Bioswale Work Session 8 - Sunday, November 10 , 2019

This se

Bioswale Work Session 7 - Sunday, October 27 , 2019

This session was cancelled due to heavy rains 1000am to noon.   

October FaceBook event page:  https://www.facebook.com/events/392193771452349/ 

Bioswale Work Session 6 - Sunday, September 29, 2019

Twelve volunteers worked very hard today.

The following tasks were accomplished:

 Tackled the section 1 area that was cleared last month - dug Phragmites roots.  

 Pulled vegetation from around the Big Pine, so Billy can mow

 Raked and bagged pine cones

 Cleared inside the fencing around the River Birch beside the Big Pine

Notes: Tasks for Oct work session 

Dig up more Phragmites roots ?

  Jim - request a mowing?

Clear under Red Twig Dog Woods along the parking lot

September FaceBook event page:  https://www.facebook.com/events/376854416550018/ 

Bioswale Work Session 5 - Sunday, August 25, 2019

Thirteen people and made terrific progress on invasive vines, and clearing Phragmites. Thanks everyone!

The following tasks were accomplished today:

 The area in section one was cleared of above-ground Phragmites.

 Trash picked up from section 1 and further along the shore

 The River Birch to the east of Paddlers' dock was cleared and limbed up

 Developed a 2-person wheel barrow lift for dumping into the dumpster! 

Notes: Tasks for Sept work session 

 The Phragmites roots need to be dug, section 1

 Clear under the Big Pine for mowing. 

 Clear under Red Twig Dog Woods along the parking lot

 .     

Three paddlers came back from practice just as the rest of us were wrapping up.  But look at the great progress they made next to the Paddlers' dock!   

Bioswale Work Session 4 - Sunday, July 28, 2019

  Four of us volunteered today.  The sun was warm and the day went well.  

The following tasks were accomplished today:

 Removed vegetation from along the upper seawall,

 Removed invasive Purple Loosestrife

 Freed up a Sweetbay Magnolia Bush that was crowded with vines

 Jim used the chain saw to remove that stump under the Pine

Notes: Tasks for Aug 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

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

Bioswale Work Session 3 - Sunday, June 30, 2019               

Eight volunteers turned out for today's work session.  We needed to focus on several areas today, but in particular to free up the emergency gate entrance to the parking lot.   Jim and Wade took up that job.  

The following tasks were accomplished today:

 Litter pick up along the perimeter of the parking lot and boathouse blacktop

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

 Took out vines and tree blocking the emergency gate from opening (left photo)

 Attacked the bushy stump under the pine... just cut off branches.  Needs a lot more

 Cleared from around the Bioswale informational board

 Limbed up the River Birches.

 Rocks cleared of vegetation .        

BEFORE

AFTER

  Notes: Tasks for July 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

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

 Take out the rest of the busy stump under the Big Pine

Bioswale Work Session 2 - Sunday, May 19, 2019               

One volunteer plus Jim and Mary in the work today.  She was great to work with - hope Susan comes again.    Beautiful weather!  We focused on the area under the big pine. 

The following tasks were accomplished:

 Identified a strong patch of poison ivy at the base of the pine -  Mary will bring poison later this week and spray it.   

 Pulled woody vegetation, so Billy can mow this month

 Raked pine cones - mostly into the river

The east end of section 4 is looking beautiful with Blue Flag Iris growing strong.   

Notes: Tasks for June work session 

 Clear the rocks in sections 1,2 & 3

 Limb up the River Birches, Section 5

 Try to remove the bushy tree growing on the seawall, under the big pine.  

Bioswale Work Session  - Sunday, April 28, 2019     

We intended to have another work session this month (in addition to Earth Day), but we did not recruit early enough and no volunteers signed up.  Jim and I looked around the Big Pine and noticed poison ivy ... need to spray it.  We called it a day.   

Bioswale Work Session 1 -   AWS/ACBA Earth Day Clean-up                  PHOTOS

Saturday, April 13, 2019

This was the first work session in 2019, a combined bioswale work session and AWS Earth Day Cleanup.  48 volunteers from on and off site joined Capital Juniors, for a total of 178 students.  Offsite groups included volunteers from Davidson College Alumni and McLarty Associates.

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

 Beverage containers were bagged and counted - for a total of 24 trash bags full, or about 50% of our total pick up.  

 An estimated 55 lbs of bulk trash were removed from the upper Riverwalk Trail (Barney Circle),including 2 tires

 52 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)

 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)

 Dig out the phragmites

  Eradicate yellow flags