Wheaton Branch stormwater ponds cleanup
Saturday, June 7 from 10:00am-12:00pm
Dennis Ave at Hemley St.
Meet us at the stormwater ponds for a cleanup at this important time for bird families. Our cleanups remove harmful plastic and metal, protecting birds from ingesting it, and making the water more hospitable for land based animals.
Please bring hat, sunscreen and water in a reusable container. We’ll provide the gloves, bags and trash grabbers. Sign in when you get there! Thank you.
Long Branch Weed Warrior Work morning
Sunday, June 8 from 8:30am-10:30am
Long Branch at Haddon Dr.
Meet us at the Long Branch Stream Valley Park Unit 1, at Haddon Dr. and Houston Ave. Sign up here: https://mocoparks.org/4kPtyx9 Look for the tall man in the hat.
Please bring clippers and loppers if you have them, plus your hat, sunscreen and water in a reusable container. We’ll have some tools to lend. Thank you.
Exploring Sligo Creek with a Camera and a Pro
Saturday, June 14 from 10:00am – 12:00pm
Meeting location (adjacent to Sligo Creek) provided after you register
Register here.
Led by longtime Sligo resident Julius Kassovic, a professional fine art photographer who has been intensively photographing Sligo Creek since 2005…20 years. Julius brings a wealth of experience and will concentrate on the “seeing” part of photography. The morning will start indoors and move outdoors to photograph what we see. Please bring questions – it will be an interactive event. See some of Julius’ work at www.photojulius.com. Registration is required. Limited to 15 people.
FOSC Listservs on
Friends of Sligo Creek – Main Listserv
FOSC Advocacy Listserv
FOSC-Stewards Listserv (for Section Stewards only)
FOSC-WeedWarriors Listserv (for Weed Warriors only)
News & Updates
Water Quality Monitoring
Summer Water Quality testing with FOSC as part of the Anacostia Riverkeeper (ARK) program will begin in mid May. If you’d like to join the team, please let us know at [email protected]. ARK will have other training times. You can participate as your summer schedule allows. Become a FOSC member to get the newsletter with updates! The monitoring results will be posted on the FOSC/ARK Summer WQ testing page.
The FOSC Winter Salt Monitoring Program season is over. Our indefatigable testing team measured extremely high salt levels throughout Sligo Creek, Wheaton Branch, Long Branch, and Takoma Branch starting with our first snow storm and continuing to the end of March. We have over 550 data points! The final report will be available on the Salt Monitoring Initiatives page under the Water Quality Monitoring programs tab. Thank you, testers! You did a great job during difficult weather and over an intense and extended season!
County Proposes 4% cut to Parks Dept’s 2026 Budget Request
FOSC is testifying in person and through written submission for full funding of Parks’ 7% requested increase for its 2026 budget. That requested increase is similar to proposed increases that other county agencies have made and received.
The Council’s public hearings on the operating budget are scheduled for April 7 and April 8 at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Those interested in testifying at the public hearings in person or virtually can sign up on the Council’s webpage or by calling 240-777-7803.
FOSC in the News: Bring Your Own Bag Bill
Update: the County Council passed the Bring Your Own Bag Bill (Bill 24-24) on Feb 11th. The bill will go into effect Jan 1, 2026. FOSC had testified in favor of the bill and encouraged President Stewart to sign it.
FOSC’s efforts to support the plastic bag ban at the County Council hearing last Tuesday were noted in Bethesda Magazine’s Jan. 14th article, Supporters turn out for proposed plastic bag ban, citing environmental impact. Several members of the FOSC Advocacy committee testified in favor of the ban. Similar bans in Prince George’s and other nearby counties have been successfully implemented with little drama.
Join FOSC
Sligo Creek connects us. Please join FOSC and help protect and restore the Creek for everyone in our community. It’s simple to do and can be free if you wish. Membership gives you early notice of events and the FOSC newsletter.
You can make a donation too, either online (simple and secure) or by check to FOSC, P.O. Box 11572, Takoma Park, MD 20913. Thank you!
FOSC Action Hub
Spring 2025 Top Invasives
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- Bush honeysuckle
- Multiflora rose
- English ivy
- Porcelainberry
- Bush honeysuckle
- Multiflora rose
- English ivy
- Porcelainberry
Invasives alarm: Italian Arum and Incised Fumewort
Italian arum
Italian Arum is back in force around Sligo Creek and Long Branch. It has spread from nearby yards. One of the EDRR (Early Detection, Rapid Response) invasive species, it has many little “daughter” corms attached to its main corm which makes it difficult to remove completely. Dig it out carefully. Screen the loosened soil for small “daughter” corms. There is some evidence that spraying with glyphosate is effective at killing all its corms.
Incised fumewort (Corydalis incisa) is a fast spreading invasive plant from East Asia. First discovered in NY in 2005, it has rapidly spread northward as well as southward into PA, MD, DC, VA, NC, IL, and TN. Dig it out in April when the telltale purple flowers appear, before it flings its seeds up to 10 feet from the flower stem. It has a tuber which is difficult to dig out completely, but it’s worth doing because it forms a dense mat that can easily double in size each year. Dr. Christina Andruk, Associate Professor of Biology at Iona University, who has been studying and battling it in Westchester County, NY, says “It’s not only a threat to your yard, it [leads to] reduced native plant diversity, reduced nutrient cycling, reduced diversity of animals…it’s going to affect the whole ecosystem.”
Don’t be fooled by its appearance – Corydalis incisa is a tough invader. See this UMD Extension article for more information on this USDA designated High Risk plant.
FOSC on iNaturalist
Heard about FOSC on iNaturalist.org but uncertain how to navigate the site or contribute your own observations? Expert birder and iNaturalist… Read more