Working toward protecting and improving Sligo Creek, we conducted educational program meetings and walks, removed invasive vines, cleaned up litter, worked to improve retention of stormwater, tested water quality, and alerted the general public, planners and decision-makers to the problems and possible solutions to creek degradation.
Members and Other Watershed Residents Attend our Program Meetings
January 16th, the new Director of Montgomery County Department of Parks, Mary Bradford, was the featured speaker. She talked about key challenges faced by parks surrounded by increasingly urban neighborhoods.
The March 13th, program meeting was about "Creating a Backyard Habitat"
Alison Gillespie discussed ways to make our landscape friendlier to wildlife. (This was the launch of Takoma Park's effort to make the City a "Wildlife Community" under the National Wildlife Foundation's program, which Friends is supporting.).
May 15th, officials from the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission talked about the scope of the commission's work in general, the progress being made under the Consent Decree and the types of remedies they have for release of chlorinated water when repairing pipes and mains. There was a lively discussion as the audience had many questions.
The Natural History Committee
This committee sponsors walks and other outdoor learning, develops inventories of plant and animal life in the park for the web site, and pursues advanced training in natural history.
On February 4, Stephanie Mason, Senior Naturalist at the Audubon Naturalist Society, led a walk at the Wheaton Branch ponds, looking for signs of life in winter. We found tracks and scat of coyote, red fox and rabbit, and burrows of chipmunk and perhaps voles, and identified dried perennials. About a dozen hearty souls braved a very cold day to attend, including Neil Fitzpatrick, director of the Audubon Naturalist Society.
On April 29, Chris Sargent led an outing at the Kemp Mill ponds. We found egg masses of snail and salamander, damsel fly larvae, tadpoles of American toad and green toad, and then used a digital microscope to analyze our findings.
As part of a 3-month ANS course, Michael Wilpers developed an inventory of mammals in Sligo Creek, the latest in a growing list of inventories on the web site.
To celebrate International Migratory Bird Day, May 12, seven Friends of Sligo members joined the Birdathon, saw 55 species, and raised $206.25 for Friends of Sligo Creek.
The committee again sponsored the FrogWatch program, using volunteers to listen for frogs and toads in the watershed. Despite a scaled-down effort, we found new frogs in two new locations: Grey tree frogs along the Woodside Tributary and bullfrogs at the Wheaton Branch stormwater pond.
In June, Bruce Sidwell, Clair Garman, and Michael Wilpers met with Pepco forester Dave Paduda at the right-of-way corridor to discuss a reduced mowing schedule that would allow a meadow habitat to grow. Dave gave positive indications, and we are pursuing confirmation from Pepco policy-makers.
On June 30, Frank Boyle and Rhonda Kranz led a walk to look for pollinators in celebration of the first National Pollinator Week.
On October 14, Joe Howard, chair of the Montgomery County Forestry Board, led a group of ten Friends to see fourteen giant trees in the watershed, including two county-champions within the park.
Throughout the year, Bruce Sidwell, on behalf of Friends of Sligo, worked with the City of Takoma Park toward certifying the city as a National Wildlife Foundation Wildlife Habitat.
The Removing Invasive Plants Committee
The Removing Invasive Plants Committee, RIP, works with Carole Bergmann, Forest Ecologist, in the Department of Parks to save native plants in Sligo by removing non-native invasives.
The most important finding this year came when we removed Japanese honeysuckle from the boardwalk area of S6, only to realize that the area had little to save because of deer damage. The entire Park - its native pants and the wildlife dependent on them - appears to be doomed if deer cannot be controlled due to the difficulty of insuring pubic safety.
Among major efforts, RIP cut back the 15-20 known stands of Japanese knotweed, a tremendous threat to Sligo, for later park spraying. The Park sprayed for lesser celandine, some large stands of porcelainberry and three fields of mile-a-minute in sections 6, 7, and 8. In many sections RIP worked on removing English ivy from more trees. All known wineberry was pulled from some areas.
In the spring, 277 volunteers removed 388 contractor bags of garlic mustard. Over 30 students from the Thornton Friends School helped. The goal next year will be to get ALL mustard¿some remained in S6, 7, 8, and 9.
We welcomed a new RIIP leader in upper Long Branch, and saw renewed effort in S4, Piney Branch to Wayne. An enthusiastic group of neighbors there cleared invasives along Dale Drive. The RIP Committee joined forces with the Woodside Forest Civic Association to clear about two acres of heavily overgrown woods. The Takoma Park Horticulture club removed some crocus bulbs for planting by its members.
