River News and Activities
|
How long does it take for an acorn to mature? Look
for the answer at www.potomac.org. |
Become
a member!
Already
a member?
Receive RiverUpdate
in your inbox!
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
It's Time to Get Nuts for Clean Water!
|
Check
out our August
Growing Native |
Season
Kickoff Event Saturday, September 9 10 am 'til 12 noon Tayamentasachta Center for Environmental Education, Greencastle, Pennsylvania Ambassador training from 12:30 'til 2:30 pm |
- River Clean-up at Fletchers' Boathouse! - August 12
- Growing Native Ambassador Training - August to September
- Join an International Effort: Volunteer to Clean Potomac River - September 16
- Volunteer for the River Center - Throughout the summer and fall
- Meet Other River Lovers! - Ongoing
- Potomac Heritage Trail Exploratory Hike - August 5
- Dragonfly & Damselfly Walk - August 12
- Voices of the River: Growing Native - August 13
- 2006 Growing Native Kickoff Event! - September 9
- Voices of the River: River Stories of People & Place - September 10
- Rock Climbing and Kayaking for Conservation - September 23
Saturday, Rain or Shine! RSVP Required
|
River Clean-Up
at Fletcher's Boathouse! Help keep this popular summer river spot beautiful! Fletcher's Boathouse, located along the C&O Canal in DC, is a popular place for towpath enthusiasts and river lovers to stop and have a cool drink or relax in the shady picnic areas. The Boathouse is a critical access point for the Potomac River Water Trail, a recently designated a National Recreation Trail. Volunteers will remove trash from the area between the canal and the river. This is an excellent opportunity to involve the entire family to conserve the Potomac River’s scenic beauty. Trash bags and gloves will be provided. Please come prepared for the August heat. RSVP
Required: Contact Laura
Glass, lglass@micros.com or
(443) 285-8120. |
Various Dates RSVP Required
|
Growing
Native Ambassador Training Become a seasonal leader of seed collecting! 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. Here's your chance to learn how to identify native trees by their leaves, bark, and seeds! 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, or call 301.608.1188 x211. |
||
|
|
|||
Saturday, 9 am 'til 12 noon |
Join
an International Effort: Volunteer to Clean Potomac River Participate in International Coastal Cleanup Day! Join approximately 5,000 other Virginians as well as half a million volunteers in 100 countries to clean their streams, rivers, and beaches. Volunteers can join National Park staff to pick-up trash at various locations along the George Washington Memorial Parkway. Sites include: Theodore Roosevelt Island/Potomac Heritage Trail, Daingerfield Island, Belle Haven Park/Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve, Fort Hunt Park, and Riverside Park. Check-in will be available at registration table at each location. Note: A Parental Approval Form must be signed for minors (under 18 years of age) in advance of work. Please come prepared for the weather. Wear sturdy shoes. Gloves and
trash bags For directions, please click here. No RSVP required. For more information about the International Coastal Cleanup visit The Ocean Conservancy's web site: http://www.coastalcleanup.org/media.cfm Contact: Jean Zettler, Site Coordinator, jeanzet@yahoo.com. |
|
|
|
||
Open
May
|
Volunteer
for the River Center Potomac Conservancy's River Center at Lockhouse 8 is a place where you can contribute your talents! 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. Art
buffs: Help coordinate and execute occasional exhibits
of river art and photographs. Contact: Judy Welles, River Center at Lockhouse 8 Director, welles@potomac.org or 301.608.1188 x212. |
Ongoing
|
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. |
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
in the
Quantico Creek watershed. Learn about the area's natural
history along with Leave No Trace principles. |
|
|
|
||
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. |
|
|
|
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 the Growing Native program—why
