River News and Activities
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What non-native fresh water mussel species has inundated the Potomac River since the 1970s? Look
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Potomac
Conservancy
8601 Georgia Avenue
Suite 612
Silver Spring, MD 20910
p 301.608.1188
f 301.608.1144
info@potomac.org
~
Protecting the health, beauty,
and enjoyment of
the Potomac
River and
its tributaries ~
Banner
image by
Don Chernoff
Join
Us for Our
Annual
Saturday,
July 8, 4 'til 8 pm |
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Door Prizes Free Grillers (both veggie and non-veggie) Free Beverages Games for Kids and Adults Music and Relaxation! Bring chairs, blankets, a side dish or dessert, and a friend! As always, beverages and grilled goodies will be provided. For
directions, please click
here. |
- River Clean-Up for Potomac Whitewater Festival - July 16
- Invasive Plant Removal - July 22
- Explore and Restore: Minnie's Island - July 23
- Be a River Center Docent - Throughout the summer and fall
- Meet Other River Lovers! - Ongoing
- Growing Native Ambassador Training - August to September
- Independence Day Paddle - July 4
- Annual Picnic on the Potomac - July 8
- Voices of the River: Fiddlin' on the Porch - July 9
- Potomac Heritage Trail Repair Workshop - July 22
- Rock Climbing and Kayaking for Conservation - Rescheduled: Date and Time TBD
- Potomac Heritage Trail Exploratory Hike - August 5
- Dragonfly & Damselfly Walk - August 12
- Voices of the River: Growing Native - August 13
Sunday,
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River
Clean-Up for Potomac Whitewater Festival Give back to the paddling community by cleaning up river access points! Join Potomac Conservancy for a Potomac River clean-up at two popular paddling access points. This event will follow the Potomac Whitewater Festival which is hosting a variety of competitive and social events to support recreational paddling on the Potomac River. For more information about the festival and to find out about ways to volunteer for other events, please click here. Contact: James Tilley, Recreation Program Coordinator, tilley@potomac.org. |
Saturday, 9 am 'til noon
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Invasive
Plant Removal Numerous plants are invasive to the area and threaten Virginia’s native plant species. Volunteers will be instructed and will remove invasive plants from the park. Tools, gloves, and cool water will be provided. We recommend long sleeves, pants, and closed-toed shoes. Also be prepared for very little shade; sunscreen and hats are advised. For directions, please click here. Contact: Colleen Langan, Growing Native Coordinator, langan@potomac.org. |
Sunday, 9 am 'til 2 pm Rain or shine RSVP
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Explore
and Restore: Minnie’s Island Come learn about Minnie's Island, owned and protected by Potomac Conservancy! Enjoy the summer beauty of the island while being a good steward! Volunteers will cleanup litter, remove invasive plant species, reestablish trails, and explore this treasure inside the Beltway. Long pants and insect repellant are recommended. Cool water and snacks will be provided. Contact and RSVP (required): Colleen Langan, Growing Native Coordinator, langan@potomac.org. |
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May
through Required Orientation:
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Be
a River Center Docent Do you enjoy history or nature and talking to people? Then volunteer as a docent at the Conservancy's River Center! The River Center, located in restored Lockhouse 8 along the C&O Canal, educates visitors about the Potomac River, its connection to the Chesapeake Bay, and what they can do in their own backyards to protect these resources. Docents must commit three to four hours, once a month, on weekends from May through October to greet River Center visitors and to answer their questions. Docenting offers a unique opportunity to meet and interact with visitors to the National Park while gaining a greater knowledge of the C&O Canal and Potomac River. Docents must schedule an orientation meeting, and must be at least 18 years old. Contact and to make an appointment: Judy Welles, River Center at Lockhouse 8 Director, welles@potomac.org or 301.608.1188 x212. |
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Ongoing
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Meet
Other River Lovers! Help keep the Conservancy running smoothly. We need volunteers to assist with data entry, mailing preparation, filing, and other general administrative duties. The best part? The chance to meet other river lovers, including other volunteers and Potomac Conservancy staff! A minimum eight-hour commitment per month is required. Volunteers who dedicate at least 16 hours per month will get free pizza once a month! We are a short walk from the Silver Spring Metro (red line). Stop by anytime to meet us and learn more about this opportunity. Contact: Potomac Conservancy at info@potomac.org. |
Various
Dates RSVP Required
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Growing
Native Ambassador Training Become a seasonal leader of seed collecting! Here's your chance to learn how to identify native trees by their leaves, bark, and seeds! Growing Native's fall seed collection season is approaching, and so is the fun! We're looking for responsible volunteers to become Growing Native Ambassadors--help orchestrate seed collection events and seed drop-off in your area. Expand your naturalist knowledge and make new friends while helping protect our water through the seeds-to-trees-to-clean water cycle! To learn more about Growing Native, please click here. Contact and RSVP (required): Colleen Langan, Growing Native Coordinator, langan@potomac.org. |
Help Fight New Challenges to Protecting Virginia's Lands!
