River News and Activities
|
On September 19, 1862, what battle took place on the Potomac River at Boteler's Ford? 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
 |
Seeds
to Trees to Clean Water: |
Sponsored
by: |
- Sew for Seeds! - Early September
- Growing Native Ambassador Training - Throughout September
- Help Maintain the Capital Crescent Trail! - Throughout September
- Join an International Effort: Volunteer to Clean Potomac River - September 16
- Friends of Sligo Creek's 5th Annual Sweep the Creek - September 30
- Last Day for a Busy Summer Season at the River Center - October 15
- Meet Other River Lovers! - Ongoing
- 2006 Growing Native Kickoff Event! - September 9
- American Painting's Gala Grand Opening - September 9
- Voices of the River: River Stories of People & Place - September 10
- Rock Climbing and Kayaking for Conservation - September 23
- Potomac Gorge Exhibit at the U.S. Botanic Garden - Now through November 19
- Voices of the River: Tribal Ways of Knowing and Protecting Water - October 1
- Voices of the River: Fiddlin' on the Porch - October 15
- Expansion of Tax Incentive A Victory for Conservation
- We're All New Orleanians Now
- Potomac Conservancy Seeks Volunteers for Growing Native
- Vast Stretches of Rivers Are Polluted, State Says
- Reeling in the Snakehead: A Foreign Fish Spawns in the Potomac
- Maryland Briefing: Stronger Forest Protections Moving Ahead
Early September |
Handy with a sewing machine? We need your help! Help bring Growing Native's "Nut Buddy" mascot to life! As our outreach efforts intensify, we're speaking to numerous community groups and hosting more collection events than ever before. We'll provide the sewing pattern for the "Nut Buddy" costume and you provide the sewing. These mascots are needed by mid-September, so please let us know if you can help. Contact and RSVP (required): Colleen Langan, Growing Native Coordinator, langan@potomac.org, or call 301.608.1188 x211. |
|
|
|
Various
Dates
|
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. |
Date
of Your Choice,
|
Help Maintain
the Capital Crescent Trail! People-watch for a good cause! The Coalition for the Capital Crescent Trail (CCCT) is working with the Montgomery County Parks Department to complete a systematic trail traffic survey of the Capital Crescent Trail. Trail traffic will be measured at four locations along the trail during weekday, weekday evening, and weekend time periods. Volunteers will perform a one hour long traffic count at an agreed-upon location and general time period. The volunteer will independently perform the count on any convenient day in September (after Labor Day Weekend) when the weather is fair. The last traffic survey completed in 2000 provided valuable data to CCCT in advocating for better trail maintenance and new trail amenities. A new survey will be very useful to CCCT in its advocacy to protect and complete the trail. For more information, please visit CCCT's website: http://www.cctrail.org/ Contact: Please email CCCT at survey@cctrail.org.
Let CCCT know your first and second preferences for the
general
time period and the survey location. CCCT will send you a packet
with the trail survey forms and instructions. |
|
| |
||
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 local river lovers as well as half a million volunteers in 100 countries to clean streams, rivers, and beaches. Join National Park staff and Potomac Conservancy volunteers to pickup trash at various locations along the George Washington Memorial Parkway and the C&O Canal National Historical Park. 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. Laura Glass will be leading a cleanup at Fletcher's Boathouse as well, from 9 am 'til noon. Please
come prepared for the weather. Wear sturdy shoes. Gloves and
trash bags will be provided. Participants are encouraged to use
public transportation For
directions to George Washington Memorial Parkway, please click
here. No RSVP required. For more information about the International Coastal Cleanup visit The Ocean Conservancy's web site: http://www.oceanconservancy.org/site/ Contact: Jean Zettler, Site Coordinator, jeanzet@yahoo.com. |
|
Saturday, 9 am 'til 11 am Rain or Shine |
Friends of Sligo Creek's 5th Annual Sweep
the Creek Celebrate National Public Lands Day by joining this annual trash cleanup in and around Sligo Creek! Sligo Creek is a tributary of the Northwest Branch of the Anacostia River whose watershed extends through Montgomery County, Prince George's County, and the District of Columbia. Friends of Sligo Creek will supply gloves, bags, drinking water, and Clif bars and will have commemorative National Public Lands Day posters, t-shirts, and more give-aways. Students can get service credit. Also, receive an entry ticket to the post-Sweep celebration for family fun to be held on October 8th. Food, games, native seed and plant exchange, and much more planned! Please visit Friends of Sligo Creek's website during early September for meeting places, maps, and more details. Contact: Wendi Schnaufer, wschnaufer3703@comcast.net. |
|
|
|
Now
through
|
Last
Day of a Busy Summer Season for the River Center Plan a visit to our River Center before the season ends! The River Center has had another active visitor season with nearly 2,000 visitors since opening in May. Stop by to learn more about the C&O Canal history and ecology from one of our volunteer docents every weekend day from 10 am 'til 2 pm through October 15. 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. |
The Anacostia Community Boathouse is threatened by plans to renovate the 11th Street Bridge. The D.C. Government is planning a major project to replace and expand the 11th Street Bridge system—a half-billion dollar project crucial to plans for improving traffic patterns along the Anacostia River. The public comment period on the D.C. Department of Transportation's draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) of the bridge project ended August 28. However, you still have time to speak up.
