Plan your Saturday: Create by the Creek; Shop at a pop-up used bookstore; Clean up a mini-oasis

Artists have been drawn to Rock Creek and Peirce Mill for decades. (An artist and friend in Rock Creek Park in 1924/Library of Congress)

Create by the Creek: For decades – centuries, even – People have been drawn to Peirce Mill to sketch, paint and create. Friends of Peirce Mill and partners including the National Park Service celebrate that tradition this Saturday with “Create by the Creek.” From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., you’re invited to participate in free workshops, meet up and paint with landscape artists, and view an exhibit on Peirce Mill’s art history. Or, follow the long tradition of artists inspired by the view and create something on your own.

Washington Studio School is hosting the landscape artists meetup. RSVP to [email protected].

The rain date for Create by the Creek is the following Sunday, June 19th, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Carpe Librum pops up outside of the Van Ness Main Street office at 4340 Connecticut Avenue. (Van Ness Main Street photo)

Carpe Librum returns: The used book store and literacy fundraiser that pops up periodically outside Van Ness Main Street’s office at 4340 Connecticut Avenue returns not only this Saturday, but also on July 23rd and August 20th. Carpe Librum will be selling gently used books, CDs and records from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Rid a mini-oasis of invasive plants: Rock Creek Conservancy and the National Park Service will lead volunteers in removing invasive plants from Reservation 630 (formerly Melvin Hazen Park) west of Connecticut Avenue. Register here to help out from 1 to 3 p.m.

Rock Creek Conservancy has five of these “mini-oases,” which are forest restoration areas. The conservancy aims to get non-native invasive species down to 5 percent of the forest cover, and aid native species in regenerating and reclaiming the space.