Volunteerism pics

"Everybody can be great because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love." Martin Luther King Jr.

Remember, change happens when "IT STARTS WITH US". Thanks, again, to our volunteers the service well done.

Photos taken by Zandra Chestnut.

Cheers to the MLK Jr. volunteers!

Whether the volunteers were climbing the steep slippery cliff picking up trash and removing invasive English ivy or ice skating across the Pope Branch stream to pick up that debris, we all had fun! One of the best things about this job is getting to work with such nice dedicated people. Kudos to Irv Sheffey and Dennis Chestnut and ECC!

On behalf of the Pope Branch Park Restoration Alliance, I would like to thank the volunteers from the Baptist Church down the street, the Charles County Public School youth, ECC, DPR and DDOE for a job well done! Stay tuned for more photos and testimonials from hauling a 30" TV to saving a trees!

3rd Annual MLK Clean up, see you there!

Pope Branch Park
Restoration Alliance

In conjunction with the

Groundwork Anacostia River ● Earth Conservation Corps ● Casey Trees Endowment ● Sierra Club

DC Department of Parks & Recreation ● DC Department of the Environment

Invites you to join us at our

3^rd Annual Pope Branch Park Clean-up Event

in honor of the

Martin Luther King Jr.

Day of National Service

January 19, 2009

9:00 am to 1:00 pm

This Community Service Project celebrates Dr. King and the Presidential Inauguration of President-Elect Barack Obama in the spirit that change happens when

“It Starts With Us”

To restore and beautify the Pope Branch Creek tributary of the Anacostia River

We will gather as a community to remove trash and invasive plant species from along the creek.

Meet us at Fairlawn Avenue & M Street, SE

For additional information and to register as an individual or as a group, please contact

Irv Sheffey

Sierra Club / Pope Branch Park Restoration Alliance

(202) 299-6503 ● irv.sheffey@sierraclub.org

Anacostia Watershed Summit II

Yup, the 2nd annual Anacostia Summit is here.

When? Saturday, March 22, 2008. 8:30am - 4:00pm

Where? University of Maryland, Stamp Student Union in the Prince George's Room

Why? To discuss effective stormwater management and steam restoration for restoring the Anacostia watershed.

Here's the agenda:

8:30 Registration and Continental Breakfast

9:00 Welcome – Mary Barber, Emcee (AWCAC Chair) and Dana Minerva, Executive Director (AWRP)

9:10 Summit Goals, Objectives and Ground Rules - Phil Favero (Summit Facilitator)

9:20 Issues for the Day• Benjamin Grumbles, Assistant Administrator for Water (US EPA)• The Honorable, Jim Rosapepe, MD Senate, District 21, Prince George’s County

9:45 Controlling Stormwater Runoff in Urban Watersheds - Tom Schueler, CSN

10:15 Advocating for Stormwater Progress – Katherine Baer, Director, (American Rivers)

10:35 Break

10:50 Panel on Anacostia Stormwater Management Approaches, Techniques and Costs• Ben Belton, Capitol Projects, Project Manager (PGDER)• Steve Shofar, Watershed Management Division Chief (MCDEP)• Sarah Murphy, Greenroof Designer

11:35 Question and Answer Session

11:45 (Transition to next panel)

11:50 Panel on Channel Erosion, Sedimentation and Stream Restoration –• Sean Smith, Geologist, Ecosystem Restoration Services (MDDNR)• Cherie Miller, Stream Water-Quality Studies Section Chief & Water-Quality Specialist (USGS)• Dan Harper, Manager, Watershed Restoration Program (MCDEP)

12:30 Question and Answer Session

12:40 Lunch

1:10 Lessons Learned from Summit 2007 & Subwatershed Success Stories from the Past Year

1:25 Guest Speaker, Meosotis Curtis, Montgomery County’s Rainscapes Demonstration Project (MCDEP)

1:45 Questions and Answer Session

2:10 Moderated Roundtable Discussion #1 – “What Do We Want To Achieve Next Year?” Top Priorities, Issues of Concern, Needs and Possible Next Steps at the Subwatershedubwatershedubwatershed Level

3:10 Moderated Roundtable Discussion #2 – “What Do We Want To Achieve Next Year?” Top Priorities, Issues of Concern, Needs and Possible Next Steps at the Watershedatershed Level

3:50 Wrap Up – Mary Barber, Dan Smith, and Phil Favero

4:00 Adjourn

You must register at www.anacostia.net/workshops/summit2.html

Sponsored by: Anacositia Watershed Citizens Advisory Committee and The Summit Fund of Washington

See you all there!!

Free watershed outreach workshop!!

