We are celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with some exciting news!

ecoLatinos is proud to share that on September 4, 2026, our work was highlighted at a special press conference event at the Shrine of St. Jude in Rockville, Maryland, where the Chesapeake Bay Trust and Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection recognized the 2026 recipients of the Clean Water Montgomery Grant Program.

✨ ecoLatinos was honored as one of 21 grant recipients! ✨
The event brought together the Montgomery County Executive, County Councilmembers, Maryland delegates, representatives from the Chesapeake Bay Trust and Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection, grant recipients, community partners, and the priest of the Shrine of St. Jude to celebrate projects that are helping protect our water, strengthen our communities, and create a healthier environment.

💧 Our project will support the installation of permeable pavement at the Shrine of St. Jude in Rockville. This Best Management Practice (BMP) will help manage stormwater runoff while creating an important hands-on learning opportunity for Latino landscapers participating in ecoLatinos’ Equitable & Sustainable Landscaping Advanced Training Program.

🌱 During the event, our Founder and Director, Ruby Stemmle, spoke about how this grant will not only help implement an important stormwater management practice, but also provide our landscaper participants with valuable hands-on experience and skills that can help position them for future county contracts and green workforce opportunities.

👷🏽‍♀️👷🏽‍♂️ One of our landscaping training participants also shared how helpful and motivating ecoLatinos’ trainings have been and how these opportunities are helping participants build their knowledge and skills.

This project represents what ecoLatinos is all about: connecting environmental stewardship, workforce development, education, and community impact. 🌎💚
We are grateful to the Chesapeake Bay Trust, Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection, Shrine of St. Jude, our partners, our landscaper participants, and everyone who continues to support our work.

And what better way to begin Hispanic Heritage Month than by celebrating Latino communities making a difference for our environment! 🌿💧

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