Charlie Reighart Named Recycler of the Year; County Honored for Environmental Social Media Page

Baltimore County received two awards from the Maryland Recycling Network (MRN) at the MRN/Mid-Atlantic SWANA (Solid Waste Association of North America) Annual Conference last week. Charlie Reighart, Recycling and Waste Prevention Manager for the County’s Bureau of Solid Waste Management won the Dwight Copenhaver Recycler of the Year award and the Bureau of Solid Waste Management received the Extraordinary Achievement Award for its Clean Green Baltimore County Social Media Program.

“Charlie Reighart has been a real leader in the recycling field, creating innovative programs that not only benefit County residents but are models for similar programs at the state and national level,” said Baltimore County Executive Don Mohler. During Reighart’s 28 years with the Bureau of Solid Waste Management, Baltimore County has received five national and ten statewide awards for recycling and waste prevention.

Reighart has provided leadership to MRN and other state and national organizations to expand recycling and waste prevention, including leading efforts for a statewide waste diversion goal and guidelines for a source reduction credit system. Since 1996, he has served on the MRN Board and in various MRN officer and committees chair roles.

Reighart has managed many other County programs and projects, including once-a-week trash and once-a-week recycling collection, the implementation of single stream recycling, electronics recycling, recycling container placement at County intersections, a four-year recycling program calendar and guide, source reduction programs, recycling tonnage reporting to the State and the development of Ten Year Solid Waste Management Plans. In addition, he has hired and mentored 101 interns since 1992. These interns have provided important services to County residents, and many have gone on to other responsible positions in the public and private sector, with seven former interns currently working in the recycling field.

Going Clean and Green on Social Media

In 2017, the Recycling Division developed the Clean Green Baltimore County Facebook Page (Facebook.com/CleanGreenBaltCo). This social media page publishes environmentally-focused content related to Baltimore County agencies, including, but not limited to, the County’s Departments of Environmental Protection and Sustainability, Public Works, Planning, and Recreation and Parks, as well as the Energy Management and Sustainability Section in the Property Management Division of the Office of Budget and Finance. None of these agencies has its own social media presence. 

The page is a digital “one-stop shop” to help residents, businesses and institutions become better environmental stewards by providing information on programs, services and resources that support healthy, sustainable living. In addition to educating people about initiatives that focus on sustainability, nature and the environment, the page publishes tips, strategies and resources to improve its followers’ efforts in recycling, waste prevention and reuse, energy savings, natural resource conservation and other aspects of green living, as well as information about state, national and international environmental initiatives and success stories.

Highlights from the page’s first year include 1.3 million page impressions, reaching more than 825,000 people, 46,000 video views, 5,300 post shares and more than 2,100 page fans. The page produced the County’s first Facebook Live Q&A, an interactive, semi-scripted, 55-minute live video broadcast on America Recycles Day (November 15, 2017). The page also included events and activities related to Earth Month in April. The County publicized these environmental efforts at a cost considerably below other forms of traditional advertising. The Facebook site is an effective way to promote waste prevention, recycling and other environmental programs.

By Michael Schneider, Baltimore County Recreation and Parks

Sing along, Baltimore County Recreation and Parks style! Summertime, and the livin’ is fun, active, interesting and exciting. July brings a Frog Round Up, Very Hungry Caterpillars, Critters in the Creek, Bird Walks, and a Liberty Tea Party. There’s jazz, bluegrass and patriotic favorites with fireworks. With campfires, canoeing and Christmas in July, Baltimore County parks are something to sing about.

Sunday, July 1

• Boy Scout Day (registration required)    Cromwell Valley Park
• Star Spangled Banner (registration required)    Holt Park and Center for the Arts
• Estuary Exploration Canoe Trip (registration required)    Marshy Point Nature Center

Tuesday, July 3

• KinderGarden Club (registration required)    Oregon Ridge Nature Center
• Star-Spangled Spectacular Music and Fireworks with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (tickets at bsomusic.org)   Oregon Ridge Park

Thursday, July 5

• Shoots and Letters – Survival: Fire making    Oregon Ridge Nature Center

Friday, July 6

• Friday Stroll    Lake Roland
• Pokémon Late Night Madness    Marshy Point Nature Center
• Bookworm Story Time    Oregon Ridge Nature Center

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Saturday, July 7

• Summer Storytime: Making Rainbows (registration required)    Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum
• Children’s Club: Kids in Gardens (registration required)    Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum
• Frog Round Up (registration required)    Cromwell Valley Park
• Weed Warriors of the Habitat Restoration Team (registration required)    Cromwell Valley Park
• Very Hungry Caterpillars   Holt Park and Center for the Arts
• Bonfire and Night Hike    Holt Park and Center for the Arts
• Canoe Lake Roland (registration required)    Lake Roland
• Acorn Hill Nature Drop-In    Lake Roland
• Yoga in the Park (registration required)    Lake Roland
• Freshwater Foray    Marshy Point Nature Center
• Critters in the Creek (registration required)    Oregon Ridge Nature Center

Sunday, July 8

• Leaf Berry Collecting Container (registration required)    Cromwell Valley Park
• Sunday Birdwalk    Marshy Point Nature Center
• Summer Skatching (registration required)    Marshy Point Nature Center
• Critters in the Creek (registration required)    Oregon Ridge Nature Center

