Bioswale Work Session  - Sunday, September 30, 2018

Six people volunteered today.  The group focused mainly on clearly the overgrowth on the rocks along the edge of Sections 2 and 3.   One volunteer collected trash all around the parking lot and in section 5.  

The following tasks were accomplished today:  

 Cleared the rocks in sections 2 & 3 

 Picked up trash 

Notes: Tasks for October work session 

 Clear invasive Loosestrife (purple flowers, easy to identify this time of year) 

 Continue to remove False Indigo Bush - cut at ground level and poison it.  

 Clear the rocks in sections 1,2 & 3  (ongoing)

 Pick up trash 

 Clear around the Sweetspire bushes next to the 3rd ramp in section 4

 Limb up the pine tree branches and the River Birches in Section 5

Take more 'before' and 'after' pictures

Bioswale Work Session  - Sunday, August 26, 2018

Eight people volunteered today.  The target for today was a big Black Locust tree in the middle of Section 4 that had gotten away from us.  It blocked the view of the river, and was producing a lot of seed.  After it was down a group tackled the False Indigo Bush that tangles the edge of the river and sea wall.  They made a big dent, but there's so much work to be done on that.  

The following tasks were accomplished today:

 Removed a ~30' tall Black Locust from the middle of section 4 (picture left)

 Removed some False Indigo Bush  

 Some clearing of the rocks in sections 2 & 3 

 Removed a small woody plant on the corner of the big tent, near to where the brooms are kept.  

 Picked up trash 

Notes: Tasks for September work session 

 Clear invasive Loosestrife (purple flowers, easy to identify this time of year) 

 Continue to remove False Indigo Bush - cut at ground level and poison it.  

 Clear the rocks in sections 1,2 & 3  (ongoing)

 Pick up trash 

 Clear around the Sweetspire bushes next to the 3rd ramp in section 4

 Limb up the pine tree branches and the River Birches in Section 5

Take more 'before' and 'after' pictures

Bioswale Work Session  - Sunday, July 29, 2018

Six people volunteered today.  The weather was good and we had a good morning for working.  I had Andy and Abigail work on removing some vines that were growing up over the pine tree in section 5.  They stripped a lot of vines and we uncovered a couple of hibiscus that the vines were trying to overtake, and I took 4 wheelbarrows full of material to the dumpster while they stripped vines.  So section 5 looks pretty good right now.  Billy was unable to get in close to the end of the section because some new trailers have been parked on the grass, preventing him from getting in there with his mower.  He might have to take his weed wacker in there to cut the area.

The others who came, Kathy - who picked up trash and then carried pulled plants from section 2 to the dumpster.  Melinda and the man who came, who's name I forget as I write this, worked in section 2 removing plants from the rocks.  Both teams were successful, despite the sunshine, and we filled the dumpster.  Andy and Abigail came to work on section 3 at the very end, but since the dumpster was filled, and everyone was tired by 11:30, we stopped work 11:40ish.  

A good day overall.  I didn't think to take any pictures.  And one thing I need to do is to go down there sometime with my nephew's chainsaw and limb up the pine tree branches.  But I'll do that after there is space in the dumpster.

- Jim

Notes: Tasks for August work session 

 Clear invasive Loosestrife (purple flowers, easy to identify this time of year) 

 Remove False Indigo Bush - cut at ground level and poison it.  

 Clear the rocks in sections 1,2 & 3 . (ongoing)

 There's a small woody plant on the corner of the big tent, near to where the brooms are kept.  Needs to be removed. 

 Pick up trash 

 Cut the big locust in middle of Section 4 

 Clear around the Sweetspire bushes next to the 3rd ramp in section 4

 Limb up the pine tree branches and the River Birches in Section 5

Take more 'before' and 'after' pictures

Bioswale Work Session  - Sunday, June 24, 2018               

Nine volunteers turned out for today's work session.   A bonus today was to have competitive rower Samantha Wangsgard, an ecologist, join us!  Welcome Samantha, and to all the volunteers who are willing to dedicate a couple hours on a Sunday to maintaining the bioswale!

The following tasks were accomplished today:

 Litter pick up along the river, mostly section 5 

 Removal of invasive clematis, porcelainberry vines and others from sections 1, 2 and 3. 

 Clearing growth from inside the protective fence around the sweetbay magnolia, section 1. 