we collect native hardwood seeds, what trees have to do
with water
quality,
and what
you
can
do to
help. Gain
the skills to identify our native trees in any season! |
|
|
|
Saturday, 10 am 'til
noon
Rain or Shine
|
2006 Growing Native Kickoff Event!
The Growing Native Seed Collection Kickoff Event will include guest speakers, a tree identification walk, and information about how and why we collect seeds for clean water. Also, learn to identify native trees while helping with this year's seed collection! Growing Native Ambassadors will receive free training from Potomac Conservancy staff and act as liaisons between official seed drop-off sites and the Growing Native Coordinator. Organize a seed collection event and meet fellow community members who share an interest in getting nuts for clean water! An Ambassador training session will be held after the kickoff event from noon 'til 2 pm. For directions to Tayamentasachta, please click here. To learn more about Growing Native, please click here. Contact: Colleen
Langan, Growing Native Coordinator, langan@potomac.org,
or call 301.608.1188 x211. |
|
|
|
||
Calling
volunteers of all ages! Time to get nuts for clean water!Sunday, 4 pm 'til 5 pm |
Voices
of the River: River
Stories of People & Place Join us for story-telling about the Potomac's Past! Eco-historian Hayden Mathews will tell stories of the people who lived alongside the Potomac river in times past. In particular, Mathews will share the "River Story" detailing the failed escape of the 76 slaves aboard the sailing ship Pearl in 1848. The events preceding and following their escape highlight the gross injustices and hypocrisy of slave trading openly thriving in the Nation's capital prior to the Civil War. The audience will also be able to choose from among several shorter stories relating to events on or near the Potomac. Contact: Judy
Welles, River Center Director, welles@potomac.org. |
|
|
|
Saturday, 8 am 'til 4:30 pm $95* *A portion
of proceeds goes |
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 September 9 at www.sportrock.com, or contact John Woodson at john@sportrock.com. Contact: James
Tilley, Recreation Program Coordinator, tilley@potomac.org. |
|
|
|
||
Fish Kills in the Shenandoah River
The kills started on the North Fork of the Shenandoah in 2004 and have appeared each spring since. In 2005, about 80 percent of the adult smallmouth bass and redbreasted sunfish died on the river’s South Fork. So far this year, smaller-scale kills involving hundreds of two kinds of sucker species were confirmed in Clarke County, on the main stem of the waterway.
The Health of the Nation's River
In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson called the Potomac River a "national disgrace." It was full of raw sewage and covered with algae blooms. Johnson signed the Water Quality Act in 1965, and a group of public and private agencies and commissions began working to improve the health of the river.
Potomac Conservancy and Landowner Protect Historic Mount Pleasant Farm
Caroline Stalnaker thinks she has made an important statement. Time will tell how many people have listened. Stalnaker, 69, the longtime owner of Mount Pleasant Farm, worked with the Potomac Conservancy to get a conservation easement placed on the 106-acre property, meaning it will remain in agriculture forever.
Good Neighbor Tip: A Bountiful August Yard
As August sets in, many gardeners begin considering their fall planting. The thoughtful gardener sees beyond his or her aesthetic preferences to the function of a garden as part of the environment. A plethora of plants (grasses, flowers, shrubs, and trees) produce seeds, fruits, berries, nuts, and nectar toward summer's end. These plants offer nourishment to birds, insects, and other animals preparing for the long winter.
Rather than planting exotic ornamental flowers that will fall victim to the first frost, why not plant a bed of Blackeyed Susan or Cutleaf (Green-headed) Coneflower, which will produce both nectar and seed, and bloom during the critical summer-to-fall transition? Similarly, why plant a non-native tree simply for its unusual shape or color when a native tree can provide the beauty of early spring blossoms and berries later in the year? The Flowering Dogwood is one such choice, and Black Gum is another native seed producer that has brilliant fall color. Don’t forget that native oaks and hickories are a mainstay for small mammals and birds. Not only do these majestic trees produce food and shelter, they also provide endless hours of bird and animal watching. A variety of native plants to consider for garden and landscaping alternatives include:
Flowering Dogwood; American Holly; Native Oaks (Red, Black, Chestnut, Post, Willow, Pin, or White); Native Hickories (Bitternut, Pignut, or Shagbark); Native Ashes (Green or White); Black Gum; Persimmon; American Beech; Eastern Red Cedar; Cardinal Flower; Blackeyed Susan; Ironweed; Cutleaf Coneflower (aka Green-headed Coneflower); Joe-Pye-Weed; Native Milkweed (Swamp or Butterfly); Aster; Black Bugbane; High-bush Blueberry; Downy Serviceberry (aka Shadbush); Buttonbush; Sweet Pepperbush; Native Hawthorns; and Native Plums.
For information about what and where to buy native plants, visit the Maryland Native Plant Society website.
For more river-friendly living tips, download a free copy of the Conservancy's Good Neighbor Handbook.
Bring Images of the Potomac Watershed to Your Coffee Table!
Potomac Conservancy's Online River Bookstore offers vivid texts documenting the colorful wildlife and beauty of the Potomac Watershed.
Choose for your own enjoyment or as meaningful gifts for friends. Our selection includes Wild Washington: Amazing Wildlife in and Around Our Nation's Capital by Don Chernoff, featuring 108 pages of brilliant photographs of birds, insects, and other creatures that call the DC area home. Our Potomac: From Great Falls through Washington, DC by Roy Sewall will take you on an awe-inspiring journey of this stretch of the river like no book before. Featuring 216 full-color photos, Our Potomac captures the river’s transformation from raging falls to an idyllic backdrop for Washington’s greatest monuments.
By ordering online through Potomac Conservancy, you can get a copy of Our Potomac at a 20% discount! This is the perfect gift for the river lover in your life.
A portion of the proceeds from all sales at the online bookstore will directly support the Conservancy.
Order
today, while supplies last!
RiverUpdate
is an e-newsletter for Potomac Conservancy supporters. It provides
information on the Conservancy's volunteer activities and river-related
events. |
