Residents Invited to Earth Day Celebration and Elite Gymnastics Pocket Park Ribbon Cutting

News Release # 2026-042

On Saturday, April 25, the Charles County Resilience Authority, in partnership with the Charles County Department of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism, will host an Earth Day Celebration and Pocket Park Ribbon Cutting event beginning at 10 a.m. at the Elite Gymnastics and Recreation Center (2745 Old Washington Road, Waldorf).

Residents are invited to celebrate the completion of a project that transformed the rear, unused asphalt parking lot into an open space featuring native trees, shrubs, and grasses, creating a natural play area with quiet seating. Funding for the project was provided through state and federal grants awarded by the Chesapeake Bay Trust and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to the Charles County Resilience Authority. These awards support climate resilience and community access to nature.

The park will provide outdoor space for Elite Gymnastics summer camps and a shaded area for parents to gather while their children use the facilities. Open space will also absorb rainfall and help prevent stormwater flooding, thanks to two stormwater bioretention areas beneath the park.

Stormwater absorption and cooling shade will increase over time as trees and plants become established. Native tree and plant species make up all the greenery in the pocket park, providing habitat for songbirds and pollinators alike.

Resilience Authority Youth Corps members and the Student Conservation Association will be on hand to host child- and adult-friendly flowerpot-decorating and native-seed-planting sessions. Small pots will be provided for participants. Youth Corps members will also be able to answer questions about paid employment opportunities for high school students and young adults through the Student Conservation Association and Resilience Authority Youth Corps program.

Community members of all ages are encouraged to attend, enjoy the festivities, and learn more about how local projects are helping build a more resilient and sustainable Charles County.

###