Ask the Expert: How does your grocery list impact the Potomac River?

Ask the Expert: How does your grocery list impact the Potomac River?

Our friends from Mom’s Organic Market tell you how to write a shopping list that really makes a difference for our local environment and the climate. Check out these 5 quick tips to level up your river-friendly grocery game and find out the #1 action you can take for clean water…

Read More

3 essential books by Indigenous authors for environmental activists

3 essential books by Indigenous authors for environmental activists

All lands in the United States are the ancestral lands of Indigenous peoples. If we want to build an equitable and sustainable movement to protect the Potomac River, our local lands, and the climate, we must learn from Indigenous people and their legacy of environmental activism.

Read More

6 types of trash that harm local animals (and what you can do to help)

6 types of trash that harm local animals (and what you can do to help)

We’re fortunate to live in one of the most ecologically diverse regions in the country! The Potomac River is home to over 1,000 species of animals, but litter is threatening the critters that share our local lands and waters.

Discover 6 types of trash that pose the biggest risk to local wildlife — and what you can do to help!

Read More

What's plaguing the Potomac River? It could be your lawn.

What's plaguing the Potomac River? It could be your lawn.

You might not realize it, but your lawn could be polluting the Potomac and harming local wildlife. Having a healthy lawn fit for summer picnics and protecting clean water aren't mutually exclusive. Hear from a lawn care professional on how to take steps to ensure your lawn, big or small, is river friendly!

Read More

4 Facts You *OTTER* Know About Potomac River Otters

4 Facts You *OTTER* Know About Potomac River Otters

The Potomac River is home to one of the most adorable aquatic animals- the river otter. Otters around the world have faced centuries of decline due to hunting, trapping, and habitat loss. But our local species is on the rebound.

Do you know how else river otters differ from their sea otter cousins? Discover their quirks, unique habits, and when and where you might be able to spot one in the wild! (Also, cute photos, of course).

Read More

The climate crisis is threatening local bass fishing—here's how to help

The climate crisis is threatening local bass fishing—here's how to help

Smallmouth bass are a $23 million a year industry on the Potomac River, but their populations have been dwindling and disappearing for years. What’s the mysterious cause?

A new study explains the link between our local climate crisis and the health of these legendary fish. It’s time to get to know the scrappy smallmouths, what’s threatening them, and how we can help them flourish in our local waters.

Read More

Ask An Expert: 7 simple tips for photographing the Potomac River

Ask An Expert: 7 simple tips for photographing the Potomac River

Are you a river lover anxious to capture the wealth of flora and fauna you see? Are you a photographer longing for a new adventure? Well, you’re in luck!

Your hometown river, the Potomac, is home to world-class photography subjects - no plane travel required. Use these simple tips from an expert in photographing the wonders of the Potomac River region…then show us your photos!

Read More

Potomac Conservancy statement of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement

Potomac Conservancy statement of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement

Read Potomac Conservancy President Hedrick Belin’s full statement on the killing of George Floyd and other unarmed African Americans, the intersection between our work and the Black Lives Matter movement, and our plan to incorporate anti-racism work into our mission.

Read More

What to do when you encounter local animals (and their babies!)

What to do when you encounter local animals (and their babies!)

Spring means animal babies! And as we spend more time outside, it also means more interactions between humans and local wildlife.

Do you know what to do if you come across a fox, snake, or baby bird? We asked the experts from Second Chance Wildlife Center for the answers to some common animal interaction questions.

Read More

Your backyard can help clean the Potomac — here's how

Your backyard can help clean the Potomac — here's how

Just one inch of rain generates 2,000 gallons of runoff from a typical suburban home. Multiple that by the number of homes in our area and you can see why polluted runoff is the fastest growing source of pollution in the Potomac.

Hear from the experts at Backyard Bounty on how to transform your yard into a river friendly garden that fights pollution and naturally absorbs runoff.

Read More

Ask An Expert: How to become a birder

Ask An Expert: How to become a birder

So you've probably heard that birding is a great hobby - it keeps you in touch with nature, it's inexpensive, and you can do it through a window or in a quiet wood. But how do you go from fledgling to eagle-eyed?

We talked to a local expert from the Audubon Society about easy ways to start birding (and make friends doing it!) and what makes being a Potomac region bird-nerd so special.

Read More