April 16, 2014

Remembering Frank Woodson

April 16, 2014/ Melissa Diemand

Potomac Conservancy recently lost a dear friend and partner with the passing of Frank Woodson in March. Frank was a long-time supporter of the Conservancy and a true champion for conservation. He protected more than 200 acres of his West Virginia farm and forest land in 2007 and was a well-respected and passionate advocate for land protection along the South Branch River in Hampshire County.

Learn more about Frank and his legacy after the jump.

April 11, 2014

Native Plantings to Restore and Protect Glen Echo Park

April 11, 2014/ Rebecca Long

Our Chesapeake Conservation Corps fellow, Rebecca, is up to some exciting work! Not only is she leading and coordinating her capstone project, she’ll be blogging about it! Learn about her native planting event at Glen Echo Park and what you can do to help!

April 10, 2014

A Saturday Morning to Remember: Potomac River Cleanup Day

April 10, 2014/ Melissa Diemand

There are some who wake up on a Saturday morning and decide to ease into the day with a fresh cup of Joe and a glance at the weekend paper. Then there’s Eric.

Not one to miss out on a beautiful spring morning, Eric took a brisk walk from his place in Foggy Bottom over to Theodore Roosevelt Island to pitch in for the annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup.

How much trash did Eric and other volunteers remove from the Potomac? You'll have to find out after the jump!

April 07, 2014

Community in Action: Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

April 07, 2014/ Melissa Diemand

In honor of World Wetlands Day in February, Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens hosted 100 volunteers for a fun day of restoration activities at the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, a local treasure of Northeast Washington, DC.

Discover how local community members are helping to preserve this special urban oasis after the jump!

March 19, 2014

Time for Spring Cleaning. Join Us For Annual Potomac Cleanup!

March 19, 2014/ Melissa Diemand

Take part in the biggest annual Potomac River cleanup and restore healthy shorelines by removing litter, debris and trash from river access spots. On April 5, 2014, Alice Ferguson Foundation hosts its 26th Annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup.

Join Potomac Conservancy at one of our three host sites from 9:00am – 12:00pm. This year, we will be hosting volunteers at the River Center at Lock 8 in Cabin John, Maryland; Fletcher's Cove in Washington, DC; and Theodore Roosevelt Island in Washington, DC.

Interested volunteers can register by emailing Rebecca at long@potomac.org. More details after the jump.

March 14, 2014

Maryland’s Pollution Solution: Local Funds for Local Runoff Problems

March 14, 2014/ Melissa Diemand

The Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay need our help. During rainstorms, pollutants like motor oils, excess nutrients, pesticides, and trash flow directly into your local rivers and streams. This toxic stew running off the land is the only growing source of pollution entering local waterways.

Maryland’s state legislature stood up for clean water and passed the 2012 Watershed Protection and Restoration Law to curb runoff levels in our waters. But the law is under attack.

Email your state legislators, now, and urge them to maintain critical funding to protect our local lands and waters!

March 13, 2014

Remembering Caroline Stalnaker

March 13, 2014/ Melissa Diemand

We were very sad to learn about the recent passing of a longtime environmental supporter and friend of Potomac Conservancy, Caroline Stalnaker. Caroline owned a 106-acre working farm along Cedar Creek in Strasburg, Virginia. In 2006, Caroline permanently protected her land through a conservation easement with Potomac Conservancy and Virginia Outdoor Foundation. We have been extremely fortunate to know Caroline and work with her to preserve her land and legacy forever.

March 06, 2014

Get to Know Rebecca Wodder, PC's Newest Board Member

March 06, 2014/ Melissa Diemand

Potomac Conservancy welcomes Rebecca Wodder to our Board of Directors! Rebecca has devoted her career to conservation and comes to the Conservancy having served for two years as Senior Advisor to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, advancing conservation objectives. Rebecca was nominated by President Obama for the post of Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks in the Department of the Interior in June 2011. Previously, Rebecca served as President and CEO of American Rivers from 1995 to 2011, successfully directing strategic, programmatic and financial operations.

Potomac Conservancy staff and fellow Board members were delighted to welcome Rebecca at her first Board meeting in March 2014.

March 04, 2014

Volunteer Spotlight: Meet the Gulf 4 FEMA Corps Team

March 04, 2014/ Melissa Diemand

Potomac Conservancy was thrilled to have Nico, Sebastian, Aziza, Vanessa and Mac join us at the February 22nd Canal Stewards cleanup event. The team dedicated their Saturday morning to removing litter and debris along the shores of the Potomac at Fletcher's Cove in Washington, DC.

Nico, Sebastian, Aziza, Vanessa and Mac are members of AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) FEMA Corps: Southern Region, Gulf 4. Team members from this FEMA Corps group are assigned service projects in and around Jessup, Maryland.

See what the team had to say after the jump.

February 28, 2014

Nature's Prescription: Go Outside, Visit a Park

February 28, 2014/ Melissa Diemand

As our society has shifted from moving to sitting – it’s increasingly important for children and adults alike to make regular time outside for recreation, fun adventures, and relaxation.

National Park Service's Healthy Parks, Healthy People initiative recruited doctors and health care providers to explain why the Park Prescription is so important to Washington D.C.'s quality of life.

Learn what doctors had to say after the jump.

February 26, 2014

Be a Voice for Clean Water – Help Save Maryland’s Ten Mile Creek!

