2009

Ann

ual R

epor

t

Friends of Rock Creek’s Environment

Letter from the President and Executive DirectorThanks to our members, volunteers, and partners, 2009 was a year of growth and achievement.This year, FORCE dramatically expanded its work to protect Rock Creek and set the stage for results in 2010 and beyond.

As you will see in this report, FORCE took action against the major threats to Rock Creek: polluted runo!, trash, and the in"ux of non-native invasive plants that threaten trees and habitat for birds and wildlife.

We installed a high visibility demonstra-tion project to show property owners how they can adopt eco-friendly practices to help reduce the volume of polluted runo! that enters Rock Creek

during each storm. We more than tripled the number of spring trash cleanups by recruiting people to lead cleanups the entire length of Rock Creek. Volunteers hauled out a whopping 28 tons of trash from Rock Creek streams and parklands. And we strengthened our education and advocacy program.

We are grateful for your support, which made these accomplishments possible, yet are deeply aware of the continuing threats to Rock Creek. People like you, who love Rock Creek and generously invest time, energy, and resources in

caring for this natural treasure, are the key to our success. Working together, we can make a di!erence.

Thank you,

David Cottingham President

Beth Mullin Executive Director

2

Protecting Rock Creek from the Ground Up

FORCE transformed this barren landscape into a garden that helps protect Rock Creek.

FORCE tackled the number one threat to Rock Creek: polluted runo!.

With a grant from the District Department of the Environment, FORCE installed a demonstration project to show people how a beautiful “RiverSmart” garden can help protect Rock Creek.

The garden is located where people can easily see it: next to the Chevy Chase Community Center and Library at 5601 Connecticut Avenue NW, in Washington, DC.

During every heavy rain, runo! from rooftops, driveways, sidewalks, and even lawns "ows down our streets, picking up dirt, trash, and pollution. This dirty water goes into pipes that lead straight to the nearest creek, causing both pollution and "ooding.

The demonstration garden illustrates how people can use eco-friendly landscaping to capture rainwater so it can soak into the ground before it leaves their property.

These simple garden features can make an attractive landscape that helps reduce water pollution and streambank erosion.

Rain Garden The rain garden, located in a shallow depression between the sidewalk and path, captures rainwater running o! the lawn and sidewalk. The rain soaks into the ground before it reaches a drain that leads to Rock Creek.

Native Plants The garden’s native plants are well adapted to this region and have deep roots to soak up water and #lter pollutants. They also attract songbirds and butter"ies.

Trees The trees catch rain in their leaves, and their roots absorb lots of water. Shade trees with large canopies are best.

Porous Surfaces Replacing asphalt, concrete, or stone surfaces with mulch, gravel, or pervious pavers allows water to percolate into the ground. A mulched bed captures and holds a lot more rain than a grass lawn.

The project was a team e!ort of FORCE and the Chevy Chase Citizens Association. The Citizens Association and community volunteers worked together to plant the garden and now care for it.

What’s Next? FORCE has a new grant to install RiverSmart landscaping in several-block areas in two Rock Creek neighborhoods. We’re partnering with DC agencies and others to measure the e!ectiveness of these eco-friendly stormwater management techniques.

People of all ages learn how they can give their yards a creek-friendly makeover.

3

53 trash cleanups along Rock Creek

With the help of a new Outreach Coordinator, FORCE dramatically expanded the number of trash cleanups.

In 2009, FORCE organized and promoted trash cleanups the full 33-mile length of Rock Creek.

Since its founding in 2005, FORCE has participated in the Alice Ferguson Foundation’s annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup. This year, with a grant from REI, FORCE hired Margo Reid to recruit cleanup leaders in every Rock Creek neighborhood and create the “Rock Creek Extreme Cleanup.”

The 2009 Extreme Cleanup more had three times as many sites as the in previous year. The 53 locations spread from Georgetown to Laytonsville, MD. Over 1,900 volunteers donned work gloves to haul trash from the creek and adjacent parkland. They removed an impressive array of items, including grocery carts, car parts, construction waste, balls, bottles, food wrappers, and even a parking meter full of coins.

The total count was over 2,500 bags of trash, 168 tires, 29 tons of loose, unbagged trash, and more than 7,000 plastic bags.

What’s Next? FORCE plans to continue organizing a Rock Creek Extreme Cleanup each spring and advocating for ways to reduce the amount of trash at its source.

We also are building on this outreach e!ort to create “stream teams” in which people adopt sections of creek for community-based volunteer activities, such as trash cleanups, invasives removal, monitoring stream conditions, and storm drain marking.