In Richmond, the Virginia legislature recently passed a bill that will seriously undercut private land conservation efforts in the Commonwealth. Legislators are proposing to drastically cut the Virginia Land Preservation Tax Credit program that has been such an invaluable tool in preserving the Potomac watershed's working farms, woodlots, and other properties through easements. Now is the time to act to preserve these critical incentives.
The
legislation now heads to Governor Kaine’s desk for his signature.
Please contact him today and ask him to amend the legislation to remove
the statewide cap on tax credits found in SB & HB 5019.
The legislation as it stands now would:
-Cap
the tax credit program for conservation easements at roughly half
of current levels;
-Dramatically reduce the rate at which land is protected within the
Virginia portion of the watershed;
-Prevent Virginia from achieving its land preservation commitment
under the Chesapeake Bay agreement of 2000; and
-Make it virtually impossible for Governor Kaine to realize his goal of
protecting an additional 400,000 acres in Virginia by 2010.
Please contact the governor today and ask him to reject a statewide cap on the Virginia Land Preservation Tax Credit program.
To learn more about the issue and to email Governor Kaine, please visit the Virginia League of Conservation Voters' website: http://capwiz.com/valcvef/issues/alert/
Or contact Governor
Kaine by:
Phone:
(804)
786-2211
Fax: (804) 371-6351
Tuesday, 9 am 'til 3 pm Free Rain or Shine RSVP Required |
Independence
Day Paddle Join Potomac Conservancy in celebrating our independence on our nation's river! Potomac
Conservancy will lead participants on an approximately five-mile
paddle
from Lock 23 to the Conservancy's very own Tenfoot and Sharpshin
Islands.
Participants will need to come prepared for the weather and
bring a sack lunch. Limited numbers of canoes and equipment
are available;
please RSVP as soon as possible. This
trip is also dependent on river level, and may be postponed
due to hazardous conditions. |
Saturday, 4 pm 'til 8 pm Free Rain or Shine |
Potomac
Conservancy's Annual Picnic
on the Potomac We'd like to show our appreciation of our members and celebrate the summer with our annual picnic! Join us for grillers, games, music, and relaxation! Bring chairs, blankets, a side dish or dessert, and a friend! Door prizes from area outdoors stores and others will be awarded. As always, beverages and grilled goodies will be provided. For
directions, please click
here. Contact: Betsy Saylor, Manager of Institutional Giving, saylor@potomac.org. |
Sunday, 4 pm 'til 5 pm Free |
Voices
of the River: Fiddlin' On the Porch Come listen to the folk fiddle and guitar of "Kitchen Gorilla"! Husband and wife team Joel Edelman and Lisa Robinson will play folk songs on fiddle and guitar. Join us to hear old-time tunes of Celtic, Appalachian, and Eastern European origin. Contact: Judy Welles, River Center at Lockhouse 8 Director, welles@potomac.org. |
Saturday, 9:30 am 'til 3 pm Free RSVP Required
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Potomac
Heritage Trail Repair Workshop Join a training workshop on trail maintenance supported by the ACME Treadway Trail Crew and the Potomac Conservancy! Learn from professionals how to construct a hiking trail. Volunteers will rebuild sections of the Potomac Heritage Trail along the scenic Potomac River. Trainers will help volunteers of all levels of experience learn the fundamentals and "zen" of trail work. An optional potluck will follow. LIMITED to 15 slots. RSVP is required. Contacts and RSVP (required): Bruce Glendening, bglendening@yahoo.com; 703-532-9093; or James Tilley, tilley@potomac.org, 301-608-1188 ext.213. |
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Rescheduled 8 am 'til 4:30 pm $95* *A portion of proceeds go toward conservation of the Potomac watershed |
Rock Climbing
and Kayaking for Conservation! Treat yourself to a day climbing rocks and skimming the river while broadening your horizons—all for a good cause! Potomac Conservancy is working with Patagonia, Sportrock, and Fairfax County to combine rock climbing, kayaking, and conservation all into one high-energy day. Register for one of two groups, Group A beginning at 8 am and Group B beginning at 9 am, to explore and learn about the Great Falls area of the Potomac. No experience required, equipment will be provided. Only 20 slots total are available, so sign-up now! Register before July 9 at www.sportrock.com, or contact John Woodson at john@sportrock.com. Contact: James Tilley, Recreation Program Coordinator, tilley@potomac.org. |
Saturday, 10 am ‘til 3 pm RSVP required |
Potomac Heritage Trail Exploratory Hike Explore the burgeoning Potomac Heritage Trail in the cool shadows along the Potomac! Join Potomac
Conservancy and appreciate summer's wildflowers and wildlife
in the lush 15,000-acre Prince William Forest Park,
the largest protected natural area in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan
region. Experience this Piedmont forest ecosystem through the
Quantico Creek watershed. Learn about the area's natural history
along with Leave No Trace principles. |
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Saturday,
12:30 ‘til |
Dragonfly
& Damselfly Walk Discover the mosquito-eating flying jewels of our meadows and wetlands! Come join us
for an intriguing walk led by Kevin Munroe and Tony Robison,
Naturalists with the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia. Kevin
and Tony will be locating and identifying dragonflies and damselflies.
