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Don Chernoff

Eventide: Gala Cruise on the Potomac
Onboard the yacht Celebrity, Washington Marina
1300 Maine Avenue SW, Washington, DC
Wednesday, September 19, 2007 from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.
6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Dockside reception
8:30 – 9:30 p.m. Evening river cruise

On Wednesday, September 19, the Conservancy’s friends and supporters will gather on the yacht Celebrity to celebrate our recent successes. Eventide: Gala Cruise on the Potomac will feature delicious food and drink, river views, and the opportunity to meet others who are invested in the future of this region’s world-class natural resources.

Following the evening’s program, which will honor Will Baker, president of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, we will leave the dock for a one-hour cruise. Space is limited. Click here for tickets, sponsorship opportunities, and detailed information about the gala.

For more information: Contact Christine Iffrig, the Conservancy’s Vice President of Development, at iffrig@potomac.org, or 301.608.1188, x206.

Volunteer

• Fall Volunteer Opportunities with Growing Native

Speak Up!

• Sign Up for Potomac Advocate
• Proposed Changes to Montco Forest Conservation Law

Events & Trips

• River Center at Lockhouse 8 Open - through October 14
• Growing Native Seed Collection Events - Dates in September and October
• Potomac River Canoe Trip - September 8
• Voices of the River: Glen Echoes Barbershop Quartet- September 9
• Roosevelt Island Clean-Up - September 15
• Eventide: Gala Cruise on the Potomac - September 19
• Clean-Up at Fletcher's Cove - September 22
• Catoctin Aqueduct Fun 5K Run-Walk - September 29
• Potomac River Canoe Trip - September 29-October 1
• Voices of the River: Royal Scottish Country Dance- September 30

News & Notes

• Potomac Conservancy Accepts 50th Conservation Property Donation
• 'We're All About Trees'
• Street Tree Planting Available from Montgomery County, Maryland
• Kayakers Feel the Heat of Parched Potomac

Good Neighbor Conservation Tip

• Improve Your Garden with a Cover Crop

Support the Conservancy Today

• Hassle-Free Workplace Giving

Fall Volunteer Opportunities with Growing Native

Volunteers needed for seed collection events. See below for dates and locations of seed collection events.

Volunteers needed to help construct Growing Native kiosks. Volunteers are needed to drive to official drop-off sites located throughout the Potomac River watershed and construct the Growing Native kiosk, which is where volunteers pick up seed collection supplies and drop off the native tree seeds they collected. More information is at www.growingnative.org. If you are interested in helping, please contact Colleen Langan, Growing Native Project Director at langan@potomac.org or 301.608.1188, ext. 211.

Sign up for Potomac Advocate

Potomac Advocate is our new online newsletter that will cover river- and water quality-related policy issues. The Advocate will let you know about important developments in communities around the watershed, including pending legislation, public comment opportunities, and more. This month, look for updates about proposed changes to the Montgomery County Forest Conservation Law (see below).

Send an email with "subscribe" in the subject line here to sign up today. For more information, contact Anne Sundermann, Communications Manager, at sundermann@potomac.org.

• Monday, September 10, 7:00 pm - Long Branch Community Center in Silver Spring
• Monday, September 17, 7:00 pm - Plum Gar Community Center, Germantown
• Wednesday, September 19, 7:00 pm - Eastern Montgomery Regional Services Center, Silver Spring
• Monday, September 24, 7:00 pm - The Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, Bethesda
• Wednesday, September 26, 3:00 pm - County Council Office Building, Rockville

River Center at Lockhouse 8 Open
Weekends until Sunday, October 14, 10 am ‘til 2 pm
River Center at Lockhouse 8, C&O Canal National Historical Park, Cabin John, Maryland

The River Center will be open weekends, from 10 am until 2 pm, May through October. Summer programs include Voices of the River and nature walks (see below for August events). Visit www.potomac.org for more details, or contact Potomac Conservancy at info@potomac.org or 301.608.1188.

Growing Native Seed Collection Events
Dates in September and October, in locations throughout the watershed

Make a difference in your community by volunteering at a Growing Native seed collection event! Every fall, thousands of Growing Native volunteers collect native hardwood tree seeds. Since 2001, volunteers have collected more than 94,000 pounds of seeds and helped restore hardwood forests along nearly 800 miles of streamside land. The demand for native trees is growing all the time, and we need volunteers this fall to continue the progress.

You can collect seeds on your own time, organize an event in your community, or join a Conservancy event. We have planned the following seed collection events:

• September 16, 2 pm-3 pm, Tree Identification Walk: Potomac Overlook Regional Park in Arlington, Virginia
• September 22, 9 am-11 am, Eidolon Nature Preserve, Morgan County, West Virginia
• October 13, 9 am-2 pm, Tayamentasachta: A Center for Environmental Studies, Green Castle, Pennsylvania
• October 20, 10 am-noon, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia
• October 21, 10 am-noon, Izaak Walton League Damascus Chapter, Damascus, Maryland
• October 27, 10 am-noon, Final collection event, with family activities: Chesapeake Children's Museum, Annapolis, Maryland

For more information on upcoming events, or to plan your own seed collection effort, contact Colleen Langan, Growing Native Project Director, langan@potomac.org or 301.608.1188, ext. 211.

