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Don Chernoff

Volunteer

• Volunteer for Growing Native Seed Collection Events

Speak Up!

• Sign Up for Potomac Advocate
• Shenandoah Valley Voter Forums
• Hearing to Support Fairfax's Proposed Tree Protection Law
• Montgomery County (Md.) Citizens' Watershed Conference

Events & Trips

• River Center at Lockhouse 8 Open - through October 14
• Training: Host a Growing Native Tree Nursery - October 15
• Urban Tree Plantings in Frederick County, Maryland - Dates in October and November
• Hike Along the Canal - October 20
• Combat Invasive Species Workshop - October 22
• Frederick County Schoolyard Habitat Celebration - October 24
• Dyke Marsh Cleanup - October 27
• Annual Heritage Hike in Canal Park - November 3

News & Notes

• Growing Native in the News
• Street Tree Planting Available from Montgomery County, Maryland

Good Neighbor Conservation Tip

• Fall Lawn Care

Support the Conservancy Today

• Hassle-Free Workplace Giving
• Now Available! Limited Edition Photos of the Potomac

Volunteer for Growing Native Seed Collection Events

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. 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:

• 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

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.

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.

Candidates for the Virginia House of Delegates and the Senate have been invited to participate in two forums about Valley water issues. All candidates are being asked to address water issues that include business and residential growth and water resources, reduction of non-point sources of pollution, and ongoing fish kills in the Shenandoah Valley. During the forum, the public will be given the opportunity to pose questions about these and other related water quality and quantity concerns to the candidates. Please attend and let your voice be heard.

Event sponsors include the Pure Water Forum, Potomac Conservancy, National Parks Conservation Association, Page County Water Quality Advisory Committee, Friends of the North Fork, Friends of the Shenandoah, and the Shenandoah Basin Project.

For more information or a copy of the bill, contact Zack Fields in Chairman Connolly's office: zack.fields@fairfaxcounty.gov.

A full agenda is available at: www.stormwaterpartners.org/?p=6#more-6. To register for the conference, contact Steve Dryden at jsdryden@comcast.net.

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. Visit www.potomac.org for more details, or contact Potomac Conservancy at info@potomac.org or 301.608.1188.

Training: Host a Growing Native Tree Nursery
October 15, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Virginia Tech, Northern Virginia Center, 7054 Haycock Road, Falls Church, Virginia

Learn how to introduce a meaningful learning experience to your students by attending a training on hosting a Growing Native Grow-out Station at your school or community site. During the training, participants will learn different techniques for propagating tree seeds and establishing Grow-out Stations, small-scale community-managed tree nurseries. This training will help participants in the initial planning stages of their Grow-out Stations, and assist experienced participants to consider different effective ways of managing their current Grow-out Stations.

The training will be hosted by Virginia Tech, Northern Virginia Center (www.nvc.vt.edu) and led by Jim Egenrieder, Clinical Assistant Professor of Science Education. For further questions about the training, please contact Jim at jime@vt.edu or 703.538.8492. For information about Growing Native, contact Colleen Langan at langan@potomac.org or 301.608.1188, x211.

Click on the following link for directions: www.nvc.vt.edu/about/location.html. Metered parking is the cheapest, but there are parking lots available.

Urban Tree Plantings in Frederick County, Maryland
Dates in October and November

Potomac Watershed Partnership and Frederick County Public Schools will host four tree planting events this fall:

• Wednesday October 17, Urbana Middle School, Ijamsville
• Monday, October 22, Walkersville High School, Walkersville
• Tuesday October 23, Kemptown Elementary School, Monrovia
• Thursday November 1, Tuscarora Elementary School, Frederick

Volunteers are needed to assist with this effort. For more information, contact Heather Montgomery, Conservation Program Associate, at montgomery@potomac.org.

Hike Along the Canal
Saturday, October 20, starts at noon
C&O Canal National Historical Park, Carderock, Maryland

This hike will cover Billy Goat Trail, B & C Loops, Carderock (mile 10.4 on the Canal). More information from C&O Canal Association at www.candocanal.org. Contact: Pat White at 301.977.5628.

Combat Invasive Species Workshop
Registration deadline: October 17; Event: Monday, October 22, 10 am 'til 2 pm
Cecil F. Gilkerson Community Activities Center, 305 South Dogwood Drive, Harrisonburg, Virginia

Invasive trees and shrubs displace native plants and are costly and difficult to control, once they become established. Attend a free workshop to learn about common urban invasive species, how to identify and control them, and alternative choices to plant. Following the morning session and a complimentary lunch, attendees will go to a local park to have a hands-on demonstration of identification and control.

The event is sponsored by Shenandoah Resource Conservation and Development Council (www.shenandoahrcd.org), Virginia Department of Forestry, and Harrisonburg Parks and Recreation Department.

To register, call Shenandoah RC&D Council at kathy.holm@va.usda.gov or 540.248.3321. Attendance is limited to 25 people total. For more information, contact Debbie Wright at vazany@localnet.com or 540.337.8107.

Learn about restoring school grounds to support healthy watersheds! Contact: April Wells, Frederick County Public Schools, at April.Wells@fcps.org or 240.236.8157.

This cleanup is sponsored by the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Alexandria. Meet at the Belle Haven picnic area, near the restrooms. Contact: National Park Service Ranger Miguel Roberson at miguel_roberson@nps.gov or 703.289.2556.

Buses leave at 10 am from the parking area of Ferry Hill Plantation in the C&O Canal National Historical Park off Rt. 34 in Maryland across the Potomac from Shepherdstown, WV, for your choice of starting points for a return hike of 11, 8, or 3 1/2 miles on the towpath. $5 bus fee. Sponsored by C&O Canal Association. Information on optional dinner to be posted at www.candocanal.org. Contact: programs@candocanal.org or leave a message at 301.983.0825.

Growing Native in the News

The fall seed collection season is underway, and volunteers from across the watershed have signed up for Ambassador trainings to lead collection efforts, or registered for our seed collection events. Local newspapers, such as the ones listed below, have assisted in getting the word out about this important project.

• Morgan event could plant the seeds for cleaner water - State Journal
• Tree seeds collectors needed - Morgan Messenger

Fall Lawn Care

Matted leaves can kill grass, so do not allow leaves to accumulate on your lawn. Rake regularly and add leaves to your compost bin for use as mulch next year. Compost is good for your garden, and good for the community. Alternatively, a mulching mower will shred leaves that will add nutrients to your lawn. Leaves, grass clippings, and prunings are free fertilizers and won't clog your local landfill.

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!

Now Available! Limited Edition Photos of the Potomac

Give the gift of art this fall, and help protect the Potomac River watershed. Photographer and longtime Conservancy supporter Ed Neville is offering for sale limited edition 12x18" prints of Potomac scenes. Ed will donate 50% of the net profit to Potomac Conservancy. To purchase, go to www.edneville.com.