Our goal? Over 50 stream teams covering the main section of Rock Creek and its 30 tributaries.

Streambank erosion causes trees and branches to fall across the creek, trapping trash until the next big storm washes it downstream to the Potomac River, the Chesapeake Bay, and the ocean.

4

Speaking Out

MD Delegate Al Carr and DC Councilmember Tommy Wells met at the MD/DC line to promote plastic bag legislation.

FORCE organized a workshop for embassy representatives on controlling invasive vines that strangle trees in Rock Creek Park.

FORCE helped spread the word about threats to Rock Creek and how people can make a di!erence.

Advocacy: District Bag Legislation In 2009, FORCE supported passage of a DC bag bill to place a 5-cent charge on disposable paper and plastic bags.

As Rock Creek Extreme Cleanup volunteers know, plastic bags are a major component of the trash found in Rock Creek streams and parks. In 2009, volunteers removed nearly 7,000 plastic bags from the creek and adjacent parkland. Bags can last a long time. One volunteer found a bag from Peoples Drug, which converted to CVS in 1994.

FORCE Executive Director Beth Mullin testi#ed before the DC Council, and FORCE conducted an education and online action campaign to support the bag bill. Thanks to FORCE lobbying e!orts, Rock Creek now is eligible for cleanup and education funds generated by the bag fee.

Educating Park Neighbors: Invasive Plant Workshop for Embassies More than 100 embassies have property in the neighborhoods along Rock Creek Park. FORCE held a workshop to educate embassies on how control invasive plants that spread into the park, outcompeting native plants and killing trees. FORCE then organized events with the Belgian and British embassies to remove English ivy from trees in the Normanstone section of Rock Creek Park.

Urging Action: Get the Dirt Out What’s wrong with this picture? Have you ever seen sagging erosion control barriers and dirt running o! a construction site? These sediment control regulation violations are one of the major sources of pollution in Rock Creek. Even with regulations and monitoring by county and district o$cials, there are hundreds of violations each year.

To help get the dirt out of Rock Creek, FORCE hosted a Potomac RiverKeeper training to teach people how to identify and report erosion control violations at

construction sites and how to prevent dirt leaving their own properties.

What’s Next?FORCE will continue pushing for on-the-ground action by government agencies, strategic property holders, and other people who care about Rock Creek and want to make a di!erence.

When construction sites have improper erosion control, rain washes dirt into the nearest creek.

5

About FORCE

Our MissionFORCE works to promote a healthy and sustainable Rock Creek Watershed through conservation, education, and restoration.

Board of DirectorsDavid Cottingham, President

Elissa Totin, Vice President

Mary Rollefson, Secretary

Pat Munoz, Treasurer

Doug Barker

Claire Cambardella

Steve Dryden

Barbara Elkus

Kevin Flynn

Jay Lewis

Cathy Silverstein

Sta! in 2009Executive Director

Beth Mullin

Outreach Coordinator Margo Reid

Program Coordinator Eric Durland

FORCE works closely with partners, including the National Park Service, Montgomery County Parks, and the Alice Ferguson Foundation.

In 2009, FORCE continued to grow and thrive, expanding its membership, volunteer participation, sta!, and board of directors.FORCE membership grew by 27%, and volunteer participation increased dramatically. Over 2,000 volunteers spent more than 4,000 hours working on behalf of Rock Creek in 2009. FORCE doubled its sta! size from one to two part-time sta! members. Margo Reid organized the #rst-ever Rock Creek Extreme Cleanup, and Eric Durland joined FORCE as Program Coordinator late in the year. Intern Sara Henchey Brosnan provided invaluable support for development of the new FORCE website, and Linda Collyer served as bookkeeper. Claire Cambardella and Jay Lewis brought new energy, talent, and perspectives to the board.

To ensure #nancial stability, FORCE created a reserve fund.

2009 Financial InformationRevenue Expenses

Foundations 50,800 Personnel 49,123

Government 25,589 Equipment and Supplies 2,666

Corporations 10,138 Printing and Publications 7,334

Organizations 4,507 Postage 2,263

Individuals 28,013 RiverSmart Gardens 15,169

Insurance and Management 6,572

$119,047 $83,127

6

With Gratitude

Many thanks to those who provided #nancial support in 2009.

