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Friends of Accotink Creek
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Our May 14, 2016, cleanups:
We enjoyed smiling sunny skies for most of the day, but a line of rain squalls blew in just as we began our last cleanup of the day and of the season. It was a good day for snakes, with sightings of four species, Garter snake, Black rat snake, Northern water snake, and Northern brown snake. At our first site of the day, King Arthur Road, eleven volunteers pulled eleven bags of trash and two tires out of the creek. Our most unusual find here was a hula hoop. At Little River Turnpike, our second site today, a group of volunteers from LMI, Inc, joined us. Thank You, LMI! A total of thirteen volunteers removed thirteen bags of trash here, including a shopping cart basket and a bike jump ramp. A hardy band of eight volunteers turned out at our last site, Braddock Road despite predictions of heavy thunderstorms. We were spared the thunderstorms, but a steady rain began just as we got underway. Persevering despite being soaked, our volunteers collected eight bags of trash. there were no unusual finds here, just the routine rubbish found everywhere of beverage containers, plastic bags, and Styrofoam. Too late to provide any relief, the rain stopped and the sun returned just as we were wrapping up. Litterbugs are the main source of trash in our creek, but careless curbside recycling is another. How you can help: 1) Crush or bag light weight recyclables to avoid blowing out of the bins and into storm drains. 2) Upgrade to a bin with a lid so the recyclables don't blow out. 3) Take a second to look around and pick up loose recyclables when you retrieve your bin. 4) Ask your disposal service about participating in Recyclebank rewards for recycling. |
 Thanksssss, volunteers, for cleaning our home! |
 The lame discard their crutches after cures by the healing waters of Lourdes on the Accotink? |
Our April 23, 2016 stream cleanups: Rain showers greeted the 21 volunteers at our first site of the day, Fairfax Blvd, but everyone worked on in the wet. We were joined by volunteers of Cub Scout Pack 1513 and The North Face - Thank you Pack 1513 and North Face! Our volunteer crew removed 21 bags of trash and found an exercise mat making a set with the two we found downstream April 9th. At our second site of the day, Chain Bridge Road 25 volunteers enjoyed better conditions as the rains stopped, leaving us to work under gray skies. The North Face volunteers returned - Thank you again, North Face! At this, our furthest upstream cleanup site, an unusual find was a moving dolly, still in good shape. One hard-working volunteer related his experience working in Rwanda before and after that nation banned plastic bags, resulting in a dramatic change in the appearance of public spaces. Our last site of the day was Chain Bridge Road, where the clouds departed and left us breezy blue skies. The breeze was an opportunity for a successful test of a system to weight down our awning against overturning. Daisy Scout Troop 3048 arrived equipped with colorful grabbers - Thank you Troop 3048! Our 23 volunteers collected 21 bags of trash and two tires. A shocking find here was three one-gallon containers of weed killer, dumped behind the Fairfax City recycling station. Plan now to volunteer again with others nest year to preserve our oceans and waterways in April & May! And don't miss the International Coastal Cleanup in September & October! Contact us, E-mail. Calendar |
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Our April 16, 2016 stream cleanups:
Warm and sunny weather prevailed along Accotink Creek today, with hardly a cloud to be seen, for a fine day of cleanups. At Fullerton Road, in the Accotink Gorge, our first site of the day, twenty volunteers turned out, including contingents from The North Face and the Accotink Universalist Unitarian Church. Thank you North Face and AUUC! We were happy to see the dumpers who had left 42 tires here last fall had not returned, but there were some older areas of discarded tires we were not able to get to this time. Our finds were rather dull at this location - just 22 bags of the usual mix of bottles, bags, and styrofoam. At our second site of the day, Franconia-Springfield Parkway, our volunteers from The North Face returned for a second round. Thanks, again, North Face! Our 9 volunteers together removed 18 bags of trash, including our most unusual find, a water main sign, ripped out by flooding or vandals. We also cleaned up the nearby illegal dump site along Hooes Road, where we found 10 tires and lots of landscaper yard waste. At