Sign the petition sponsored by the Anacostia Community Boathouse Association: http://www.petitiononline.com/
The District is in jeopardy of losing this valued recreational and community resource. Several thousand people use and visit the Anacostia Community Boathouse each year for daily practices, learn-to-row and learn-to-paddle programs, and competitive regattas on weekends. The boathouse is also home to five high school and collegiate rowing programs and three community rowing and paddling clubs. Trips for Kids, which takes at-risk children for bike rides in the area, will be housing some of its bicycle fleet at the Anacostia Community Boathouse as well. Please help preserve this boathouse, a unique facility on the Anacostia River that can sustain these programs.
For more information,
please visit the Anacostia
Community Boathouse Association website.
Saturday, 10 am 'til noon Ambassador
training from
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 12:30 'til 2:30 pm. For directions
to Tayamentasachta, 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!Saturday, 5 pm 'til 7 pm Free
|
American
Painting's Gala Grand Opening View masterpieces capturing local landscapes along the Potomac! American Painting's opening exhibition will feature recent works by two nationally renowned artists: Andrei Kushnir, a plein air painter whose oils celebrate the beauty and richness of the Potomac watershed region, and Michele Taylor, whose Colorist Conservatory Paintings are just a few pieces mirroring the vibrancy of nature. To learn more,
please visit American Painting's website: http://www.classicamericanpainting.com/index.html |
|
|
|
||
Sunday, 4 pm 'til 5 pm Free |
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, Hayden 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! Contact: Register before September 9 at www.sportrock.com, or contact John Woodson, john@sportrock.com or James Tilley, Recreation Program Coordinator, tilley@potomac.org. |
|
| |
||
Open now through November 19 10 am 'til 5 pm Free
|
Potomac
Gorge Exhibit at the U.S. Botanic Garden Discover the Potomac Gorge's rich plant life and the efforts underway to protect it! The U.S. Botanic Garden, the oldest botanic garden in North America, presents an exhibit focused on the natural beauty of the Potomac Gorge and what is being done to save it—and its vital resources—for future generations. Walk through a live sampling of the gorge's plant species and learn about the conservation efforts underway by the National Park Service, The Nature Conservancy, Potomac Conservancy, and others to protect this diverse section of our nation's river. To learn more about the U.S. Botanic Garden and the Potomac Gorge Exhibit, please visit the website: http://www.usbg.gov/ |
|
|
|
||
Sunday, 3 pm 'til 4 pm Free
|
Voices
of the River:
Tribal Ways of Knowing and Protecting Water Albert “Abby” Ybarra, an environmentalist who walks the spiritual Red Road of Native American culture, will talk about tribal ways of knowing water. He will compare tribal relationships with water to basic principles of water science. Abby will share how his own culture from the Yaqui in Arizona and the Zapotec people near Mexico City helps people “find their heart for matters that deal with the environment.” Ybarra is the former Community Environmental Education Coordinator for the District of Columbia. He currently works as a program consultant for a number of environmental educational organizations including Project Learning Tree. Contact: Judy Welles, River
Center Director, welles@potomac.org. |
|
|
|
||
Sunday, 3 pm 'til 4 pm Free
|
Voices
of the River: Fiddlin’ on
the Porch with Kitchen Gorilla The fiddle and guitar duo Kitchen Gorilla will return with a medley of river-oriented folk strumming. Join us for a range of tunes, including American folk songs, Scandinavian waltzes, traditional old English dance melodies, and old-time Appalachian foot-stompers. Contact: Judy Welles, River Center Director, welles@potomac.org. |
|
|
|
||
Expansion of Tax Incentive A Victory for Conservation
On August 17, President Bush signed into law a tremendous expansion of federal conservation tax incentives. Though the changes only apply to easements donated in 2006 and 2007, they make land protection an even more attractive option to so-called "land rich, cash poor" owners of working landscapes.
