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Work Session Summaries 2023
Page history
last edited
by Mary.Ellsworth 2 weeks, 2 days ago
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Section5
west end
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Section4 |
Section3 |
Section2 |
Section1
east end |
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Bioswale Work Session - Featuring Capital Juniors
Sunday, May 21, 2023
Four ACBA volunteers and more than a dozen Capital Juniors and parents tackled a two huge projects on this sunny morning. The first was removing the False Indigobush (FIB) from the upriver side of the first ramp (section 1). The second, clearing the area next to the Paddlers' dock to improve use of that area for eventual socializing. Area needs to be flattened with shovels and rakes, grass seeded, and to start mowing there.
Capital Juniors Day of Service ...
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 Capital Juniors, moms and dads!
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BEFORE: The area was covered in vines, and stumps where a couple trees had died. We lost 2 Shadbush here.
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 The work gets started. We 'roped' off the area around the big Shadbush and switch grasses. |
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This crew knows how to go for the roots!
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Tasks accomplished today
 Dug out yellow iris, section 5.
Cleared vines, dead stumps, all vegetation, section 5,
next to Paddlers' dock
Removed tree growing on the seawall, but stump remains
Dug up False Indigo bush,
section 1 next to the ramp, a massive clump in particular
Cleared some of the rocks, section 1.
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Some serious wheelbarrowing took place!
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They tackled that Elm tree without me even mentioning it. Wow.
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 More serious wheelbarrowing ... |
 It's a nice little Elm, but in a terrible place for a tree. |
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Removing invasive clematis vines and yellow iris
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Eradicating Bush Honeysuckle down
to the roots!
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Tippy appeared, of course!
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AFTER! Usually we don't do a clean sweep
of all vegetation, but that's what was called for in this area.
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.JPG)
The wheelbarrowing got a little goofy
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Tasks for June work session
Clear around shrubs in sections 1, 4 & 5
Seriously tackle Bush Honeysuckle with tree puller, section 1
Dig Phragmites, section 1
Tackle brambles on stone wall, sections 2 & 3
Dig the big False Indigobush in Sec 4, next to Paddlers' dock.
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Intrepid ACBA volunteers...
 The zone by the ramp, section 1, had False Indigobush that got away from us. |
 Today was the day to get out the FIB. |
 A MASSIVE stump of FIB - took 3 of us to get it into the wheelbarrow! |
Fruits of our Labor....
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Bioswale Work Session - featuring Academy of Holy Cross Day of Service
Tuesday, April 25, 2023
Thirty one AMAZING young women from Holy Cross & their 4 chaperones spent the day on tasks along the edge of the river. They arrived at 9:30am and didn't leave until 1:40pm
After 3 groups so far this spring plus Earth Day the bioswale is in the best shape I've ever seen it!
 A splendid day - the group walks to the Bioshed for an orientation to the day's tasks. |
 Saturday's Earth Day volunteers had left several piles of brush that didn't fit in the dumpster, so we finished off that job first. |
 Meanwhile this ambitious crew took down a 10 ft honeysuckle bush AND dug out the massive root as well. |
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Planting lavender around the base of the
Bio-shed. It is hoped the lavender will deter
the groundhog from digging here.
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The ground was hard dry clay, so students
used a pick to break it up, then added sand
and soil conditioner before planting six
lavender plants,
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Tasks accomplished today
Carried brush piles left from Earth Day to the dumpster,
along w scrap wood that was nearby
Dug out yellow iris near the large pine.
Planted lavender plants around the shed to discourage the ground hog.
Dug wineberry upriver side of the Paddlers' dock
Cleared vines from Magnolia, section 1
Cleared massive vines off the fence behind the large tent
Cleared a 16' strip & put in Virginia Mallow seeds.
Cleared vines from the wall beside the large tent.
Removed vines from bushes, section 5
Cleared some of the rocks, section 1.
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 Seniors were asked to tackle the wineberry in the west end of section 4. These two won the prize for longest intact root! |
 The honeysuckle bush was felled, yes, but they spent another 10 min sucking honey from the flowers. |
 These two made room in the dumpster for more brush! |
 A 16' strip was cleared between the two fences in back of the large tent. This is in preparation for putting in VA Mallow seeds.
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 Raking and improving the soil. VA Mallow is a rare plant that's nearly extinct in DC & MD. |
 Water is lightly sprinkled on the new seeds. |
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 The VA Mallow is in the ground. Amelia, in lavender, rows with Capital Jrs 5 times/wk. The others asked her to bring them frequent reports on how the plot is doing.
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Lunch break
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Tasks for May work session
Clear around shrubs in sections 1, 4 & 5
Search & destroy Lesser Celandine if it
can be identified
Seriously tackle Bush Honeysuckle with tree puller, section 1
Dig Phragmites, section 1
Continue to remove wineberry sprouts
Dig the False Indigobush in Sec 1, 2, 3 and 5
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In the last 1.5 hour of work students put in a
major & amazing effort. The length of this fence was
piled at least 2 ft high with vines. Now - Gone.
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Hard to see a poor neglected Magnolia shrub
center of the image. The shrub was covered
and bent over with a load of vines. Gone.
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 Here the vine, etc were coming up
over the edge of the wall along side
the big tent. Now .. Gone!