We made plans for a new 6x8 card that will help property owners identify ten common cultivated plants that are invasive.
The Litter Committee
The Committee sponsors two major and many smaller sectional clean-up events each year and works to educate the general public, opinion leaders and government officials about litter problems.
On March 4th in section 2 a small group of Boy Scouts cleaned up litter and also removed English Ivy. We are happy to have help!
On March 12th, based on extensive research by the Litter Committee, Friends sent a letter of support for the Maryland Bottle Bill to Delegate McIntosh. The Committee spearheaded a movement to form a coalition of environmental groups and interested citizens to advocate for passage of a bottle bill in Maryland in 2008.
Our Spring Sweep the Creek, April 21st and 22nd brought a fantastic turnout, doubling our record of volunteers at over 600 and collecting over 550 bags of trash. The large crowd may have been attributable to four new Sweep the Creek banners strategically placed, glorious weather, widespread advertising and an increase in public interest in saving the planet.
In the Spring, member Jennifer Kefer sponsored a girl scouts environmental project including a litter clean-up, in the park.
On June 3rd, the Litter Committee sponsored an Environmental Film Night presenting two documentaries: The Anacostia: Restoring the People's River and Our Synthetic Sea. This event was in cooperation with Anacostia Watershed Society.
The committee worked with a trilingual volunteer who visited soccer fields to talk to players about the litter problem.
During the summer months, the committee sponsored a storm drain decal program in neighborhood streets along the park. Some stewards got permission from neighborhood associations in their area so that decals could be applied.
The Fall Sweep the Creek was held September 29th and 30th bringing a smaller crowd than the Spring Sweep - 387 volunteers - perhaps because the creek looked cleaner due to the drought. The volunteers collected 385 bags of trash and a shocking amount of dumped junk, mostly scrap from appliances, pipes and car parts
Throughout the year the committee worked toward passing a bottle bill, going to Annapolis to talk with legislators; calling for letters of support from the membership; actively participating with a coalition of local watershed groups and interested individuals, strategizing about getting a Maryland bottle bill passed in 2008.
AWS, COG and Trash Traps-- The Committee kept abreast of the trash trap development for the Anacostia, including one in Takoma Branch
The committee designed and printed T-shirts with four native birds and a soda can, reading "What doesn't belong in Sligo Creek?". Sale of the T-shirts brought in some money and helped educate at the same time.
The Water Quality Committee
The Water Quality Committee participates in projects aimed at understanding and improving Sligo Creek's water quality. This includes macroinvertebrate monitoring for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Stream Waders program, the Audubon Naturalist Society program, and bi-weekly monitoring of Sligo Creek.
The water quality committee completed its first full year of monitoring Audubon Natural Society site 34 (Sligo Creek), monitoring the site on February 3rd, May 11th, July 8th, and September 8th.
The committee took steps to establish an Izaak Walton League Save Our Streams monitoring site for Sligo Creek. Committee chair Mike Smith attended three training sessions at Izaak Walton League sites and became authorized to certify Save Our Stream team leaders. The committee had two preliminary training meetings to train Sligo residents in the Save Our Streams method and hopes to get the site started in 2008.
The committee chair participated in the Montgomery County's Water Quality Advisory Group and Anacostia Watershed Society Citizen Advisory Committee, providing brief summaries of meetings for FOSC members.
Committee members attended the Maryland Water Monitoring Council annual conference in Linthicum in December, learning about water monitoring projects being done around the state.
As the WSSC began its bacterial source testing program of regional waterways including Sligo Creek as a result of the consent decree, the committee summarized the initial findings and put them on the web site and listserv.
The Committee added a great deal of monitoring data and other useful information to the web site including a map showing fish and/or macroinvertebrate surveys done by government agencies in Sligo Creek.
In November, responding to a grant application submitted by the committee, the Norcross Wildlife Foundation awarded Friends of Sligo $2,810 with which to buy water quality testing equipment.
In December, committee members participated with AWS and ICPRB staff in trial tests of Sligo Creek using bacteria test kits recently acquired through the Norcross grant. While doing this, the ICPRB staff used its Hydrolab tester to get precise information about Sligo water quality. The committee is working on summarizing the results and using the Norcross grant to increase participation in water quality monitoring projects.
