by Kathy Sykes Fall is a great time to enjoy Rock Creek Park – and to save it. The park recently celebrated its 150th birthday, and its birthday wish was for volunteers to come join in the fun of removing harmful invasive plants and vines. These plants can take down trees and crowd out native […]
A call for volunteers to remove invasive plants from Forest Hills Park
by Tracy Zorpette Did you know that the greenery that grows (and grows and grows) along the 3100 block of Brandywine Street is part of Forest Hills Park? Some of this vegetation is good for wildlife, but this stretch is chockablock with invasive species that are harmful to native plants and animals. Van Ness Main […]
Backyard Nature: A hiker’s pain is the squirrels’ gain as slippery acorns drop in large numbers
by Marlene Berlin Autumn in Rock Creek Park is a paradox. You want to lift your gaze to behold the unfolding beauty of autumn. But if you don’t watch your step, you could slip on an abundance of acorns. Have you hiked on a trail virtually carpeted in acorns? It is like trying to walk […]
A ‘significant milestone’ in DC Water’s Soapstone sewer project, but completion is still weeks away
The Soapstone Valley sewer rehabilitation project has taken a big and “important step” toward completion. “We are pleased to share that the Soapstone project has reached a significant milestone with the successful [September 26th] installation of Shot #10, the final segment of cured-in-place pipe (CIPP),” wrote DC Water on October 2nd. “This achievement marks an […]
The government shutdown and the national park next door
In case you did not know, many Rock Creek Park facilities are closed, and services such as trash pickup are suspended for the shutdown’s duration. That means the Rock Creek Nature Center and Peirce Mill are not welcoming visitors, and Friends of Peirce Mill does not yet know whether its Mid-Atlantic Grain Fair will be […]
October in the Neighborhood: Spooky Movie Nights, ‘Celebrate VNMS,’ pollinator plantings, Halloween events
Friday nights are a little spooky this month. Van Ness Main Street and several local sponsors are hosting three Spooky Movie Nights at the UDC amphitheater (next to the Theater of the Arts and the UDC tennis courts). Tickets are free (and linked below) and carryout picnics are encouraged. October 3: Beetlejuice October 10: E.T. […]
Late September in the Neighborhood: Rock in Rock Creek Park, sing ‘Wicked’ at Levine, and more
A mini update to our monthly events roundup because there’s a lot of cool stuff happening this week. Carnegie Earth and Planets Lab’s Neighborhood Lecture Series We have neighbors who like to invite people over for lemonade, cookies, and conversation about the cosmos. The Carnegie Earth and Planets Laboratory (5241 Broad Branch Road NW) is […]
Community service and cool jazz: A day at Forest Hills Park
by Marlene Berlin Last Saturday, September 13th, was a lovely day to be out enjoying one of our neighborhood’s most popular gathering places – and cleaning it up. That’s how the day started for volunteers who pitched in at Forest Hills Park and Playground that morning. Then, a few hours later, jazz musicians performed for […]
ANC 3F September 16 agenda: No Soapstone sewer update (!); Reno Road crossings, DC Home Rule
They’re back. ANC 3F returns from its August break to its regularly scheduled meetings on the third Tuesday of the month. And the commission’s next meeting, on September 16th, is the first one in a long time without DC Water and the Soapstone Valley sewer project on the agenda. Not that the project is complete, […]
Soapstone sewer project latest: Hard work in hard rock, and an “illegal” sewer pipe
by Marlene Berlin In what is being described as tedious and labor-intensive work, DC Water contractors are removing layers of hard rock at the bottom of a manhole they are trying to excavate to 42 feet. They hit the rock at 30 feet and as of August 22nd, were halfway through. The manhole in question […]