February 26, 2014/ Melissa Diemand

Montgomery County, Maryland is home to one of the most pristine waterways in the Chesapeake Bay region: Ten Mile Creek in Clarksburg Town Center. But this important natural resource is in trouble.

Long-time development plans threaten to strip healthy forests and habitat surrounding the Creek, removing important natural defenses and water quality protections.

On March 4, Montgomery County Council will vote and decide whether to restrict future development activities along the Creek.

If you live in Montgomery County and would like to stand up for local water quality protections, tell your Montgomery County Council representatives to save Ten Mile Creek before March 4!

Contact Montgomery County Council officials >

February 18, 2014

Potomac Conservancy Welcomes Leanna Diggs

February 18, 2014/ Melissa Diemand

Leanna Diggs recently joined Potomac Conservancy in January 2014 as the Policy and Advocacy Intern. Leanna works with the Policy Manager, Amanda John, to assist in advocating for policy and legislation surrounding water quality and land conservation programs throughout the D.C. Metro Area. As a multifaceted organization, Potomac Conservancy will greatly benefit from Leanna’s research and briefings, and her work will help inform policy strategy and advance conservation in the Potomac Watershed.

Learn more about Leanna's efforts after the jump.

February 14, 2014

Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Scott, Zachary, and Clayton

February 14, 2014/ Melissa Diemand

Scott and sons, Zachary and Clayton, left their warm house on a brisk Saturday morning to help Potomac Conservancy clean the lands surrounding Cabin John Creek. Scott and his family participated in the 2014 national Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, joining two dozen fellow volunteers at sites in Maryland and Washington, DC. The family took a moment to put down their trash bags and reflect on their service and the importance of the lands they helped to beautify.

See what they had to say after the jump!

February 12, 2014

American Rivers Highlights Successful Conservation Strategy→

February 12, 2014/ Melissa Diemand

On The River Blog, former Conservancy Land Protection Director, Emily Warner, explores Potomac Conservancy’s conservation successes in partnership with American Rivers and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Through a two-year $150,000 Potomac Highlands Implementation Grant, the Conservancy's Shenandoah Valley Priority Lands Project protected over 1,000 acres of land, five and a half stream miles, and nearly 10 miles of forested stream-side riparian buffers.

Through close partnerships with landowners and organizations who share our vision for a clean and healthy Potomac, we complement existing conservation efforts, pool resources and expertise, and increase local impact.

February 04, 2014

Frederick County, MD: Improving Local Water Quality Through Shared Responsibility

February 04, 2014/ Melissa Diemand

The Frederick News-Post reported a legislative attempt to exempt Frederick County, Maryland from enforcing a local stormwater fee. Potomac Conservancy joined clean water partners in Annapolis, Maryland on Tuesday, January 28 to protect the state’s mandatory stormwater fee.

As The Frederick News-Post details, Hedrick Belin, president of the Potomac Conservancy, also argued against a Frederick County exemption, pointing to an assessment released last year that concluded many county streams were in poor health.

January 29, 2014

MLK, Jr Day: A Day of Service to Remember

January 29, 2014/ Melissa Diemand

Potomac Conservancy was excited to join 35 volunteers who braved the frigid cold to participate in a day of service improve the health of public lands found in the C&O Canal National Historical Park. We thank this group of committed river champions for their help in removing over 800 pounds of trash, debris, and invasive English Ivy from the shores of the Potomac.

January 26, 2014

American Rivers Blog Series Features 2013 River Report

January 26, 2014/ Melissa Diemand

American Rivers' guest blogger, JD Willoughby, features Potomac Conservancy's 2013 State of the Nation's River report in a special series on the health of the Potomac. In the latest report, the Conservancy assessed several watershed variables that help measure water quality and scored the Potomac River a C, up from a D in 2009. Due to several threats facing our Nation's River, the Potomac topped the American Rivers 2012 Most Endangered Rivers list.

Be sure to check out JD's blog series and learn more about emerging threats to our local water quality.

January 24, 2014

WV Chemical Spill. A Warning for Local Water Safety?

January 24, 2014/ Melissa Diemand

Is our water safe? Potomac Conservancy President, Hedrick Belin, helps answer that question in Potomac Almanac's recent January 22 issue.

“Polluted runoff can severely degrade water quality, wildlife habitat and fish populations in the Potomac’s tributaries and the main stem,” said Belin. “Keeping our lands and waters safe is most importantly about our right to safe drinking water, clean air and the legacy that we leave for our children and grandchildren.”

See what else Hedrick has to say about the Potomac's waters after the jump.

January 20, 2014

Potomac Conservancy Gives the Potomac's Health a Grade of C

January 20, 2014/ Melissa Diemand

How is the river doing? Potomac Conservancy seeks to answer this fundamental question in its 2013 State of the Nation's River Report. The report evaluates key indicators including pollution, fish, land use, people and habitat, to give an in-depth look at the river's health. Download your copy of the 2013 Report and find out why the river receives an overall C grade.

January 20, 2014

Conservancy Closes Easement Deal on 288-Acre VA Property

January 20, 2014/ Melissa Diemand

In October 2013, Potomac Conservancy’s Land Protection team closed an easement on Half Moon, permanently protecting 288 acres in Frederick County (VA). Boasting pristine forests and working farmland in the Cedar Creek watershed, Half Moon helps preserve local and regional stream health as the waters of Cedar Creek meander into the Shenandoah River and ultimately flow into the Potomac.

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