Public Outreach 101 for Watershed Groups

Saturday, March 8, 1:30 pm – 4:00 pm
Takoma Park Middle School
(Cafeteria #180)

Stuck with e-mail lists of interested parties, and core activists? Despite great intentions and enthusiasm, even the best watershed groups are plagued with lack of time and strategies to keep the ball rolling with active participation on watershed protection actions. To be effective at the never-ending work of protecting local water quality, it takes awareness, education and behavior change among a broad range of citizens.

This workshop will help you develop a strategic approach to public outreach on watershed topics including identifying target audiences, crafting messages, figuring out appropriate formats and distribution techniques. Learn how to think like a social marketer and use marketing techniques for messages and themes relevant to Montgomery County. Plan for initial projects that get support and recognition, and learn how to build up momentum step–by–step.
The workshop will be conducted by the Department of Environmental Protection’s Public Outreach Manager and will offer a mixture of presentations, small work group exercises, and discussion.

All Potomac and Anacostia watershed groups are invited and encouraged to attend!
Pre-registration is encouraged because space and materials are limited. Please register by February 29, 2008. (Registration form is attached)


Registration Form
Public Outreach 101 for Watershed Groups
Saturday, March 8, 1:30 pm – 4:00 pm

Takoma Park Middle School
7611 Piney Branch Rd
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Name: ____________________________________________________
Address:___________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Affiliation:________________________________________________
Home Watershed:__________________________________________
(optional)
Phone: ____________________________
E-mail:

Please fill out this registration form and send it to:
Ansu John
Department of Environmental Protection
255 Rockville Pike, #120,
Rockville, MD
Fax: 240-777-7773
Or, e-mail the information:
To: askdep@montgomerycountymd.gov and
Cc: outreach@fosc.org

Plan to attend The New Stormwater Mgt Act Workshop

Stormwater Regulations Workshop -
The 2007 Maryland Stormwater Management Act
When: Saturday, February 23, 2008
8:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Where:
Fairland Regional Park - Stormwater Management Pavilion
13950 Old Gunpowder Road
Laurel, MD 20707

The goals of the workshop are to:

Ø Discuss the opportunity for the Anacostia that the 2007 legislation presents,
Ø Formulate a response to the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) regarding implementation of the 2007 Stormwater Act and
Ø Inform the Maryland Legislature of our response.

**REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED**
Seating capacity is limited. Please contact
Phong Trieu at ptrieu@mwcog.org to register.
For more information, see flyer or visit
http://www.anacostia.net/

AGENDA:

8:30 Registration

9:00 Welcome, Agenda, GoalsTopics: What will the 2007 Stormwater Act and new regulationsdo for the Anacostia? What can citizens do to make it better?

9:10 Panel on the 2007 Law and the Developing Regulations

10:00 Panel on Anacostia Stormwater Perspectives

11:00 Break

11:15 Facilitated Discussion - Strengthening the Model Ordinance,Regulations and Manual.

12:00 Open Discussion - Next Steps for Implementation/Considerationby AWCAC, Stormwater Consortium, and Watershed Groups (Advocacy)

12:30 Adjourn

12:30-1:00 Optional On-site Stormwater BMP Tour (Weather permitting)

Feb. 7.PBPRA Meeting. Be there!

Greeting: Pope Branch Park Restoration Alliance (PBPRA) Members and Friends

Subject: February Meeting of the (PBPRA)

Meeting Date: Thursday February 07, 2008

Meeting Time: 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

Meeting Place: Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church – 3000 Pa. Ave. SE, Washington, DC 20020

Distribution list: PBPRA Team Members & Friends


THIS IS A FRIENDLY REMINDER!!!!

Our Next Scheduled Meeting of the Alliance is Thursday February 07, 2008 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. The meeting will be held at our usual location "The Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church located at 3000 Pa. Ave., SE Washington, DC 20020".

We have reached a very critical point in the Pope Branch Park Restoration Project(s). On October 2, 2007, the Design Team of Black and Veatch (B&V) submitted the design Alternative technical memorandum to DCWASA, DDOE, & DDPR the projects three MOU Agencies. Since that time they have been in consultation and have reached logical conclusions on ways to proceed. We look forward to discussing & learning more about the design directions. It is necessary that best practice is employed in the design and execution of the project forward.

We have good news regarding Certificate of appreciation for the Anacostia Senior High School Students that assisted in planting the two Rain Gardens in our park. We are awaiting the schools decision regarding when to present them to the students. Also, we need to move forward with plans for a formal dedication of the Rain Gardens this spring.

DDOT is invited to present their plans to repair the culvert between M Street and M Place SE located just west of Branch Avenue.

Refreshments will be available at the meeting.

If you have questions or would like to communicate on issues regarding these project; please contact Joseph Glover at the email address jagbfree@comcast.net or call on 202-581-1214 H/O or 202-997-9927 Mobile.

Blessings to all,

Joseph A. Glover, Chair PBPRA