$10,000 and aboveDistrict of Columbia Department of the

EnvironmentMARPAT FoundationThe Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz

Foundation

King"sher $1,000 to $10,000Carlson Family FoundationCurtis & Edith Munson FoundationCalvert Asset Management Co., Inc. Evergreen Garden ClubLars JeurlingAnnie & Paul MahonBeth Mullin & Jim SandmanNorcross Wildlife FoundationRecreational Equipment, Inc. John D. & Sharon Percy RockefellerMary Gay SpragueTrout Unlimited, National Capital Chapter

Herring$500 to $999Doug BarkerBarry M. BlechmanJames & Kathryn ByrdDavid CottinghamThomas M. DownsGregory M. LyerlyJohn McLaughlinPat MunozRTI InternationalAlice M. RivlinWashington Ethical Society

Dragon#y$250 to $499Charles Andrews & Elin QuigleyMelanie Choukas-BradleyBarbara ElkusJane & Jay Lewis

Ann P. McClureWendy PaulsonMargo ReidRachael RitvoMary Beth & Paul SandmanSociety of American Foresters, National Capital ChapterJean Simons & Steve SolowJe!rey WellsLouise Wise

Water Penny$100 to $249AnonymousKatharine Abraham & Graham HorkleyDonna & Bryan ArlingCatherine ArmingtonMary Barber & Curt Von KannJacquie & Steve BarkerDennis & Tansy BlumerJanet L. BogueAnna BrookeJames W. BrosnanMarney BruceLinda Burrell & Tim McCantySusan & Dixon ButlerDiane Cameron & Joseph HorganMary CarpenterRives & Dickson CarrollWilbur P. ChaseMeg Clarke & Tim RichardsBarbara CohenEdward Cohen & Charlene BarshefskySteve DrydenJonathan Elkind & Suzanne MintzJosephine FarwellKevin FlynnJoan FurlongAndrew Gilman & Dianne RudoNeal R. GrossChristopher & Meg HankinBarbara HerzogAnnette & Hugh HilliardBernard HollanderBarbara & Bob HoytBetsy JamesJane S. JonesElizabeth KingsleyPeter S. KoltayShannah Koss & Jay RenbaumWilliam ListerBarbara & Philip MacNeillJennifer Manlove

Marilyn & Douglas MitchellRick MorganKaren L. MorrisRobin & Heming NelsonJames & Virginia NewmyerBeverly & John OstensoLisa PelstringPriscilla M. PhelpsTheodore RockwellMary RollefsonNaomi RutenbergSteve Saari & Gwen CoatClaudia & Bill SchechterDaniel C. & Teresa Moran SchwartzBarbara SearleMichael & Marcia ShannonMarybeth SoradyDavid SteelPolly Vail & Mark WalshSteve Wellner & Amy E. SaltzmanAdelaide & A. Duncan WhitakerEvelyn & Bob WrinWoman’s Club of Kensington

Individual /Family Up to $99AnonymousFrancesca AdamsElizabeth Allaben & Matthew ChambersShirley E. AlmquistNancy L. AlperDouglas AndersonGinny AtwoodMichael & Bonnie AugustNaomi & David BaltoElizabeth BassanAllen E. BeachPeggy & David BeersCarolina BenesRay & Nina BentonFran & Harvey BergerJames Biasco

7

Steve BlackistoneRobert BoswellSherri Blount & Edward GrayHelen & Marc BornsteinJudith BraceCindy & Edward BrandtJosie Briggs & Jurgen SchnermannGordon & Olivia BrownRoberta K. BrownJoan & Tom BrowneRichard BurnsDonald ByrneStephen L. Cain & Robert J. MaxwellClaire CambardellaValerie CampbellDeborah & George Chaconas Daniel J. ChambersJeannette & Edward CheskyDavid ChuPatricia Gavin ChungLouis A. CiproKatherine & Dennis CochranElana E. Cohen & Steven M. SchwartzRobert T. ColeCynthia CollierDiane CornellJosh & Courtney CornRex CowdryAnne-Marie CrawfordBetsy CroneDeirdre CurleyVerna & Robert CurtisLaurie Davis & Joe Sellers Keiko & Igor DawidAntonia Dentes & Owen PowersBlake de PastinoCaroline & Ian Smith DeWaalRosemary DickersonR. Neil DickmanJoe DonahueD. Warren DonohueHermine DreyfussSusannah DrydenEric DurlandGeorge & Elsie DurlandLouis EbySusan E. EisendrathLawrence EldridgeDavid ElkusAnn & Don EnglishGerald EpsteinSarah EpsteinMary Jane & John EulerCarol Falk & Alan JohnsonAlbert Ferlo & Ellen AthasMarilyn J. FieldPatricia & Ronald FlaggJohn A. Fleckner