Hauling several wheelbarrows of small driftwood from section 5.

 Planting native hibiscus along the seawall, section 5 (marked with pink flags).  

 Andy single handedly cleared the narrow space between the canoes and the big tent, and around the back to the big bald cypress.  Amazing!  Thank you Andy!

Notes: Tasks for July work session 

 Clear invasive Loosestrife (purple flowers, easy to identify this time of year) See 2 pix, below.

 Remove False Indigo Bush - cut at ground level and poison it.  

 Clear the rocks in sections 1,2 & 3

 There's a small woody plant on the corner of the big tent, near to where the brooms are kept.  Needs to be removed. 

 Pick up trash 

 Cut the big locust in middle of Section 4 - how'd it get so big?

 Clear around the Sweetspire bushes next to the 3rd ramp in section 4

                        Our pretty River Birches, and hibiscus plantings between them (pink flags) ...

Bioswale Work Session  - Sunday, May 20, 2018               

Seven volunteers braved the high water and accomplished several tasks.  We enjoyed the first sunny morning in how many days?  Beautiful weather!  

The following tasks were accomplished:

 Litter pick up along the full length of the river at the boathouse. 

 Removal of invasive yellow irises from sections 5 and 4 -  a big job done!  

 Clearing under several bushes along the parking lot edge - especially the poor Shad bush.  I don't know what happened to that bush, but it has been knocked back. 

 Discovered that the Sweetspire next to that same ramp is indeed still there and actually doing very well.  Needs clearing.

 Found no sign of the hibiscus planted last year.  May have been pulled out by well-meaning volunteers.  

(In June work session I discovered all our hibiscus are there, thriving)

Notes: Tasks for June work session 

 Clear the rocks in sections 1,2 & 3

 Clear around the Sweetspire bushes next to the 3rd ramp in section 4

 Replant hibiscus

 Protect the milkweed next to the big pine in section 5. 

 Cut the locust in middle of Section 4 - how'd it get so big?

 Work on new plantings, re: Jorge's recommendations:  Indian Rice, and other natives, etc.  

^^^  A brief rest for a tired crew, before the Scrimmage starts.

Bioswale Work Session -   AWS/ACBA Earth Day Clean-up                  PHOTOS

Saturday, April 21, 2018

This was the first work session in 2018, a combined bioswale work session and AWS Earth Day Cleanup.   258 volunteers participated, from 3 main groups:  30 signed up through AWS's online signup;  32 signed up through our regular work session sheet; and five high school crew teams participating in the afternoon Anacostia Sprints came early to help out:  Sidwell Friends, Holton Arms, Bishop Ireton, Georgetown Day and Seton joined Capital Juniors, for a total of 178 students.  

The following tasks were accomplished:

 Litter pick up along the full length of the river at the boathouse.  All sections.

 Litter pick up along the M St, lower Riverwalk Trail, upper Riverwalk Trail to Congressional Cemetery, and the CSX railroad tracks

 Plastic straws were collected and counted, for a total of 329 straws;  18 black, 15 green (Starbucks?), 22 red (7-Eleven?), 44 clear or nondescript, 57 yellow, white and red (McDonalds?), 24 unk pcs, and the largest number, 97 juice box straws. 

 An estimated 500 lbs of bulk trash were removed from the upper Riverwalk Trail (Barney Circle), include an old rusty refrigerator and about 20 tires.

 54 trash bags were filled and disposed of in dumpsters or left for DC River truck to pick up.

 Most of the logs and driftwood were removed, taken off on ACE debris removal vessel  (Jeff Peacock)

 Most (but not all) of the bush honeysuckle was removed, particularly in sections 4 and 5. 

 In sections 4 & 5 the River Birches were limbed up and cleared inside the fencing.   Some of that was accomplished in section 1 too.

 False Indigo bush was cut back in section 4. 

 Bushy vegetation was removed from section 2 & 3 (maple saplings, clematis, porcelain berry vines, etc) and the rocks were cleared.

Notes: Tasks for May work session 

 Clear the rocks in sections 1,2 & 3

 Replant Virginia Sweetspire bushes. (Itea virginica)

  'Repair'  Shadbush nearest the bioswale board.  

  Where's the hibiscus? Replant?

 Dig out the phragmites

  Eradicate yellow flags