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FORCE works to protect and restore Rock Creek through a combination of education, advocacy, and on-the-ground projects.
Education
Throughout the year, FORCE works to increase awareness of the causes of pollution, erosion, and other problems in Rock Creek and empower neighboring residents, businesses, and institutions to work together for a safe, healthy creek. Our activities include:
Outreach events, such presentations, tabling at community events, and meetings;
Publicity through the media, our website, newsletters, and flyers;
Developing partnerships with park neighbors; and
Answering questions from residents.
Advocacy
FORCE advocates for protection of Rock Creek by writing letters, giving testimony, speaking at public hearings, and meeting with federal, state, district, and local government officials.
Projects
Reducing Polluted Runoff
The major threat to Rock Creek is the high volume of stormwater that runs off into the storm sewer system from rooftops, parking lots, streets, and sidewalks each time it rains. This causes pollution and erosion in Rock Creek. FORCE tackles this problem by installing demonstration projects that show how property owners can reduce runoff by capturing rainfall and letting it infiltrate onsite.
Stream Teams
FORCE is recruiting people throughout neighborhoods along Rock Creek to adopt sections of Rock Creek or one of its tributaries. Click here for more information about our stream team program.
2009 Highlights
Rock Creek EXTREME Cleanup
FORCE organized and promoted April trash cleanups at over 50 sites along Rock Creek, during which 1,900 volunteers collected over 2,500 bags of trash, plus loose debris weighing a combined total of nearly 29 tons.
Chevy Chase Community Center Demonstation Project
With funding from the District Department of the Environment (DDOE), FORCE installed a demonstration project at 5601 Connecticut Avenue NW that includes a raain garden, bayscaping, shade trees, and a porous walkway. Each of these features help rain water soak into the ground and reduce the volume of polluted runoff flowing to Rock Creek.
Embassy Seminar on Invasive Plants
FORCE and Black Cat Ivy held a seminar for representatives from embassies with property on Rock Creek Park. More than 100 embassies and ambassador's residences are located in the neighborhoods along Rock Creek and many have property bordering the park.
2008 Highlights
RiverSmart Homes Demonstration Projects
For the second year, DDOE funded installation of RiverSmart Homes demonstration projects, and we completed four new gardens. These projects feature rain gardens, new trees, bayscaping (landscaping with drought-resistant native plants), rain barrels, and permeable paving. One is on a public site, at Volta Park in Georgetown. We installed educational signs, prepared educational brochures, and held tours at three of the projects to show homeowners how they can beautify their yards and protect Rock Creek.
Storm Drain Awareness Month
In June, FORCE undertook a campaign to educate Rock Creek watershed residents about the connection between storm drains and flooding and pollution in Rock Creek. We held a Marker Marathon during which FORCE volunteers glued over 500 markers on storm drains and placed 4,000 leaflets on doors in neighborhoods bordering Rock Creek. The campaign also included an online educational component, in which we sent a set of three “storm drain awareness” emails to our listserv of over 700 names.
Trash Cleanups
We have organized 13 trash cleanups and mobilized over 1,000 volunteers who removed more than 900 bags of trash and 12 tons of loose waste from the parks along Rock Creek and its tributaries. For the April cleanups, FORCE partnered with the Alice Ferguson Foundation to participate in the Annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup and with the Friends of the National Zoo for an Earth Day cleanup on Zoo property, which borders Rock Creek.
2008 Annual Report
2007 Annual Report
Newsletters
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