Posts

Clean the Chesapeake Bay Day, June 1st

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Various locations
Saturday, 1 June 2019
9 am-12 pm

Each year, on the first Saturday of June, thousands of Virginians simultaneously descend on the rivers, streams, and beaches of the Chesapeake Bay watershed to remove harmful litter and debris. Thirty-one years strong, Clean the Bay Day is a true Virginian tradition and an annual opportunity for families, military installations, businesses, clubs, civic or church groups to give back to local waterways.

This short, three-hour annual event has a massive cumulative impact. Since 1989, Clean the Bay Day has engaged over 158,200 volunteers, who have removed approximately 6.64 million pounds of debris from nearly 7,750 miles of shoreline in Virginia!

Signing up for Clean the Bay Day is easy! Find a location convenient to you on our locations list or interactive map and register yourself or your group. Your information will be sent to the coordinator for that location, who will get back to you with details about your specific site. When you show up that day, just come prepared to help pick up litter and debris! All clean-up supplies will be provided.

Can’t make it on June 1st but want to help? Check out partners who are hosting their events earlier.

Stream cleanups in March

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Bull Run Tributary Stream Cleanup
Manassas, VA
Saturday, 16 March 2019
9 am-12 pm

Join the Merrimac Farm Master Naturalists, Friends of the Square, Keep Prince William Beautiful, and other Prince William County partners to keep the stream corridor near the Bull Run Shopping Center clean under Prince William SWCD’s Adopt-A-Stream program. Great for student community service hours. Light refreshment will be provided. Volunteers should come dressed for the weather, with boots and clothes they don’t mind getting dirty. Learn more and RSVP to Prince William SWCD.

Potomac River Cleanup at Gravelly Point
Gravelly Point, Arlington VA
Saturday, 30 March 2019
10 am-1 pm

Get your hands dirty for clean water and make a difference in your community by volunteering with Potomac Conservancy, Green Muslims, and the National Park Service. Join us in collecting trash and enjoy the dramatic takeoffs at nearby National Airport. Register now to support healthy lands and clean drinking water!

Powells Creek Stream Cleanup
Montclair VA
Saturday, 30 March 2019
10 am-1 pm

Parking available at 15601 Northgate Dr., Montclair VA 22025. For more information about this event, please contact the Merrimac Farm Master Naturalists.

Join Potomac River Watershed Cleanup, Saturday, April 13

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The Alice Ferguson Foundation is sponsoring the Potomac Watershed Cleanup on Saturday, April 13.

Join the 31st Annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup. The official date is Saturday, April 13, however, there will be cleanups throughout the entire month of April.

The Annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup is the largest regional event of its kind, and the Cleanup aims to engage citizens and community leaders and to generates momentum for change.

The Friends of Accotink Creek website has information about Accotink Creek watershed cleanups on weekends, April 5 through May 11.

This project is eligible for FMN service credit.

Help clean up Fairfax County Parks April 5th-20th

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Join The Nature Conservancy and Fairfax County Park Authority to clean up your watershed! This spring cleaning will remove tires, plastic bottles, cans and other debris from local waterways, preventing trash from reaching the nation’s largest estuary, the Chesapeake Bay.

1,000 volunteers are needed to help cover 21 parks! This event is ideal for families, service groups, Scouts and individuals.

Dates and locations are subject to change. Registration for the 4th annual cleanup event will open on March 1, 2019.

5 APRIL 2019

Providence RECenter, Falls Church—25 volunteers needed

6 APRIL  2019

Cub Run RECenter, Chantilly—105 volunteers needed
Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, Chantilly—35 volunteers needed
George Washington RECenter grounds, Alexandria—45 volunteers needed
Hidden Oaks Nature Center at Roundtree Park, Falls Church—55 volunteers needed
Hidden Pond Nature Center, Springfield—55 volunteers needed
Huntley Meadows Park, Alexandria—50 volunteers needed
Lake Accotink Park, Springfield—105 volunteers needed
Lake Fairfax Park, Reston—30 volunteers needed
Lemon Road Park, Falls Church—45 volunteers needed
Middleridge Park, Fairfax—45 volunteers needed
Ossian Hall Park, Annandale—45 volunteers needed
Pine Ridge Park, Annandale—45 volunteers needed
Royal Lake Park, Fairfax—45 volunteers needed
Sully Historic Site, Chantilly—30 volunteers needed
Woodglen Lake Park, Fairfax—45 volunteers needed

13 APRIL  2019

Riverbend Park, Great Falls—45 volunteers needed
Scott’s Run Nature Preserve, McLean—30 volunteers needed

20 APRIL 2019

Arrowbrook Park, Herndon—45 volunteers needed
Dulles Rock Hill Park, Chantilly—45 volunteers needed
Merrybrook Run Stream Valley Park, Fairfax—45 volunteers needed

Spring Stream Cleanup Events, Feb. 18th to Mar. 16th

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Americana Drive Stream Cleanup
When: Monday, 18 February 2019, 10 am-2 pm
Where: Americana Drive, Annandale VA
Join the Fairfax County Restoration Project in their efforts to clean up Americana Drive! Gloves, vests, and trash bags will be provided. Student community service hours are available through the Friends of Accotink Creek. Please sign up so the organizers can prepare enough supplies.

Quantico Creek Stream Cleanup
When: Saturday, 23 February 2019, 9 am-12 pm
Where: Dumfries Elementary School, Dumfries VA
Join Prince William Soil and Water Conservation District for a Quantico Creek cleanup in the Town of Dumfries in support of water quality awareness and plastic prevention. This event has been organized as part of the commemoration of the history of the Town of Dumfries. Cleanup supplies will be provided. Dress well for the weather and put on boots. Register with Sonnie Coffey.

