Rain Gardens and the Potomac
/
Want to put your new knowledge of native and invasive plants to the test? Make your next planting a rain garden planting! Learn more about rain gardens from Rebecca's third blog post.
Read More
Earth Day Resolution
/
Sometimes it can feel like the world’s problems are too big for any one person or community to handle. But did you know that water quality is largely dependent on local actions?
Make a 2014 Earth Day resolution to take an action for clean water! Learn how you can help improve local water quality after the jump.
Read MoreNative Plants to the Potomac Watershed
/
Do you know which plants are native to the Potomac region? How about which plants aren't, how they got here, and how they're effecting the native plant species? Learn more from Rebecca's second blog post after the jump!
Read MoreRemembering Frank Woodson
/
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.
Read MoreNative Plantings to Restore and Protect Glen Echo Park
/
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!
Read MoreA Saturday Morning to Remember: Potomac River Cleanup Day
/
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!
Read MoreCommunity in Action: Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens
/
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!
Read MoreTime for Spring Cleaning. Join Us For Annual Potomac Cleanup!
/
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.
Read MoreMaryland’s Pollution Solution: Local Funds for Local Runoff Problems
/
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!
Read MoreRemembering Caroline Stalnaker
/
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.
Read MoreGet to Know Rebecca Wodder, PC's Newest Board Member
/
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.
Read MoreVolunteer Spotlight: Meet the Gulf 4 FEMA Corps Team
/
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.
Read MoreNature's Prescription: Go Outside, Visit a Park
/
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.
Read MoreBe a Voice for Clean Water – Help Save Maryland’s Ten Mile Creek!
/
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 >
Read MorePotomac Conservancy Welcomes Leanna Diggs
/
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.
Read MoreVolunteer Spotlight: Meet Scott, Zachary, and Clayton
/
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!
Read MoreAmerican Rivers Highlights Successful Conservation Strategy→
/
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.
Read MoreFrederick County, MD: Improving Local Water Quality Through Shared Responsibility
/
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.
Read MoreMLK, Jr Day: A Day of Service to Remember
/
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.
Read MoreAmerican Rivers Blog Series Features 2013 River Report
/
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.
Read More
