An energetic youth group of 6th and 7th graders from the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax used their voices, influence and a little elbow grease to stand up for clean water and make an impact in their local community.

A Voice for Clean Water On the first Sunday in April, the youth group led a presentation to the Congregation about local water issues and Potomac Conservancy’s conservation initiatives. Following their presentation, the children helped Potomac Conservancy staff with a tabling event and showcased their homemade posters.

Clean Water Influence The youth group worked with the Congregation’s Social Justice Committee to select Potomac Conservancy as the recipient of the Share the Plate donation. As a result of their leadership, half of the cash donations collected during services in the month of April were donated to Potomac Conservancy’s clean water initiatives.

Clean Water Action Adding impact to influence, the group organized a spring restoration activity to get their hands dirty for clean water. On May 4, Potomac Conservancy hosted 18 children and chaperons at Wolf Trap National Park for a nature hike and cleanup and invasive species removal activities.

Mike, a volunteer and expert naturalist at Wolf Trap, led the nature hike, pointing out different types of trees and flowers in combination with interesting facts about the park. Along the way, the children were encouraged to pick up trash. Due to recent rains, there was a lot of litter!

Channeling their inner grasshoppers, squirrels, and black bears, children took advantage of the Little Theater in the Woods to act out some of the native animals in the area. Finally, the children learned about local invasive species and the toll they take on native plants. The group finished the day identifying and removing invasive garlic mustard from the local trails.

Get Your Hands Dirty for Clean Water!

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