• Our Volunteers

Before there was Safe Grow Montgomery, there was the two-person movement, the Safe Grow Zone Initiative, led by Julie Taddeo and neighbor and friend  Catherine Cummings. Together they stood firm against the doubters who called them “eco-nannies” and insisted that lawn pesticides are “safe”, and in 2013 they successfully advocated for Takoma Park’s Safe Grow Act.

When she’s not promoting the beauty of clover and dandelions and dragging her daughter to council meetings, Julie teaches British history at University of Maryland and studies popular culture. Julie has met with legislators, garnered the support of many Safe Grow Montgomery partners and been a champion of our social media efforts to get people motivated, activated and aware.