Colden & Nancy FloranceDoran Lee Flowers & Christine HsuBeth ForbesWilliam & Priscilla FothergillJulia FrankJack FrostAnne & Pierre GagneSara Gagneten & Michel JichlinskiMarty GanzglassTish GardnerSusana GartenPaula GartmanAnn-Mari GemmillJennifer Goldstein & David WachtelEdward GrahamH. Clifton GrandyW. Cabell & Susan GraysonTom GreeneMilton GrenfellGeorge GreerHenry Gri$nHenry & Betty GuyotCarol Hannaford & Loren ScherbakLynne & Bill HarlanEmily HarrisPaul & Lynn HarrisonJay HersonJewel HillRobin & Terri HornTheodore R. HumanJennie P. HuntNicole HuntingtonMichael F. JacobsonEdith & Mark JicklingGloria B. JohnsonJeanette L. JohnsonWilliam Johnson, Jr.Robin Kane & Melissa LavinsonLouis D. KaplanCheryl A. KassedPatrick J. KeefePhyllis KimmelLynn KinchKim KleinStephen KleinThomas & Judith KleinBeth & Steven KosiakDeloris KoziolBetsy & Michael KraftMarvin KranzJames KuhnVello & Jane KuuskraaGordon Page KyleJoann LampherePeter LaneKathryn L. LannonMary LaRocheArthur & Marilyn Latchaw

Martha & Robert LawrenzJames LemertPatricia & Stephen LeveeMary Alice & Richard LevineJudy Licht & Rick TempchinRobert & Barbara LiottaMacara LousbergSusan & Donald LubickCraig M. LussiRobert LynchBarry & Joanne LynnJudith & Vincent MacalusoMarcia Macedo & Matthew SteilMary MadayTom MannJim MartinPeter & Janet MartineauLinda McCaigJohn McDowellKatherine & Martin McGreivyAlice N. McIlvaineJudy & Peter McPhiePaul MeijerJulie Meyer & Arnoldo RamosMargaret I. MillerYoshio & Noriko MiyagawaMimi & Robert MorseBetty J. MullendoreJohn MurtaghChuck O’Connor & Susan PlaegerBarbara OrmondCarolyn OsborneMary D. OssiEileen C. O’Toole & Michael J. DolanBetty A. Overby & Stephen E. AlgireLarry PackardRobert & Marjorie ParkYogini T. PatelRuth PearlAndrea R. PerllJohn M. PerryDon PersonetteRuth & Harris PitlickCathy PollockDaniel PontAnn & Kenneth PollackPauline D. PowellNancy & Bill PresslyEvelyn RabinMarjorie RachlinNancy Rachman George Rebok & Lynn O!ermannTrip ReidMillie RileyJean RinaldoDiana Rodum & Michael HoonJulie A. RosenAnn Rosenthal

Pamela RoweRobert & Fran RubinDon & Dorothy SaariSteven R. SabatDavid SandstromWilliam SchaeferLois Schi!erKatherine SchinasiNicholas SchliapinAnn Inlah SchneiderAnya SchoolmanLewis SchragerBarbara F. SchubertJoseph SedranskLaw O$ces of John L. SeibelRobert E. & Karol C. ServiceGary Sikora & Peg ShawMaria SgambatiJoanna D. ShankUrsula ShearsHelen E. SherwoodCarole ShifrinRobert A. Siegel Rima SilenasFred E. & Veronique M. SilvermanLinda SilversmithCathy SilversteinLewis B. SimsRoxane Sismanidis & Stephen BurantMarjorie & Thomas SkinkerSherwood SmithWilliam P. Smith, JrPatricia & Mark StephensMichael SternNancy Stewart Steve StoltzGina & William Stoney

Laura & Jack SummerKaren TaylorLane Taylor, Jr.Roger TelschowAaron & Gladys TemkinSheila TimbersJames TogashiLorrin TuxburyRichard & Susan UgelowKumar VaswaniChuck VerrillSteve WallaceTim WaltonDeborah Warden & Neal EpsteinDenise R. Warner & Kenneth A. TerzianSamuel WatersLisa WeddigDavid WeinerSandra WeiswasserSusan WellmanPeggy WestonA. L. WheelerEric WhisenhuntKatherine WhiteJean E. WilliamsTerrance R. WilliamsBarbara & Stephen WilsonMatthew WilsonRonald W. WilsonCathy WinerFred WinklerGoddard WinterbottomCathy Wiss & Chris SchumannDiane WysowskiDon & Dale YablonowitzNatalya YunMary Clare Zodhiates

Thank you to the thousands of volunteers who worked to protect Rock Creek this year!

For more information about Friends of Rock Creek’s Environment, visit friendsofrockcreek.org

Friends of Rock Creek’s Environment PO Box 42680 Washington, DC 20015