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Each month the ICRPB highlights a watershed organization that is
working to protect and restore the Potomac Basin. We want to give
one watershed group some kudos for work well done in the past while
giving them a chance for some free publicity for their current activities.
Furthermore the spotlight on one group's activities gives other
environmental groups some ideas on what they can do and perhaps
a new group with which to network.
If you would like your group to be the next watershed organization
of the month, please call or email our watershed
coordinator at 301-984-1908x103.
This month's Watershed Organization of the Month
The Group:
The Friends of Rock Creek's Environment (FoRCE) work to promote a healthy and sustainable Rock Creek Watershed through conservation, education and restoration. FoRCE is a non-profit organization open to all citizens and works in the the Rock Creek Watershed of Montgomery County, Maryland and the District of Columbia. The group began in the Spring of 2005 and has grown quickly into a vibrant and diverse organization of citizens throughout the watershed and beyond.
First Year's Highlights:
FoRCE's first official took place in January, 2005 at the Rock Creek National Park Visitor Center, a sign of partnership between the NPS and the newly forming group. One month later, FoRCE began training citizen monitors in order to set up a network of monitoring locations throughout the Rock Creek Watershed. The monitoring locations compliment and augment monitoring already being done by the District of Columbia, Maryland National Capital Parks and Planning Commission (MNCPPC), the Audubon Naturalist Society, and Montgomery County DEP.
In March, 2005 FoRCE began training "weed warriors" through MNCPPC's workshops. These "weed warriors" have since led several invasive species removal efforts in parkland throughout the Rock Creek watershed. The same month they sent two volunteers to the Watershed Protection Institute in order to train them in watershed restoration activities. The two volunteers were able to attend thanks to full scholarships from the Center for Watershed Protection
On April 2, 2005 FoRCE hosted 8 sites as a part of the Alice Ferguson Foundation's Potomac River Cleanup. One hundred ninety two volunteers help collect 391 bags of trash and recyclables from Rock Creek and its tributaries! Just a few weeks later they partnered with Rock Creek National Park and the D.C. Department of Fisheries to host Herring Aide - a volunteer bucket brigade to help spawning herring get past Pierce Mill Dam, the last remaining blockage to their migration in the District of Columbia's portion of the Rock Creek Watershed. Around 100 volunteers participated in this event, designed to both educate the public and give the herring a helping hand. Thankfully, this event will be the last in the National Park because by the spring of this year a fish ladder will be built so that the fish can migrate around the dam.
For Earth Day FoRCE worked with MNCPPC and the Discovery Channel to remove non native invasive species and trash from Candy Cane City a section of parkland adjacent to Rock Creek National Park. More than thirty volunteers removed Porcelain Berry, Garlic Mustard, Multiflora Rose, Japanese Honeysuckle, Oriental Bittersweet, English Ivy and Winter Creeper. By clipping, ripping and removing these invasive plants, the group helped save large specimen trees that might have eventually been strangled and pulled down and lost forever. Native plants, such as native grape vine, Virginia blue bells and spice bush were also given room to grow and "fight back''. An additional group of folks helped maintain the creek's habitat by cleaning up trash from the surrounding play area, and kept 7-11 cups, diapers, numerous recyclable plastic bottles and all sorts of other trash from washing down the stream.
Six months into its being, FoRCE chose its inaugural board - ten citizens with a broad range of backgrounds from horse ranchers to marine biologists.The board was chosen to have representation from the entire watershed.
June 25, 2005 - Volunteers from FoRCE stenciled over 100 stormdrains in the District of Columbia and Maryland. This initial effort was focused on two neighborhoods: the Kensington area of Montgomery County and the Columbia Heights neighborhood in Washington, D.C.
October starts out with FoRCE hosting its first workshop entitled "Five Things You can Do For Rock Creek". It is an effort to educate homeowners about what they can do to reduce non-point source pollution from their property. At this same event, FoRCE provides the Rock Creek Nature Center with three rain barrels to educate the public about the importance of capturing runoff. A week later volunteers from FoRCE stenciled an additional 100 stormdrains in the District of Columbia and Maryland. This time the group worked at two sites in Washington D.C. and one in Rockville, Maryland.
In December FoRCE finished up the year by thinking of the coming years. The group submitted its first grant proposals in an effort to make the organization stronger and more sustainable.
Upcoming Events:
FoRCE sponsors programs and events throughout the year. Four of their ongoing programs include, storm drain marking, invasive species removal, stream cleanups, and stream monitoring. If you are interested in volunteering with FoRCE or just interested in receiving updates from the group on their activities and other activities in the watershed, please email info@friendsofrockcreek.org or call Steve Saari at 301-984-1908x103.
FoRCE Cleanup Projects - Trash is an eyesore and it's unhealthy for our watershed. Nobody likes to look at the soda cans, plastic bags, and paper during a morning jog or commute and the pollution that it causes impacts the health of everything from the smallest microorganism to the people of Washington, D.C., who ultimately drink the water. FoRCE members are taking matters into their own hands through watershed cleanup days. Join us April 8 at one of our clean up sites for the Alice Ferguson Foundation's Potomac River Cleanup.
Storm Drain Marking - Most people do not realize it, but every rain gutter and storm drain in the watershed flow directly into Rock Creek or its tributaries. This means that all the candy wrappers, bags of dog waste, and other garbage tossed down storm drain will eventually reappear in Rock Creek. To educate the public and ultimately reduce the amount of refuse floating down our local streams, FoRCE members are placing markers on the storm drains. The markers, which read "Drains to Rock Creek", have been placed on a storm drains in Washington, DC and Montgomery County. For the next storm drain marking event, please check FoRCE's calendar or send an email to info@friendsofrockcreek.org with the subject, "stenciling."
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