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EARTH DAY 2023 & Bioswale Work Session featuring Wakefield HS crew
Saturday, April 22, 2023
Perfect weather for Earth Day! A total of 75 volunteers participated. 47 were volunteers from AWS who picked up trash along the river, along M St, and
along the trails, led by 7 volunteers from ACBA. 8 ACBA volunteers worked in the bioswale, and 12 students from Wakefield HS joined them.
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Black bags are full of trash. Clear bags are full of recyclable materials.
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Enith and Alice at the registration table
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Tasks accomplished today
Picked up trash on grounds & roads
21 bags of trash; 12 bags of recyclables
2 tires, 44 plastic groc bags, ~200 lbs
of other
Cleared vines under the big pine
Removed Lesser Celandine, Section 4
Picked up pine cones under big pine.
Limbed up river birches, west end
Cleared tree fencing, west end
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A concurrent bioswale work session happened
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Over 50% of trash picked up were plastic
bottles.
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AWS is collecting info for new DC Bottle bill
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Construction materials and tire
near Congressional Cemetery
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 River birch, freshly limbed up and cleared
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A great viewing area for the next Regatta.
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 The clean up uncovered several
Milkweed plants
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Tasks for May work session
Clear around shrubs in sections 1, 4 & 5
Search & destroy Lesser Celandine if it can be identified
Seriously tackle Bush Honeysuckle with tree puller
Dig Phragmites, section 1
Continue to remove wineberry sprouts
Dig the False Indigobush in Sec 1, 2, 3 and 5
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Bioswale Work Session - Cypress Creek Renewables - Earth Day Celebration
Friday, April 21, 2023
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Kick off 2023 Bioswale Work Session featuring Gonzaga HS crew
Sunday, March 26, 2023
A gorgeous day and a dozen amazing volunteers made for a fabulous work session! We built the new tool shed, cleaned up the bike parking, and did a carving out of targeted invasive and aggressive species in the bioswale.
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Tasks accomplished today
Targeted removal of wineberry & sweet autumn clematis
Removed Lesser Celandine in Section 4
Put the new tool shed together
Cleared weeds from the bike parking area
Wanted to dig Phragmites, section 1, but tide is too high
Check that pine cones are picked up. Ask Cornelius
to mow under the pine.
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The cleaned up view from the west end.
With this work we improve the area for both native species & for people.
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Installing the new tool shed.
THANK YOU GONZAGA!
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 Step 1: Laying out the dimensions with string and paint.
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Step 2. Gonzaga crew dug a
shallow pit following the dimensions.
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Nice job Gonzaga! It's just right.
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Step 3. Building a frame in the pit and
tamping in a layer of sand.
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 Step 4. Laying pavers
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Ready!
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 Step 4 (today). Assembling the shed. |
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Refreshing Bike Parking. Volunteers moved all of the bike racks out, dug out all the weeds, and laid down new mulch. What an effort!
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If you park your bike here feel free to always pull up
weeds! Its an all-volunteer affair.
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 One of the bad boys we were aiming for today - wineberry. Considered an invasive plant in Maryland, wineberry forms a clump of arching canes that may reach nine feet in length. The dense brambles make it very difficult to move around in the bioswale. |
 Lesser Celandine, may well become our worst nemesis. We first saw one small clump in the bioswale last spring. There are hundreds of clumps this year, and it will surely grow to eliminate all diversity if we fail to eradicate it. |
 The other target for today was Autumn Clematis. This rude and stubborn vine will totally suffocate bushes and whole trees, given half a chance. It produces lovely but unwelcome bowers of tiny white blossoms in the fall. |
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Bioswale beauty .....
Blue Flag iris emerging
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Bob and Diana Day's daffodils - a fond memory
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Tasks for April work session
Clear around shrubs in sections 1, 4 & 5
Search & destroy Lesser Celandine if it can be identified
Seriously tackle Bush Honeysuckle
Dig Phragmites, section 1
Continue to remove wineberry sprouts
Dig the False Indigobush in Sec 1, 2 and 3
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2023 Bioswale Work Session - Gonzaga Day of Service
Saturday, March 18, 2023
More than 50 Gonzaga rowers plus their parents came out to help in the bioswale and on the boathouse grounds for their annual Day of Service. What a great day! The leadership the coaches provide these young men is beyond value. These are the stewards of our future.
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The following tasks were accomplished:
Removed many wineberry sprouts from sections 2, 3 & 4
Trash picked up along the edge of the river
Cleared brush & bush under big pine, west end.
Picked up & bag pine cones
Helped make a level base for the new tool shed
Removed vines on the fence and clear behind the big tent
Broke up old shells and got them into the big dumpster
Raked in sections 2,3 & 4
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Digging up Wineberry roots & all! You need to dig deep to find all these roots.
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A major effort to clear vines and brush from behind the big tent. Great job FRESHMEN!!
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Just had to include this... The bioswale leader decided to measure the distance walked during a typical work session. 😲 Who knew!
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Preparing a base for the new tool shed - tamping
in sand to support new pavers
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Laying 24 pavers to support the tool shed.
Next week we'll build it.
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This old eight goes in the dumpster.
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Breaking boats - see a movie here.
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Tasks for March work session
Continue to remove wineberry
Dig the False Indigobush in Sec 1, 2 and 3
Clear the Magnolia, section 1
Search & destroy Lesser Celandine
Dig Phragmites, section 1
Check that pine cones are picked up
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Work Session Summaries 2023
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The Shad bush loaded with berries - excellent bird and wild animal food
Pretty Bachelor buttons
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