Washington Post—How's this for poetic justice? In future years, the White House and all those federal agencies accused of acting too slowly after Hurricane Katrina smashed New Orleans last August will probably find their own D.C. offices threatened by catastrophic flooding from monster storms. They may be hunkering behind massive levees and fantastic floodgates, harried by the annual threat of Katrina-scale hurricanes.
Because one year after the great catastrophe in Louisiana, this much is clear: It's coming here.
Potomac Conservancy Seeks Volunteers for
Growing Native
Carroll County Times—Carroll County, Maryland, is preparing for Growing
Native's
sixth year. Nursery
Manager Richard Garrett describes why seeds from the Potomac watershed
are delivered to state nurseries such as the John S. Ayton State Forest
Tree Nursery,
and why local seeds are important for local restoration.
Vast Stretches of Rivers Are Polluted, State Says
Washington Post—It was a steamy morning, but Todd Lewis and his mother, Bonnie, couldn't resist the urge to lower Todd's boat onto the Potomac River to fish for smallmouth bass at Algonkian Regional Park in Sterling. As dawn turned to a scorching midday, their enthusiasm yielded to disappointment. Nearly half of the fish they pulled up had burn-like lesions; some were so covered that "you didn't even want to touch them," Todd Lewis, 30, said.
Washington Post—Some outside of the recently deposed Kansas school board might suspect it's the missing link. Most just think it's a tasty pest. The snakehead, a fish that can stay upright and wriggle its way around for short distances on land, has infested the Potomac River.
Maryland Briefing: Stronger Forest Protections Moving Ahead
Washington Post—Montgomery County officials are considering new protections for the county's dwindling forest in the wake of the tree-cutting controversy involving Washington Redskins owner Daniel M. Snyder.
Good
Neighbor Tip: Prepare for Fall
Bird Migration
We all know that September brings a bit of relief from the heat and humidity of summer. You may even be re-energized to do a little yard work and plant a few native spring bulbs. Another aspect of your backyard haven that might need revamping is your birdfeeders. The Potomac watershed plays seasonal host to many bird species soon making their fall migration south.
Before you start snipping and removing the heads and stalks of retiring summer plants, remember that many birds will feed on the seeds of flower heads such as coneflowers, tall marigolds, zinnias, cosmos, coreopsis, and sunflowers. Leaving the plant material for the winter also provides protection for birds. If you can leave some leaf litter where it falls, towhees and other birds will appreciate the insects. Fall is typically the driest season in the region. A shallow container of fresh water will be a rewarding treat for passers-through; if possible, the sound of slow dripping water will attract birds. Prepare feeders for thistle-lovers and other seeds. To promote river health by preventing harmful runoff as well as protecting birdlife, avoid using herbicides and systemic pesticides such as Dimethoate on plants, which can poison birds eating any fruits from those plants.
If you are fascinated by our region’s regulars as well as visiting fall feathered friends, these tips should encourage an eventful birding season. If you would like to contribute to the record-keeping of this fall’s migration, Project FeederWatch is about to begin its 2006-2007 season. A collaboration orchestrated by Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Project FeederWatch enlists birdwatchers throughout the Eastern region to submit data gathered from watching their own feeders. To learn more or to apply to become a participant in Project FeederWatch, please visit the website: www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/.
For more river-friendly living tips, download a free copy of the Conservancy's 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. Simply take part by selecting designation #8158.
If you are a government employee, participate in the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) of the National Capital Area and choose designation #8158. 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 #8158 and CVC #8218 today!
RiverUpdate
is an e-newsletter for Potomac Conservancy supporters. It provides
information on the Conservancy's volunteer activities and river-related
events. |
