Upcoming...
Seeds Starting Talk & Free Potting Workshop
On March 2, the Growing & Growing Club, will collaborate with Thrive Club and SEEDS club to prepare fruit and vegetable seeds for the community garden. Additionally, our gardening expert, Jihong Ma, will give a talk to the club for directions and information. Light refreshments, including pizza, will be provided. Spaces are limited, so sign up using the QR code as soon as possible!
Recently...
New Year's Hiking, Club Launched a New Environmental Goal
On January 1st, 2024, the first day of the New Year, our club went to the Great Falls in Bethesda, Maryland to hike the trail and pick up trash along the way. There were eight families that attended the event, 2024 New Year's Re"hike"ling Day. We brought bags and trash grabbers to collect and store the litter we found while walking along the trail. Our goal was to clean up the environment, educate people about our plastic recycling program, and use this experience as a way to celebrate the new year. Before the hike, student leaders of the club gave a brief talk about the plastic recycling program to new club members and other participants. They used some examples of plastic (bags and films) to teach others how to recycle plastics properly. Our club's new year resolution is to reach as many people as possible in our community and collect 1,000 lbs of plastic bags and films.
新年爬山再出发，学生俱乐部推出环保新目标
2024年的第一天，CAPA-MC旗下的爱心园艺俱乐部发起了“新年爬山再出发”的活动，吸引了来自蒙郡华人社区八个家庭的二十余位俱乐部的新老成员和对爬山感兴趣的朋友们参加。本次活动的地点选在了Great Falls Park位于Bethesda的部分。大家一边爬山一边捡拾沿途的垃圾，在欣赏波多马克河优美风景的同时又清洁了自然环境。在出发爬山之前，俱乐部的学生领导团队向俱乐部新成员和慕名而来的社区成员介绍了目前正在进行中的“塑料垃圾清零”项目，详细解释了塑料垃圾的分类、收集和回收方法。去年元旦，得到蒙郡环保局和Chesapeake Bay Trust专款资助的爱心园艺俱乐部就是以“新年爬山日”的方式宣布了“塑料垃圾清零”项目的启动，此后通过各种活动和宣传方式，发动华人社区积极参与，在一年的时间里收集了超过600磅的塑料袋和塑料薄膜，获得了由塑料加工公司赠与的用塑料回收品为原料制成的长椅。今年的“新年爬山再出发“活动为该项目注入了新的动力。俱乐部诚挚地邀请您一起来做塑料垃圾零丢弃的真英雄，帮助我们完成一千磅塑料垃圾收集的新目标。您只要把家里可回收的塑料袋和包装收集起来送到家附近的GIANT商店就可以了。如果您有任何问题，请联系 ：capa.gardening@gmail.com
Who Are We?
The CAPA-MC Growing & Giving Club is an organization composed of middle and high school students across Montgomery County who are passionate about gardening and making the environment a better place. Through planting crops, donating produce, and promoting eco-friendly practices, the club strives to make the world a greener place.
Experts & Partners
Dr. Jingfeng Huang (Environmental Scientist)
Dr. Xingyuan Chen (Earth Scientist)
D'Anna Jensen (Biologist)
Dr. Hongbin Yu (Atmospheric Scientist)
Dr. Mirele B. Goldsmith
Biographical Statement:
Dr. Mirele B. Goldsmith brings a unique combination of knowledge about environmental sustainability, evaluation skills, and consulting experience to her clients. With over 20 years of experience as a program evaluator, Mirele knows how to help organizations define their goals, measure progress, and improve their effectiveness, within real-world time and resource limitations.
Prior to establishing her independent practice as a program evaluator, Mirele designed and launched an acclaimed accreditation program for the national association of Hillel that contributed to doubling of the budget from $7.5 to $15 million. Mirele taught Program Evaluation for New York University’s Heyman Center for Philanthropy and Fundraising and currently teaches at the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for High Impact Philanthropy.
As Director of the Jewish Greening Fellowship, Mirele led a network of 55 community-based organizations committed to responding to climate change through implementation of sustainable operations, energy efficiency measures, and educational initiatives. This program resulted in 46 energy audits, projected savings of $8.3 million over 10 years, $3.6 million in donations, installation of 13 solar energy systems, 600 participants in green teams, and 33,000 participants in environmental education programs.
Mirele completed her Ph.D. in Environmental Psychology at the City University of New York Graduate Center. Her research explored grassroots citizen participation in environmental decision-making about the New York City water system.