our last site of the day, Telegraph Road, 9 volunteers pulled out 15 bags of trash. We were able to defeat Tire-anosaurus, a truck tire that had sat taunting us for several seasons - its sidewalls had closed up, trapping mud inside that made it too heavy to lift. Equipped with the right tools and a lot of patience, we pried it open, cleaned it out, and rolled it away. Our most unique (and somewhat macabre) find here was a limbless doll. Meanwhile, a special extra cleanup took place at our Little River Turnpike site, where 33 members of Asian American LEAD worked to extract 21 bags of trash. Thank you LEAD! A barbeque grill was the most unique find here. Trash in our streams is fed mainly by litter running off streets and parking lots, into storm drains. Friends of Accotink Creek conducts public education and storm drain marking events to address this chronic problem at the source. |
The North Face volunteers put outdoor skills into action. |
Girl Scout Troop 5658 ready for action! |
Our April 9, 2016 stream cleanups:
Partly cloudy skies offered some hope as we began, but the predicted cold rain and unseasonable snow moved in, putting volunteers to the test at our morning site. By noon, skies were dry and we worked in chilly, but otherwise comfortable conditions. At our first site of the day, Pickett Road, thirty-five of the bravest volunteers turned out in the face of cold rain mixed with snow to collect 47 bags of trash. The Mantua wrecking crew wrestled out an old water heater that had been an eyesore in the creek for years. Scout Troop 1533 trudged up to the neglected reaches of the Hatmark Branch tributary - Thank you, Troop 1533! Other groups who joined were Key Clubs of Stuart and Chantilly high schools and the Tysons/McLean Kiwanis - Thank you Key Club and Kiwanis! The Accotink ATM was back in service as our volunteers found a dollar bill, which was kindly donated to Friends of Accotink Creek. At our second site, Barkley Drive, 20 volunteers joined us in collecting 21 bags of trash and five tires. Girl Scout Troop 5658 helped out - Thank you Troop 5658! Our most unusual find here was a bowling ball - It seems like someone rolled a real "gutter ball". Woodburn Road was our last site of the day. Here 25 volunteers collected 33 bags of trash and 4 tires. We were joined by Girl Scout Troop 1496 and Boy Scout Troop 1532 - Thank you Troop 1496 and Troop 1532! A plastic tricycle we found here was a close match for one found earlier today at Pickett Road. We may not think that much can be done with used packing peanuts, yogurt cups, shoe boxes and old towels, but there are local charitable organizations that can make good use of our waste! For a list of materials being sought by local groups, please visit Choose to Reuse and help out a good cause |
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April 8, 2016 stream cleanup:
Cool, but sunny weather prevailed for a cleanup on the headwaters of Accotink Creek. Volunteers from the Fairfax County Health Department organized a cleanup of Accotink Creek behind their headquarters building in Fairfax City. The creek is little more that a trickle here, but still manages to accumulate volumes of trash. Volunteers pulled 13 bags of trash out of a small section along less than a city block.
Learn about storm drain filters as a part of the solution to keeping trash from reaching our waterways: Surf Gate & FloGard & Filterra Bioretention Remember to remind your groups of the importance of proper cleanup during and after all outdoor activities. Reduce, Recycle, Reuse! In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous. - Aristotle |
Health Department cleanup poster. |
Bags of collected trash piled lakeside in front of the FLAP donation box.
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Our April 2, 2016 stream cleanups:
Seasonably mild weather welcomed the crowds of volunteers for the Lake Accotink Park cleanup. A group of members of Friends of Lake Accotink Park trekked up the Flag Run tributary as far as 495. This is where much trash is swept off the expressway and also the adjacent industrial park, flowing down storm drains into the stream. So much, in fact, that after removing a dozen bags of trash from this short stretch, the difference was invisible. Other groups joining the Lake Accotink Park cleanup included several scout troops and the students and faculty of the George Washington Community School. Thanks to all! Other cleanups in the Accotink Creek watershed the same day happened in Oak Hill Park with the Friends of Oak Hill Park and along the Long Branch tributary with the Friends of Long Branch Stream Valley. Thanks to these friends!