The Stormwater Committee
The Stormwater Committee works to reduce the velocity and amount of water entering Sligo Creek after rain or snow events. The committee works "on the ground" building demonstration rain gardens, thus helping educate the public about the importance of reducing stormwater impacts. At the same time, the committee works to influence opinion leaders and government legislators and regulators to improve laws and codes affecting stormwater.
On January 23, members of the Stormwater Committee testified before the Council asking for inclusion of a "Green Streets" amendment to Council member Floreen¿s December, 2006 "Road Code" bill. The bill did not address stormwater runoff from our roads and streets. On July 3, the bill was passed and it included significant "Green Streets" provisions.
The committee followed developments in Annapolis, posting information about bills on the web. One important piece of legislation is Delegate Jane Lawton¿s "The Stormwater Act" of 2007" (HB-786), which was then approved in both houses April 4. This legislation will significantly improve our ability to control stormwater.
This year, Friends of Sligo continued its work with the Montgomery County Stormwater Partners Network. The network, first organized in 2005, has 22, mostly local, member organizations. The core mission is to advocate and obtain a revised Clean Water Act Stormwater Permit for Montgomery County. The group also advocates for techniques that will significantly reduce stormwater pollution in our streams.
Along with others in the network, Friends¿ Stormwater Committee members have met with County and State officials to advocate for the revised permit and other issues. We continue to participate in public hearings and Council debates.
Achievements include significant new funding and legislation to further require or provide financial incentives for stormwater projects, including the May 2006 $1.25 million for LID techniques for both public and private properties in Montgomery County that the County Council allocated.
This year the network launched a quarterly electronic newsletter called the Stormwater Network News, Ed Murtagh, editor.
Along with others in the network, Friends' Stormwater Committee members participated in Montgomery County's Clean Water Task Force, established in May of 2006. The Task Force was to evaluate existing interagency coordination for all programs related to water resource management. The Task Force issued its final recommendations in July, which, if implemented will help improve the water quality of Sligo Creek.
October 27th, the network, with considerable help from Friends of Sligo, presented an all-day Citizen's Watershed Summit conference . Speakers included County Executive Ike Leggett, Senator Raskin, Tom Schueler and others. Workshops followed.
A Rainscaping tour book was added to the stormwater page on the website. The book describes sites which can be visited, either on a formal tour or individually. In addition, the committee:
showcased Sligo-Friendly Landscaping at Northwood High School, in collaboration with school staff and students.
worked with the City of Takoma Park to develop a raingarden and other amendments to Spring Park.
continued work with school staff, students and others maintaining already existing raingardens at Eastern Middle, and other community schools.
Watershed Collaborations and Civic Participation
During the year, members of Friends of Sligo Creek attended several meetings sponsored by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) at which local citizens and watershed groups shared ideas about restoration of Sligo Creek's Takoma Branch sub-watershed. Takoma Branch straddles Montgomery and Prince George's Counties, as well DC, so in the past it has been difficult to target this sub-watershed for activities.
In February, Cecile O'Connor, one of our members, was appointed to the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services Advisory Committee. Her influence will be beneficial in helping the DPS coordinate plans and programs with watershed groups.
March 24 the first Anacostia Watershed Citizens' Summit was held from 8:30 - 3:30 at the University of Maryland. Several Friends of Sligo attended.
June 20th Friends of Sligo Creek representatives attended the Takoma Branch Restoration Planning Meeting, sponsored by the PG County Department of Environmental Resources, the Chilum-Ray Citizen¿s Association and COG.
October 22nd, Bruce and others represented Friends at the Parkside Plaza Goes Green Open House, sponsored by the Parkside Plaza Green Committee.
In November Brent Bolin was asked to join the Anacostia Watershed Citizens Advisory Committee - joining Vice-Chair Mike Smith as another representative of Friends of Sligo serving on that body.
On November 28th Bruce and Clair represented Friends of Sligo at a meeting with Rob Gibbs to provide feedback and suggestions on his Wild Montgomery program.
Outreach and Education Committee
This committee is responsible for helping organize events and for informing members, press, government officials and citizens about our programs and educational activities. These responsibilities include making sure web, the newsletter, the calendar, are accurate and up to date; developing and distributing informational materials; serving as a conduit for events scheduling; and helping other committees take our program to the larger community. The Committee:
Staffed information tables at many events throughout the year, including tables at most sites along the creek for Sweep events, a table at the AWS spring clean-up celebration, the Takoma Park Co-op Earth Day event, and the Takoma Park Folk Festival. The Committee also co-sponsored the Takoma Park Alternative Gift Fair.
