Maret, a private school located in Washington DC, has signed a renewable 50-year lease to use the Episcopal Center for Children (ECC) field as their new sports facility. Located over three miles away from their Maret campus, the ECC field is situated amidst a densely populated family neighborhood and within the Rock Creek watershed. Maret plans to install nearly four acres of artificial plastic turf with all its environmental and health risks, despite the community’s and neighbors’ repeated requests to reconsider natural turf for the field.

As a Chevy Chase community we are grappling with several pressing local issues and begging for our representatives to truly represent our interest. Installing nearly four acres of artificial plastic turf at ECC will have a profound effect on our quality of life, yet this decision is being made without our input and not in our community’s best interest. It is a decision that not only impacts the health of our community and our children but also the health of our environment, our oceans, and our planet Earth.

As concerned citizens who care about safety, environmental stewardship, and quality neighborhood life, we implore our elected representatives, city agencies and Maret School, to have the courage and foresight to protect our children, our community, and our environment. We urge them to reconsider their plans to install additional artificial plastic turf in our community. It’s time to choose our planet over plastics and make the sustainable choice for the sake of our shared future.

Please support this online petition to ask Maret School to choose natural grass for the fields at ECC.

Please feel free to share this message with your neighbors, friends, and family. Any personally identifi-able information provided to Friends of the Field will be kept in confidence.

Contact: friendsofthefield20015@gmail.com to sign in person or request more information.

Friends of the Field, an alliance of Chevy Chase neighbors, families, and concerned citizens, cares about safety, environmental stewardship, and quality neighborhood life. We work for transparent due process, inclusiveness, and thoughtful use of precious green space.

Website:https://friends-of-the-field.webflow.io/