We’ll get close-up looks at their amazing colors and aerial
acrobatics and learn about how they hunt, fly, reproduce, and
escape predators. |
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Sunday, 4 'til 5 pm |
Voices
of the River: Growing Native Fall is
around the corner, and that means the Growing Native seed
collection season approaches! Join us at the River Center to learn
more about about the Growing Native program—why
we collect native hardwood seeds, what trees have to do
with water
quality,
and what
you
can
do to
contribute. Gain
the skills to identify our native trees in any season!
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Harry
Jaffe: A Raw Deal: Georgetown’s Monster on the Waterfront
There’s something very fishy going on along the
Georgetown waterfront, and it’s starting to smell really foul. For at least a decade, Georgetown University has been trying to build
a boathouse for its rowing program on the Potomac River just up stream
from Key Bridge. The region needs a better facility for its burgeoning
crew programs, both high school and college teams. Georgetown University
wants to build a monster.
There are dozens of good reasons why every environmental group in the region has lined up to oppose the huge building. Hikers, bikers, boaters, birders — every group with any interest in the river and the park that lines it — have come together to oppose to proposed building.
Students at Windsor Knolls Middle School got their hands dirty last April as part of Growing Native, planting native hardwood saplings on school grounds. When the sixth- and seventh-graders planted the first 800 of a total of 2,900 trees behind their school, they wanted to leave a legacy. Students signed their names and graduation year (2012) on the biodegradable sleeves protecting the saplings. Some wrote phrases like "Happy Earth Day" and "Trees rock my socks" to identify their particular tree, so they could come back and see it later.
But after Saturday night, June 17, more than 200 students' legacies were ruined, when the saplings were destroyed by ATV riding vandals. Potomac Conservancy and the local community are working together to repair the damage.
Smelly Canal Marks Return
of Summer
It’s a sure sign of summer when park visitors complain about the
smell of rotten eggs wafting into the air from sewer vents that run along
a 12-mile section of the C&O Canal Historic National Park in Potomac.
But this summer may mark the end of that noxious tradition.
Good Neighbor Tip: Watering Wisely
We all love our beautiful gardens, but must watch our water. Even when we are not in a time of drought, it's important to be conscious of how to appropriately meet your garden's needs.
Water with foresight: When watering your garden, do so seldom and thoroughly. This encourages rooting and tolerance to drought.
Water responsibly: Water in the morning to avoid evaporation loss. Choose a drip irrigation system or a hand-held hose rather than a sprinkler, which is often imprecise and can waste water.
Prepare your soil: Water can slide through clay soils and flow too quickly past roots in sandy soil. Adding organic matter to clay and sandy soils makes clay soils more porous and increases holding capacity of sandy soils. Claybreaker and Ultra-light soil amendments are suggested for proper conditioning.
Mulch: Mulching prevents excessive evaporation. A two-inch layer of mulch or compost is recommended.
Don't forget container plants: Take advantage of containers' mobility and move them to areas receiving less sun to keep them from drying quickly in the heat.
Be a weed whacker: Weed frequently and mulch. Focus your careful watering on the plants you love.
For more information about the above tips and general household water conservation, please visit MDE Household Tips on conserving water: http://www.mde.state.md.us/Programs/WaterPrograms/Water_Conservation/Household_Tips/gardener.asp.
For more river-friendly living tips, download a free copy of the Conservancy's Good Neighbor Handbook.
Donating Online Is Easy, Secure, & Saves Resources
The Potomac Conservancy is trying to make it as easy as possible for you to show your support of our work. You can join, renew, and make special gifts securely online.
In an effort to dedicate more of your contributions directly toward our river protection and restoration programs, we will also soon be introducing some electronic renewal notices.
If you have any membership questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. We want to hear from you!
Contact us at info@potomac.org or 301.608.1188.
RiverUpdate
is an e-newsletter for Potomac Conservancy supporters. It provides
information on the Conservancy's volunteer activities and river-related
events. |