2019 Big County Spring Stream Cleanup Launching
When: Saturday, 2 March 2019, 9 am-12 pm
Where: Eagles Park, Woodbridge VA
Promote water quality and plastic pollution awareness around the newly constructed Woodbridge Boardwalk. Join the water quality awareness campaign and give a treat to this scenic site of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail. Prince William County residents are invited to come out en mass at Eagle Park in Woodbridge. To register, please visit Prince William Trails and Streams Coalition website.

Bull Run Tributary Stream Cleanup
When: Saturday, 16 March 2019, 9 am-12 pm
Where: Manassas VA
Join the Merrimac Farm Master Naturalists, Friends of the Square, Keep Prince William Beautiful, and other Prince William County partners to keep the stream corridor near the Bull Run Shopping Center clean under Prince William Soil and Water Conservation District’s (SWCD) Adopt-A-Stream program. Great for student community service hours. Light refreshment will be provided. Volunteers should come dressed for the weather, with boots and clothes they don’t mind getting dirty. Learn more and RSVP to Prince William SWCD.

MLK Day Clean up, Americana Drive

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Two locations: Intersection of Americana Drive and Patriot Drive and Intersection of Americana Drive and Heritage Drive, Annandale, VA
Monday, 21 January 2019, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
10 am – 2 pm

A group of neighbors has coalesced  to do a cleanup of the illegal dumping areas prevalent along the length of Americana Drive in Annandale.  This effort came together rather suddenly after the holidays.
 
Americana Drive, which is crossed by three tributaries of Accotink Creek, has been plagued for years by illegal dumping.  Help restore pride to this area!

Sign up online: https://www.fcrpp3.org/annandale-clean-up-sign-in

More information, supported by Friends of Accotink Creek:  http://www.accotink.org/2019/AmericanaDriveCleanuppre-event2019.htm

Winter Salt Watch: You Can Help

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Road salt (sodium chloride) is everywhere during winter months. It keeps us safe on roads and sidewalks, but it can also pose a threat to fish and wildlife as well as human health. 

Fish and bugs that live in freshwater streams can’t survive in extra salty water. And many of us (more than 118 million Americans) depend on local streams for drinking water. Water treatment plants are not equipped to filter out the extra salt, so it can end up in your tap water and even corrode your pipes. What can you do?

STEP 1: Test the chloride in your stream. Request a FREE test kit using the form on this page and follow the instructions you receive with your kit. (You can also order your own chloride test strips through Amazon.) You’ll want to test your stream:

  • Before a winter storm (to get a baseline reading).
  • After salt has been applied to roads.
  • After the first warm day or rainstorm following a snow or freeze.
  • After the next rain event.

STEP 2: Share your results using the free Water Reporter app. Just follow these simple instructions. With test results in one place, we can identify salt hot spots around the country, and you can see how salt is affecting your community. Check out the Winter Salt Watch map below!

STEP 3: Take action. If you find high levels of chloride, let someone know!

  1. Call your city or county department of environmental protection to report high chloride levels or large salt piles.
  2. Write a Letter to the Editor of your local newspaper or other news outlet to educate your community about this issue. You can start with our sample letter and adapt it for your use. (Download the Word file or PDF.)
  3. Share road salt best practices with community managers and state agencies.

Protect the health of your streams – and your community – with Winter Salt Watch!

Potomac River clean-ups, Jan. 19 and 21

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Potomac River Cleanup at Fletcher’s Cove
When: Saturday, January 19, 10:00am-1:00pm
Where: Fletcher’s Cover, Washington DC
Potomac Conservancy and the National Park Service will honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by spending “a day on, not a day off”! Join them in collecting trash at Fletcher’s Cove to support clean water and connected communities! Register online to volunteer.

Potomac River Cleanup at LBJ Grove
When: Monday, January 21, 10:00am-1:00pm
Where: LBJ Memorial Grove, Washington DC
Potomac Conservancy and the National Park Service will honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by spending “a day on, not a day off”! Join them in collecting trash and removing invasives at the LBJ Memorial Grove to support clean water and connected communities! Register online to volunteer.

Trash Cleanup at Marumsco Creek, November 17th

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On Saturday, 17 November 2018, partner with the Prince William County Parks & Recreation Department, Department of Public Works, and the Prince William Soil & Water Conservation District on a trash cleanup in the Woodbridge district. We’ll focus on Marumsco Creek, where it flows through Jefferson Park and Veteran’s Park. The cleanup will be part of a larger public outreach event on Plastics Pollution Prevention and Cleanup, with educational exhibits setup at Veterans Park. Learn more by visiting the event webpage and registering for the cleanup at Veteran’s Park and/or Jefferson Park.

Fairfax County Parks Watershed Clean Up Day, October 13th

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Saturday, 13 October 2018
9-11:30am
Multiple locations
Do your part to clean up our parks and local waterways by registering to participate in a Watershed Clean Up Day event. Volunteers are needed from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at Cub Run RECenter, Hidden Pond Nature Center, Huntley Meadows Park, Lake Accotink Park, Lincolnia Park, Riverbend Park and Scotts Run. For details and to sign up, call the site or visit the website. This a great activity for community and scout groups to earn service hours. For information about clean-ups at non-staffed sites, contact Julie Tahan at 703-324-8740.