At the Folk Festival, we not only staffed a table, but also volunteered to help pick up trash. We had a number of volunteers and earned over $300 for our organization.
Again this year, organized and executed a major event celebrating our Sweep success. The picnic included food, entertainment and education for all ages.
Developed a new general brochure.
Sent a box of Sligo Creek memorabilia to be entered in the Blair High School Silent Auction.
Provided Friends materials for high-visability display in Takoma Park's Taliano's store front.
Organizational Development and Training
January 28, the board, stewards and committee chairs met for several hours to discuss organizational development, coordination and event planning. Out of this meeting emerged an email list called the Round table including board, stewards, committee chairs and a few other key players which helps keep members involved in major organizational discussions.
March 18 the stewards met together to discuss programs and plans.
Many new features were added to the website, features such as an application that allows you to find the exact distance of your favorite path along Sligo. The website receives an amazing number of visitors, the average per week in 2007 was 5,000.
Bruce attended a CBT grants workshop June 25th.
The Board lost two members and gained two. Two original members, Sally Gagne and Jim Baird left the board this year. David Novello and Chris Victoria joined us.
A board sub-committee began researching the possibility of hiring a staff person.
Advocacy on Behalf of the Creek
Some issues are not covered by a specific committee and are followed by the Board. Other advocacy is handled at the committee level. All official letters or testimony to government agencies are signed by the president of the Board or by a Committee Chair on his/her behalf.
Jill Mullins attended meetings and hearings throughout the year to keep us abreast of transportation issues that have an impact on the watershed. We wrote several letters over the course of the year. For example, January 4, we wrote Michael McMadden, Purple Line project manager, saying we think, weighing all issues, the line is a good thing and urging the least environmentally harmful route possible.
Also on January 4, Bruce testified before the Montgomery County Planning Board in support of Park and Planning's plan to improve natural features of the Evans Parkway Neighborhood Park.
March 15, Bruce presented testimony to Park and Planning advocating against a plan to develop the golf course into a driving range and mini-golf course. On July 18 the Board e-mailed letters expressing our concerns to the Montgomery County Council and Executive. Many other Civic Associations and County meetings followed, some attended by Keith Miller, Montgomery County Executive Director of the Revenue Authority, whose job is to make parks self-sustaining. We developed a web page with information and suggestions for advocacy.
The Water Quality Committee and Friends of Sligo president wrote a letter to the MDE in April noting that Sligo Creek has been continuously rated as biologically impaired under the Clean Water Act and asking what they are doing about it.
In May, at least in part through our persuasive letters and emails, the MC government transferred title to a piece of land adjacent to the park, and an important buffer to the stream, to Park and Planning.
The The Water Quality Chair wrote a letter in June to regional governments requesting that they help fund the USGS monitoring program on the NW Branch downstream of Sligo Creek. USGS staff notified committee members in December that the program would be restarted in the future.
In July, we signed onto a letter with other watershed groups, in opposition to the ICC.
September 9th we sent an email letter to the County Executive and Council and on November 15th Bruce presented testimony to Park and Planning advocating acquiring the campus of the School of Art and Design at Montgomery College through the Legacy Open Space program.
August 8th, Bruce took an AWS boat ride with Sen. Ben Cardin and had a brief conversation with him about our and other grassroots stream groups.
Members, particularly Anne Vorce, continue to report sewage spills along Bennington tributary (near the tennis courts below Colesville Rd.) first reported in March of 2006, finding that constant vigilance and reporting to officials is the only way to get action.
Awards and Fun in the Park
The Isaak Walton League gave us an Honor Roll Award for work accomplished in 2006. The award reflects work done not only on specific stormwater projects such as the American Elm garden, but also for general excellence in protecting the watershed. A plaque was presented to our organization by Meo Curtis of DEP, at the "film festival" on June 2nd.
Also on June 2nd, Keith Van Ness of the MC Department of Environmental Protection, assisted by staff of WSSC and by Friends of Sligo Creek, transferred fish from the Northwest Branch into Sligo. Many kids participated and welcomed the fish.
Our second annual Sweep Celebration, October 7th, mentioned under Outreach and Education, brought out a big crowd, who were entertained by a juggler, enjoyed food and won door prizes donate by local businesses. Many information tables were available to peruse and we had a native plant exchange.
