Friends of Sligo Creek

Weed Warrior work mornings

1. Mid-Sligo: Wed, Sept. 2, 8:00am -10:00am
9500 Brunett Ave. at the parking lot by the old Parks building

We will be managing kudzu around the playground by the building. Please dress for the weather, take precautions against ticks, and bring tools and water to drink.

2. Mid-Long Branch: Fri, Sept. 4, 8:30am – 10:30am
Long Branch Community Center, 8700 Piney Branch Rd, Silver Spring.

Try to arrive a few minutes early. Please be sure to wear long sleeved shirts, pants and sturdy shoes, and take precautions against insects and ticks. Bring gloves and tools if you have them.

FOSC Sweep The Creek – A Creek Cleanup Blitz

Saturday, Sept. 19 from 9:00-11:00am
Sunday, Sept. 20 from 1:00-3:00pm
At 10 locations throughout Sligo Creek and Long Branch – see the schedule on the Sweep the Creek page.

Volunteer FOSC site leaders will be available at the times/locations in the schedule to provide trash and recycling bags, gloves, and “grabbers” to volunteers. You can sweep in an area near you or head out to one you’ve never visited.

The creek supports a surprising array of wildlife. Please help give them a cleaner habitat!

No registration needed, just sign up when you arrive with the site leader. SSL hours available- bring your form. Invite some friends and neighbors and help your creek thrive! All are welcome.

FOSC at the Long Branch Festival

Saturday, Sept. 19, from 11:00am-9:00pm
Flower Avenue Park, 8746 Flower Ave, Long Branch

FOSC will be adding to the fun for all ages at the Long Branch Festival on Saturday. Live music. Local eats. Artisan vendors. Family fun. All right in Long Branch! Dance to live bands. Taste the best from local favorites. Shop one-of-a-kind crafts & art. FOSC t-shirts and other items from the FOSC store will be available.

FOSC at the Takoma Park Folk Festival

Sunday, Sept. 27 from 10:30am – 5:30pm
At the Takoma Park Middle School, 7611 Piney Branch Rd, Takoma Park

Come out and hear a wide variety of music at outdoor and indoor stages at this popular community event.

FOSC is looking for volunteers to help out at the FOSC table. It’s a fun way to experience the festival and help spread awareness of Friends of Sligo Creek! A surprising number of people who stopped by the table last year weren’t aware of Sligo Creek or Long Branch, or FOSC. We want to change that! Sign up here.

Your help for an hour or two at the FOSC table would be greatly appreciated. Listen to the music, chat with people, or help run FOSC activities for kids. We’ll have experienced FOSC members at the table to assist. Thank you!

Sign up here

Mid-Sligo Weed Warrior work morning

Saturday, Sept 26, 2026 from 9:00am – 11:00am
Sligo/Bullis Park at 8501 Houston St, Silver Spring

Meet at the bleachers along the Easley St. side of the park. Wear closed- toe shoes, long pants and sleeves. Take precautions against ticks and other insects, and bring water and gloves, and pruners or loppers if you have some. Register here.

FOSC Listservs on

Friends of Sligo Creek – Main Listserv

FOSC Advocacy Listserv

FOSC-Litter Listserv

FOSC-Stewards Listserv (for Section Stewards only)

FOSC-Stormwater Listserv

FOSC-Water Quality Listserv

FOSC-WeedWarriors Listserv (for Weed Warriors only)

FOSC Weed Warriors Remove Invasive Plants at Colt Terrace Park at the Sligo Headwaters

In anticipation of MoCo Parks’ extensive trail restoration project at the Sligo headwaters in Wheaton, FOSC Weed Warriors have been out tackling invasive plants in an environmentally sensitive wetland area near the existing trail. (See photo of Weed Warriors surveying wavy leaf basket grass encroaching into the wetland, at right.) The replacement trail will be rerouted away from the wetland and mature upland forest in order to restore this habitat, while bringing the trail up to current standards.

Clean up at Indian Spring Terrace Local Park

More than 30 volunteers cleaned up the entire length of this long narrow park on Sunday, March 8. They wrestled a sofa, mattress, various chairs, fencing, many bags of plastic and glass bottles, cans, fencing, and a plastic castle playset – good for many years if not decades or more of decomposing plastic. After removing well over 1,200 pounds of trash from the park, it is looking a lot better. We also had some Weed Warriors who started freeing trees from English ivy!

Thanks to everyone who came out and helped us get this park and restoration site, the headwaters of Long Branch, poised for spring growth without the trash and pollutants that would have been carried downstream into the rest of Long Branch. The restoration area, which has 5 stone stormwater retention ponds and hundreds of native plants installed by the Parks Dept, is worth a visit to see the investment the County is making in our watershed.

Sligo Creek connects us. Become a FOSC member 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 monthly FOSC newsletter.

You can make a donation, either online here or using the button below (both are simple and secure), or by check to FOSC, P.O. Box 11572, Takoma Park, MD 20913. Thank you!