Tuesday, July 10

• KinderGarden Club (registration required)    Oregon Ridge Nature Center

Wednesday, July 11

• Weed Warriors of the Habitat Restoration Team (registration required)    Cromwell Valley Park
• Natural World of Art – Octopus (registration required)    Holt Park and Center for the Arts
• Preschool Program    Holt Park and Center for the Arts

Thursday, July 12

• Shoots and Letters – Fishing    Oregon Ridge Nature Center

Friday, July 13   

• Creative Clay – Fish Mobile (registration required – program concludes July 27)    Holt Park and Center for the Arts
• Friday Stroll    Lake Roland
• Frog Round-Up    Marshy Point Nature Center
• Morning Bird Walks    Oregon Ridge Nature Center

Saturday, July 14

• Chat & Chew: Not In My Neighborhood: How Bigotry Shaped a Great American City (registration required)    Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum
• Ochre: Humanity’s Paint (registration required)    Cromwell Valley Park
• To the Batcave (registration required)    Holt Park and Center for the Arts
• Firefly Campfire (registration required)   Lake Roland
• Acorn Hill Nature Drop-In    Lake Roland
• Fishing the Dock (reservations required)    Marshy Point Nature Center
• Tubing on the Little Falls (registration required)    Oregon Ridge Nature Center

Sunday, July 15

• Liberty Tea Party (registration required)    Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum
• Wild Edibles (registration required)    Cromwell Valley Park
• Rich Still Life (registration required)   Holt Park and Center for the Arts
• Gunpowder Boat Trip (reservations required)    Marshy Point Nature Center
• Tubing on the Little Falls (registration required)    Oregon Ridge Nature Center

July 16 – July 20

• 4-H Day Camp (registration required)     Baltimore County Center for Maryland Agriculture and Farm Park

Wednesday, July 18

• Natural World of Art – Fish (registration required)    Holt Park and Center for the Arts
• Preschool Program    Holt Park and Center for the Arts
• Amphibian Walks (registration required)    Oregon Ridge Nature Center

​Thursday, July 19

• Shoots and Letters – Hiking    Oregon Ridge Nature Center

Friday, July 20

• Friday Stroll    Lake Roland
• Corn & Dog Roast at Iron Point (reservations required)    Marshy Point Nature Center

Saturday, July 21

• What’s Cookin’, Mr. Banneker?    Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum
• Children’s Club: Kids in Gardens (registration required)    Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum
• Mud and Fire – Part 1 (registration required)    Cromwell Valley Park
• Weed Warriors of the Habitat Restoration Team (registration required)    Cromwell Valley Park
• Firefly Night Hike    Holt Park and Center for the Arts
• Acorn Hill Nature Drop-In    Lake Roland
• Chesapeake Bay Pirates    Marshy Point Nature Center
• Live Bluegrass and Country Music    Middle River Recreation Council
• Insectigation (registration required)    Oregon Ridge Nature Center

Sunday, July 22

• Poisonous Plants and Animals (registration required)    Cromwell Valley Park
• Toad Abode (registration required)    Holt Park and Center for the Arts
• Basic Paddling Course (registration required)    Marshy Point Nature Center
• Insectigation (registration required)    Oregon Ridge Nature Center

Monday, July 23

• Mini Mud Day (registration required)    Lake Roland

Wednesday, July 25

• Weed Warrior of the Habitat Restoration Team (registration required)    Cromwell Valley Park
• Natural World of Art – Christmas in July (registration required)    Holt Park and Center for the Arts
• Preschool Program    Holt Park and Center for the Arts

Thursday, July 26

• Shoots and Letters – Camping    Oregon Ridge Nature Center

Friday, July 27

• Moths and Mars (registration required)    Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum
• Moths in the Moonlight (registration required)    Cromwell Valley Park
• Friday Stroll    Lake Roland

Saturday, July 28

• Jazz Concert: Todd Marcus    Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum
• Just for Kids – “Little Free Library” Launch & Story Time (registration required)    Cromwell Valley Park
• Spidey Sense (registration required)   Holt Park and Center for the Arts
• Water, Water, Everywhere    Holt Park and Center for the Arts
• Acorn Hill Nature Drop-In    Lake Roland
• Morning Canoe Trip (registration required)    Marshy Point Nature Center

Sunday, July 29

• Butterflies Like It HOT!    Cromwell Valley Park
• The Magic of Lines   Holt Park and Center for the Arts
• Tracks and Trains (registration required)    Lake Roland
• Morning Canoe Trip (registration required)    Marshy Point Nature Center

Monday, July 30

• Pre-K Nature Drop In:  Water, Water, Everywhere!    Marshy Point Nature Center

Tuesday, July 31

• KinderGarden Club (registration required)    Oregon Ridge Nature Center

Programs are run by Baltimore County Recreation and Parks and Nature Council volunteers. Many programs are free, but some ask for a donation or have a small fee. Be sure to check the websites to confirm times and locations.

Plan your summer fun. Check out this list and mark your calendars:  Baltimore County Recreation and Parks Summer Listing of Fun Stuff to Do!  With over 200 Baltimore County Parks, there is something to do every day, every week of the summer.