Flood Risk Explorer Tool presentation & Q&A with MoCo DEP
Tuesday, June 9 from 7:00pm to 8:30pm
on Microsoft Teams – no account or app needed – see below
Mark your calendars and join FOSC for a presentation and discussion by the project team at the MoCo Dept. of Environmental Protection, who will discuss the current and planned capabilities of their powerful Flood Risk Explorer tool, an application that shows the flooding vulnerability for any street address in the watershed.
We are fortunate that the County chose the Sligo Creek watershed as the first area to be studied. The model uses the best available natural world data and considers the effects of our watershed’s human-built flood-management infrastructure (storm drains, etc.) in assessing flood risk. You can learn more about the Flood Risk Explorer in the January 2026 FOSC Newsletter article and explore the Flood Risk Explorer online. Bring your questions about your neighborhood! All are welcome.
Here is the Teams link for the meeting. When prompted to “Open the App or Cancel”, choose Cancel. Then select “Continue on this Browser”.
Mega-Litter Summer cleanups – Two to choose from in Sligo!
Saturday, June 13 from 9:00am – 11:00am
Your participation will help keep these two sites clean and inviting. Join us and our partner, the Potomac Conservancy, at one of these sites and make a big difference to the health of the waters and park lands of Sligo and the Anacostia River.
1) Sligo Creek Trail and East West Highway (Rt. 410): Register here. Meet on the Sligo Trail just north of East/West Highway. (The lat/long is 38.97394, -76.982554). Students can earn SSL hours at this site. Bring your form with you, and check if you need to get a signed MoCo Parks Dept. waiver form to bring with you as well.
2) Green Meadows park along Sligo Creek: Register here. Meet at the park building at 6310 Sligo Parkway near Roanoke St, Hyattsville, 20783 (The lat/long is 38.965794, -76.979441).
Cleanup at Long Branch-Garland Park
Tuesday, June 23 from 10:00am – 12:00pm
Meet at 8601 Garland Ave, Takoma Park 20912
Another clean-up led by our star litter hotspot coordinator Nick Clements. Here’s another chance to talk to Nick while doing good for the creek.
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
Volunteer Stewards Needed!
FOSC is looking for volunteers to become Stewards in Sligo Creek, Long Branch, Wheaton Branch, and Takoma Branch. For more about what being a Steward means, visit the Sligo Stewards page.
We’re Seeking a Part Time Contractor
FOSC is looking for a contractor to assist with research, writing and graphics on a part-time basis. To find out more, see the position description on the How We Work page of this website.
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!
March 8 cleanup at Indian Spring Restoration site at Flower and Granville by Ed Murtagh
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.
FOSC volunteers honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with service in Sligo and Long Branch
Despite the chilly weather, we had good turnouts at our three cleanup and three Weed Warrior events. They were a big success! There were 20 volunteers at Monday’s Weed Warrior event in Sligo Creek Park near Forest Grove, and 50 throughout the weekend.
At the cleanups, over 90 volunteers joined FOSC leaders, collecting over 40 large bags or approx. 1,305 pounds of litter.
During the events, I (along with others) spoke to many people in the park about stewardship. It was a great way to start 2026 and to honor Martin Luther King’s commitment to service. Our next big event will be in February when we shift our efforts to the PG County portion of our watershed.
A big thank you everyone who came out to protect our creeks and parklands!
~ Ed Murtagh, FOSC Vice President and Litter and Stewards coordinator
Join FOSC
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!
FOSC Action Hub
Spring 2026 Top Invasives
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 now spread into Sligo and from Sligo into neighbors’ yards. 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 the small “daughter” corms. Glyphosate seems to be 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