Despite all the wonderful volunteers who have turned out to help, we are still outnumbered by the litterbugs. Your club, school, business, or other group is welcome to "GET YOUR BRAIN WET!" by joining Friends of Accotink Creek in next year's annual Potomac Watershed Cleanup in April & May and the International Coastal Cleanup in September & October! Volunteer site leaders and coordinators are needed!
Follow the Friends of Accotink Creek motto and "Find just one other person who cares".
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| Potomac Watershed Cleanup Stream Cleanup Results |
Spring 2012 Participants & Trash removed |
Spring 2013 Participants & Trash removed |
Spring 2014 Participants & Trash removed |
Spring 2015 Participants & Trash removed |
Spring 2016 Participants & Trash removed |
| Accotink Creek at Chain Bridge Road | 23 volunteers 6 bags |
24 volunteers 27 bags |
12 volunteers 18 bags |
13 volunteers 20 bags |
25 volunteers 28 bags |
| Accotink Creek at Fairfax Blvd | 26 volunteers 32 bags |
37 volunteers 27 bags |
20 volunteers 31 bags |
34 volunteers 26 bags |
21 volunteers 21 bags |
| Accotink Creek at Old Lee Hwy | 2 volunteers 8 bags |
15 volunteers 36 bags |
13 volunteers 14 bags |
31 volunteers 44 bags |
23 volunteers 21 bags |
| Accotink Creek at Pickett Road | 70 volunteers 61 bags |
77 volunteers 56 bags |
109 volunteers 43 bags |
33 volunteers 31 bags |
35 volunteers 47 bags |
| Accotink Creek at Barkley Drive | 53 volunteers 41 bags |
42 volunteers 29 bags |
63 volunteers 44 bags |
38 volunteers 44 bags |
20 volunteers 21 bags |
| Accotink Creek at Woodburn Road | 18 volunteers 17 bags |
39 volunteers 33 bags |
50 volunteers 24 bags |
38 volunteers 59 bags |
25 volunteers 33 bags |
| Accotink Creek at King Arthur Road | 32 volunteers 17 bags |
17 volunteers 11 bags |
42 volunteers 37 bags |
26 volunteers 26 bags |
11 volunteers 11 bags |
| Accotink Creek at Little River Turnpike | 27 volunteers 25 bags |
17 volunteers 6 bags |
63 volunteers 50 bags |
17 volunteers 15 bags |
46 volunteers 34 bags |
| Accotink Creek at Braddock Road | 34 volunteers 28 bags |
19 volunteers 16 bags |
17 volunteers 23 bags |
22 volunteers 22 bags |
8 volunteers 8 bags |
| Accotink Creek at Franconia-Springfield Pkwy | 8 volunteers 13 bags |
46 volunteers 44 bags |
9 volunteers 15 bags |
43 volunteers 30 bags |
9 volunteers 18 bags |
| Accotink Creek at Fullerton Road | 3 volunteers 4 bags |
11 volunteers 17 bags |
44 volunteers 32 bags |
39 volunteers 39 bags |
20 volunteers 22 bags |
| Accotink Creek at Telegraph Road | 2 volunteers 4 bags |
9 volunteers 15 bags |
16 volunteers 20 bags |
37 volunteers 30 bags |
9 volunteers 15 bags |
| Total | 298 volunteers 256 bags |
353 volunteers 317 bags |
458 volunteers 351 bags |
371 volunteers 386 bags |
252 volunteers 279 bags |
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Litterbugs: Their selfish behavior is the "gift" that keeps on giving. Trash may be out of sight and out of mind for the litterer, but it continues to blight communities and habitats far removed in time and distance. When litterers make the decision to solve their immediate disposal problem irresponsibly, they are also making the decision to create problems that endure for generations. Filth is the monument they build for themselves. |