SILVER SPRING, MD—Montgomery County’s parks get a touch of TLC Saturday, September 29, as county residents roll up their sleeves and devote their day to removing invasive plants from parks, sprucing up park trails and cleaning up park streams for National Public Lands Day.
“Last year we reached a monumental participation of 100,000 volunteers in National Public Lands Day, and we are expecting to increase this by an additional 10,000 this year,” said Robb Hampton, director of National Public Lands Day. “Every 100,000 volunteers represents an additional $1.8 million worth of labor for American lands, and we invite you to join us in this effort.”
This year, the Montgomery County Department of Parks is hoping to do its part toward reaching this goal with National Public Lands Day volunteer projects set for Saturday, September 29 at Rachel Carson Conservation Park, Blockhouse Point Conservation Area, Northwest Branch Stream Valley Park and Wyngate Woods Neighborhood Park. The Department of Parks is also supporting the Friends of Sligo Creek in a stream cleanup along Sligo Creek Parkway for National Public Lands Day.
“Throughout the year, volunteers in our parks contribute thousands of hours of work toward helping to protect the parks and contribute thousands of dollars in value added services,” said Department of Parks Volunteer Services Coordinator Jayne Hench. “National Public Lands Day is simply extra special because this spirit of volunteerism for public lands is replicated across the nation.”
This year, National Public Lands Day is focused on invasive weeds and pests, an issue that is costing the federal government $120 billion annually on the control and impact of more than 800 out-of-control invaders posing a threat to the environment, human health, and/or the economy by wiping out native plants and animals. Invasive plants are drastically impacting Montgomery County’s parklands too, disrupting the ecology of natural ecosystems, displacing native plants, impacting native wildlife and degrading the county’s wonderfully diverse wild lands. Several years ago, the Department of Parks created the Weed Warriors volunteer program to help control invasive plants in the parks and have trained numerous community volunteers through this program on how to identify, remove and control these alien invaders in the parks. This summer and throughout the fall, the department is also hosting several “Help Save the Forest” volunteer projects to save the mature trees and other native plants that the non-native vines and shrubs in the parks are strangling and out-competing.
Volunteer opportunities for National Public Lands Day, Saturday, September 29, in Montgomery County’s parks are as follows:
– Rachel Carson Conservation Park, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm, 22201 Zion Road, Brookeville
This is our biggest event of the day, with an invasive plant pull from 9:00 am – 11:00 am and trail improvement project from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm. Volunteers will meet at the park’s parking lot.
– Blockhouse Point Conservation Area, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, 14750 River Road, Darnestown
Invasive plant pull project to help preserve this park’s biodiversity. Park offers breathtaking views of the Potomac River. Volunteers will meet at the main parking lot.
– Northwest Branch Stream Valley Park, 9:00 am – 11:00 am, Kemp Mill Road and Glenallen Avenue
Department of Parks Weed Warrior Volunteers Margie Richards and Paula Hallberg will lead this invasive plant pull project. Volunteers will meet at the trailhead at the intersection of Kemp Mill Road and Glenallan Avenue.
– Wyngate Woods Neighborhood Park, 9:00 am – 12:00 noon, 6410 Tulsa Lane, Bethesda Department of Parks Weed Warrior Volunteer Dick Kerr will lead this invasive plant pull, focusing particularly on English ivy. Volunteers will meet at the park entrance.
– Sligo Creek Parkway, 9:00 am – 11:00 am, from Wheaton to Takoma Park
Friends of Sligo Creek are hosting their annual fall Sweep the Creek for National Public Lands Day to clean up litter, debris and items dumped into Sligo Creek and Sligo Park. The Friends are also holding a volunteer clean up on Sunday, September 30 from 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm. For more on locations and details, see www.fosc.org.
For more on these and other volunteer opportunities in Montgomery County parks, visit www.MontgomeryParks.org or contact the Montgomery County Department of Parks Volunteer Services Office at 301-495-2504.
For more on National Public Lands Day, see www.publiclandsday.org.
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Contact:
Kelli Holsendolph
Media Relations Manager
Montgomery County Department of Parks
301-650-2866