de Grace Silver
Mount Airy Garden Club Mt Airy Certificate
New Mark Commons Rockville Green
Partnership for a Healthier Carroll Co Inc Westminster Certificate
Perry Hall High School Baltimore Bronze
Rockville, City of Rockville Green
Rosedale Center Baltimore Bronze
Somerset, Town of Chevy Chase Green
Sparrows Point High School Edgemere Green
Sykesville Boy Scouts Pack 883 Woodbine Certificate
University of Maryland, Baltimore County Baltimore Green
Woodside Park Civic Association Silver Spring Green
Youth's Benefit Elementary School Fallston Gold
     
EASTERN SHORE    
Benedictine School Ridgely Green
Berlin Intermediate School Berlin Green
Buckingham Elementary School Berlin Gold
Ocean City, Town of Ocean City Green
Salisbury University Arboretum Salisbury Green
Salisbury Zoological Park Salisbury Gold
Sudlersville Middle School Ecol Corps Sudlersville Green
Worcester County Rec & Parks Dept Snow Hill Green
Accokeek Foundation Accokeek Bronze
     
SOUTHERN REGION    
Adelphi Hills Community  Association Hyattsville Bronze
Annapolis Road Academy Bladensburg Bronze
Annapolis, City of Annapolis Green
Anne Arundel Community College Arnold Green
Archbishop Neale School LaPlata Bronze
Bay Ridge Civic Association Annapolis Gold
Bowie, City of Bowie Green
Bradburn memorial Bible Church District Heights Bronze
Brentwood, Town of Brentwood Green
Calvert Manor Garden Club Accokeek Bronze
Cameron Grove Active Adult Community Upper Marlboro Bronze
Capitol College Laurel Bronze
Charles Carroll Middle School New Carrollton Bronze
Chesapeake Ecology Center Annapolis Green
Cheverly, Town of Cheverly Green
College Park, City of College Park Green
Colmar Manor, Town of Colmar Manor Bronze
Cottage City, Town of Cottage City Bronze
Crofton Farms Gambrills Bronze
Eugene Burroughs Middle School Accokeek Bronze
First United Methodist Church of Hyattsville Hyattsville Bronze
Forestville New Redeemer Baptist Church Forestville Bronze
Greater Accokeek Civic Association Accokeek Gold
Greenbelt Homes Inc. Greenbelt Green
High Point High School Beltsville Silver
Historic Saint Marys City St. Mary's City Green
Hollywood Elementary School Hollywood Bronze
Hyattsville Elementary School Hyattsville Bronze
Hyattsville, City of Hyattsville Green
Judith P Hoyer Early Childhood Center Cheverly Bronze
Lake Arbor Civic Association Mitchellville  Bronze
Laurel, City of Laurel Green
Little Friends for Peace Mt Rainier Bronze
Lower Potomac Tributary Team Solomons Silver
Manchester Estates Civic Association Camp Springs Silver
Mattaponi Elementary School Boy Scouts Pack 239 Upper Marlboro Bronze
MD National Capital Park & Planning Commission Upper Marlboro Green
New Carrollton, City of New Carrollton Green
Patuxent River Naval Air Station Patuxent River Green
Port Towns Elementary School Bladensburg Silver
Prince George's Community Federal Credit Union Upper Marlboro Certificate
Princeton Elementary School Suitland Bronze
Queens Manor Garden Apertments Hyattsville Bronze
Register of Wills Upper Marlboro Certificate
Riverdale Hghts/Hills/Crestwood Community Assoc Riverdale Silver
Riverdale Park, Town of Riverdale Park Green
Robert Goddard Montessori School Seabrook Silver
Rosa L Parks Elementary School Hyattsville Bronze
Saefern Saddle & Yacht Club Annapolis Gold
Scientists' Cliffs Association Port Republic Gold
Scotchtown Hills Elementary School Laurel Silver
Sherwood Forest Sherwood Forest Green
Shipley's Choice Elementary School Millersville Silver
St Mary's College of Maryland St Mary's City Green
St Mary's County Health Dept Leonardtown Gold
St Mary's County Rec & Parks California Green
St Mary's Nursing Center Leonardtown Gold
Summit Creek Community Association Clinton Bronze
Tantallon Citizen's Association Ft Washington Bronze
Valley View Elementary School Oxon Hill Bronze
Waldon Woods Elementary School Clinton Bronze
Wicomico Shores Golf Course Chaptico Green
Wilburn Central Civic Assoc Capitol Heights Silver
William S Schmidt Outdoor Ed. Center Brandywine Silver
Woods End HOA Oxon Hill Green
Woodyard Estates HOA Inc Upper Marlboro Bronze
     
WESTERN REGION    
Brunswick, City of Brunswick Bronze
Catoctin High School Thurmont Silver
Cumberland, City of Cumberland Green
Fort Detrick Fort Detrick Green
Frederick, City of Frederick Green
Friendsville, Town of Friendsville Green
Hagerstown, City of Hagerstown Green
Loch Lynn Heights, Town of Loch Lynn Heights Green
Middletown High School Middletown Bronze
North Glade 4-H Community Center Swanton Bronze
Oakland, Town of Oakland Green
Tuscarora Elementary School Frederick Silver
Urbana Middle School Ijamsville Silver
Valley Elementary School Jefferson Silver
Walkersville High School Walkersville Silver
Waterford Park, Friends of Frederick Gold
Western Maryland 4-H Center Mountain Lake Park Silver
Wolfsville Elementary School Myersville Silver
   
Certificates are awarded to groups participating in Urban Forestry projects in their community.  
   

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest Service wants to know if this service is helpful for you or your company, please send comments and/or suggestions to Maryland DNR.
 

Updated October 26, 2009

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