Forest Hills Connection || News and Life in Our DC Neighborhood

Covering Forest Hills, Van Ness, North Cleveland Park and Wakefield

  • About Us
    • About Forest Hills Connection
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Donate
      • Donate & Subscribe
      • “Scoop the Poop” Signs
  • Classifieds
  • News
    • ANC 3F
    • Business
      • Business in Brief
      • Out to Eat
      • Shop & Eat Local
    • Getting Around
      • Metrobus and Rail
      • Pedestrian Updates
    • Elections
    • Main Street
    • Neighborhood in the News
    • Opinion
    • Parks and Streams
    • Real Estate
    • UDC
  • Style
    • Food
      • Farmers Market Finds
    • History
    • Meet the Neighbors
    • Neighbors Recommend
    • Services
    • Things To Do
      • Local Attractions
    • Travel
    • Featured Photos
  • Home Front
    • High-Rise Life
    • In the Garden
    • In the Kitchen
  • Backyard Nature
    • Local Wildlife
    • Wildlife Photos
  • Kids & Pets
    • At School
    • At Play
    • Kids Write
    • Pets
  • Calendar

Steep slope, lots of trash made Windom Parklet cleanup a challenge

April 20, 2016 by FHC

by Marlene Berlin

I brought pruners and gloves to last week’s American University Campus Beautification Day cleanup at Windom Park by WAMU. I should have brought climbing gear instead.

AU's Andrew Huff tackles the trash where the Windom parklet joins Soapstone Valley.

AU’s Andrew Huff tackles the trash where the Windom parklet joins Soapstone Valley.

When I arrived a little after 9:00 the morning of April 13th, I saw volunteers cleaning out the planters at the front of WAMU’s headquarters. Andrew Huff, the head of community relations at AU, greeted me and introduced me to the others. He then mentioned they had already picked up loads of cigarette butts that didn’t make it into the one canister left out there to collect them.

Advertisement

Huff and I then went around the back to the small parklet on Windom Place to see what else we could do. There wasn’t much. Andrew Ray had done a great deal of work last year for his Eagle Scout project. It still looked great, with new flowers blooming. All I needed to do was cut away some of the dead plant growth, which took about 10 minutes.

After deliberating for a while, Huff started to tackle the loads of trash stuck to the steep incline where the park meets Soapstone Valley. I soon followed. I found a toilet, a jacket and a blanket among the plastic bags, glass bottles, aluminum cans, and lots of paper. The jacket was in good condition, and I took it home to wash and give away. We got to about a third of the trash we could see.

Not pictured: Aluminum cans, a jacket and a toilet!

Not pictured: Aluminum cans, a jacket and a toilet!

Huff and I decided that for next year, a much more efficient way to collect trash would be to rappel down the steep slope. We both wondered whether AU had a rock climbing club who might be interested in a community service project. I would sign up for the job.

Forest Hills Connection is produced by volunteers, and supported by you. We appreciate your support – financial and otherwise. Here’s how to donate.

Filed Under: News, Parks and Streams

Comments

  1. Glenn Ellmers says

    April 20, 2016 at 9:17 am

    I’m a rock climber, and I’ve rappelled before (I just don’t have my own ropes), so sign me up if you manage to arrange this!

About Forest Hills Connection

  • Who we are
  • How to advertise
  • How to donate
  • How to submit a story idea
  • Contact us
  • Tweets by foresthillsnews

    Subscribe to Our Blog

    Receive an email alert whenever we publish a new article.

    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Arrives in your inbox around mid-month.


    Newsletter Archive         

    Connect With Us!

    Follow Us on FacebookFollow Us on TwitterFollow Us on RSS

    Local Links

    • Schools, Services and More
    • Restaurants

    Latest Comments

    • Green Eyeshades on Snags for DC seniors scheduling first Covid vaccines include a clunky web portal, and at one vaccination center, more appointments than doses
    • Paul E Harrison on History: Who was Melvin C. Hazen?
    • Barbara Kraft on Local family medicine and urgent care chain opening a Van Ness location
    • Green Eyeshades on Snags for DC seniors scheduling first Covid vaccines include a clunky web portal, and at one vaccination center, more appointments than doses
    • FHC on Local family medicine and urgent care chain opening a Van Ness location

    Archives

    About Forest Hills Connection | About Forest Hills Neighborhood Alliance | Who We Are | Contributors
    Submissions Policy | Contact | Advertise | Donate
    © Forest Hills Connection | Site by: VanStudios