The C&O Canal Association will lead a canoe trip in the area of Ball's Bluff, near Leesburg, Virginia. For more information, contact Bill Burton at 703.801.0963.

The Glen Echoes are a Registered Barbershop Quartet dedicated to preserving old-time music, and they sing songs of the 1890s and old favorites. They have sung in the past at Glen Echo Park and fairs and events in Maryland and Virginia. Come hear this a capella quartet sing rousing songs of the past. To RSVP for this free event, contact Judy Welles at welles@potomac.org or 301.608.1188.

Roosevelt Island Clean-Up
Saturday, September 15, 9 am 'til noon
Theodore Roosevelt Island, Rosslyn, Virginia

Join fellow river lovers at Theodore Roosevelt Island to pick up trash and help clean up the Potomac! For more information or to RSVP for this free event, please contact Miguel Roberson, Miguel_Roberson@nps.gov or 703.289.2556.

Clean-up at Fletcher's Cove
Saturday, September 22, 9 am 'til noon, rain or shine
Fletcher's Cove, C&O Canal National Historical Park, 4940 Canal Rd., NW, Washington, DC

Potomac Conservancy will assist the Ocean Conservancy with its annual International Coastal Clean-Up Project. Volunteers of all ages are invited to collect trash along the banks of the Potomac River and tally trash results for publication by the Ocean Conservancy. Gloves and trash bags will be provided. Light snacks will also be provided. Families are encouraged to participate. If possible, RSVP by 5 pm on September 21. Join thousands of volunteers worldwide in this important project!
If you have any questions, please contact Laura Glass at lglass@micros.com or 443.285.8120.

Catoctin Aqueduct Fun 5K Run-Walk
Saturday, September 29, 8:30 am
Mile 51 - Lock 29, C&O Canal National Historical Park - 5 miles south of Jefferson, Maryland

The Catoctin Aqueduct Fun 5K Run-Walk benefits the Catoctin Aqueduct Restoration Fund, Inc. The event is sponsored by Point of Rocks Ruritan Club. For information, go to www.pointofrocks.org/pdfs/2007_08_02_Entry_Blank.pdf, or contact Pepper Scotto at CatoctinKey@Gmail.com or 301.834.9907.

Potomac River Canoe Trip
Saturday, September 29 -Monday, October 1

Join the C&O Canal Association for a weekend canoe trip from Paw Paw, West Virginia, to Little Orleans, Maryland. Contact Barbara Sheridan at membership@candocanal.org or 301.752.5436.

Voices of the River: Royal Scottish Country Dance
Sunday, September 30, 2 'til 3:30 pm
River Center at Lockhouse 8, C&O Canal National Historical Park, Cabin John, Maryland

The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society will give a demonstration and opportunity to join in the dancing. Scottish Country Dancing is a lot of fun, not very hard, and you don't need to be Scottish to do it! To RSVP for this free event, contact Judy Welles at welles@potomac.org or 301-608.1188.

Potomac Conservancy Accepts 50th Conservation Property Donation
134 Acres in Cacapon River Watershed Protected by the Conservancy and the Cacapon & Lost Rivers Land Trust

Winchester, VA -- Potomac Conservancy has reached a milestone in its mission to protect the health, beauty, and enjoyment of the Potomac River and its tributaries after its 50th easement was donated August 31, 2007. The 134-acre easement, which is held jointly by Potomac Conservancy and the Cacapon & Lost Rivers Land Trust, was donated by Mr. Robert Poole, whose property is near Largent, in Morgan County, W.V. Click here to read more.

‘We’re All About Trees’
Growing Native project recruits volunteers to collect seeds
Winchester Star

Winchester, VA -- The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and that should make it handy for seed collectors in the Potomac Conservancy’s Growing Native project. Colleen Langan recently showed six people how to become ambassadors for the project, which recruits volunteers to collect seeds from a variety of trees during the early fall. Click here to read more.

Improve Your Garden with a Cover Crop

Don't leave your bare soil exposed. Cover crops are an effective and cost-conscious way to control soil erosion. Planting crops such as winter wheat, ryegrass, and white clover can enhance water infiltration, improve soil fertility, and prevent weed growth.

This tip came from the 2007 Conservation Calendar. The calendar, which is chock full of hints for year-round conservation, is distributed by the Virginia Soil & Water Conservation and Virginia Cooperative Extension's Master Gardeners, and the Shenandoah RC&D Council.

For more information about minimizing your impact on the environment, download our Good Neighbor Handbook.

Hassle-Free Workplace Giving

If your company conducts an annual United Way Campaign, participating is a no-hassle way for you to support Potomac Conservancy's efforts to protect the rivers and streams you care about. Take part by selecting designation #44786.

If you are a government employee, participate in the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) of the National Capital Area and choose designation #44786. Virginia state employees can take part in the Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign (CVC) by selecting a different code, #8218, for Potomac Conservancy.

United Way, CFC, and CVC are conducted September through December and provide a convenient approach to giving through monthly payroll deductions.

Select United Way/CFC #44786 and CVC #8218 today!