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Friends of Accotink Creek
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Our May 20, 2017 stream cleanup:
Fifteen volunteers from Asian American LEAD joined a special cleanup at our Fullerton Road location. Thank you Asian American LEAD! The volunteers got out 12 bags of trash along the creek. Then they worked an area favored by illegal dumpers, where they removed 16 tires, a TV, 2 chairs, and the most surprising find of all, an intact pickup truck bed liner. The volunteers arranged for the tires to be recycled by the Costco tire shop. We really appreciate Costco's help! |
 Volunteers in a celebratory after-cleanup moood! |
 14 hours, 20 acres, 21 bags of trash! |
Heroic solo spring cleanup: We want to recognize the impressive efforts of Ted Plunkett, who conducted solo cleanups through late winter and early spring in the Wakefield Park area. Single-handedly, he removed 60 bags of trash, 16 tires, and strange items ranging from a newspaper vending machine to a kiddie pool. Ted documented his cleanups with photos and graphics we added to our cleanup photo album on SHUTTERFLY. Ted has done cleanups like this for years in and around Wakefield Park, and he's probably out there now, taking care of our watershed. Thanks, Ted! |
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Our April 29, 2017 stream cleanups:
Gray skies and a few raindrops threatened early in the morning, but we had clear skies for the rest of the day. It was hot, though, with temperatures rising to 90 degrees. Twelve volunteers turned out for our first site, King Arthur Road. Together they removed 11 bags of trash and 2 tires. We were frustrated by three tires too firmly stuck to pull out - maybe next time. A group of volunteers combined forces to lift a manhole cover out of the creek and carry it through the woods to the trail for later pickup. At our second site, Little River Turnpike, most of our 12 volunteers were with two groups, Excelsior College Alumni and Rotaract Club of Northern Virginia. Thank you, Excelsior and Rotaract! Our most unusual find here was a gas line marker sign. Our last site of the day, and of the spring cleanup season, was Braddock Road. Our eleven volunteers cleared 17 bags of trash and three tires out of the creek. Several volunteers focused on a pair of large logjams with lots of trash caught behind them, including the use of a kayak to reach parts of one logjam. One volunteer unfortunately lost his cellphone in the creek. |
Are you disgusted by bottle litter in Accotink Creek, too? Join the Battle of the Bottle May 8, 2017! #trashdayofaction |
Celebrity endorsement of bottled water for health! There's nothing "smart" about water bottle trash! Join the Battle of the Bottle, May 8, 2017! #trashdayofaction |
Our April 22, 2017 stream cleanups:
Gray skies with nearly constant drizzle punctuated by rain showers followed us all day. The creek did not rise appreciably, though, so we were able to carry on with a good turnout or rain-proof volunteers. At our first site of the day, Pickett Road, we had great support from the Virginia Water Environment Association (including their GMU chapter) and their partners in the American Water Works Association. The VWEA not only sent a contingent of volunteers, but also provided a welcome spread of snacks. Other groups joining the cleanup here were the American Heritage Girls St. James Troop nad the West End Rugby Team. Many thanks to all! Our 52 volunteers together removed 41 bags of trash and one tire. Our most memorable find here was a grinning plastic skull. At our second site, Barkley Drive, our 10 volunteers collected 10 bags of trash and one tire. Our most unique find was a lost geocache container filled with toy snakes. At our final site, Woodburn Road our 18 volunteers included Girl Scout Troop 1496. Thank you, Troop 1496! Many of the volunteers tackled a huge jam of thousands of trapped bottles and other debris collected in a side channel of the creek. Our most unusual find was a still-useable shovel, which will be put to good use by our sister group, Lands and Waters. |
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Our April 15, 2017 stream cleanups:
A sunny day with mild temperatures rising into the 70's made for excellent cleanup conditions. The appallingly abundant invasive Chinese wisteria vines here were displaying their impressive but noxious floral clusters. We have hope the Accotink gorge Project will manage to reduce the invasion. At our second site, Franconia-Springfield Parkway, a modest crew of 6 volunteers removed 8 bags of trash. Our most unusual find here was a fancy bottle of Voss "artisanal water from Norway". Can't these Norwegians trash their own streams? Join the Battle of the Bottle May 8th to protest bottled water litter from anywhere in the world! Our last site of the day was Telegraph Road, where five volunteers removed eleven bags of trash. Several logjams here have collected atrocious quantities of trash dominated by the water bottles we plan to protest at the May 8th Battle of the Bottle. Our most unusual find here was a helium tank, providing insipration for the balloon brigade we plan to deploy at the Battle of the Bottle. |
PR claims vs. reality! Is this what purveyors of bottled water consider sustainable? Plastic bottle litter fouls Accotink Creek just ¼ mile from Deer Park bottling plant, which uses Fairfax municipal water, not sparkling waterfalls! #trashdayofaction. |
JMU alumni volunteers with a new recruit.
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Our April 8, 2017 stream cleanups:
Fine cleanup weather was with us for the entire day with bright sunshine and temperatures rising into the low 60's.
At our first location, Fairfax Blvd, we enjoyed an impressive turnout of 69 volunteers, with contigents from Scout troops 1513 and 114, JMU Alumni, and The North Face. Thanks to all! Also joining us were sisters of the Alpha Pi Delta professional sorority, doing service during their national meeting. Thank you Alpha Pi Delta! And yet more - we inaugurated a collaboration with the Country Club Hills civic association, sending a group of volunteers south of Fairfax Blvd to work a stretch of the stream where we had not ventured before. All the 35 bags of trash removed here were the usual routine rubbish - beverage bottles, cans, and pastic bags. Our vounteers did enjoy posing for photos with the spike-antered deer skull they discovered. Fairfax City is very prompt in hauling away collected trash - so efficient that the crew was on site removing bags even as we were readying to depart. At our second location, Chain Bridge Road, we had a respectable turnout of 29 volunteers, including the returning crew from The North Face. Athough this is the farthest upstream site we clean, there was no shortage of trash. Our vounteers collected 35 bags of trash. Our most unique find here was part of a folding bed frame. Old Lee Hwy, our last location of the day, was aso the quietest, with a modest turnout of seven vounteers. We found ony routine rubbish here - just fourteen bags of the usual bottles, cans, and plastic bags. At the invitation of the Potomac Conservancy, we joined the #PotomacTrashTalk "Tweet Off", exchanging tweets during the day to encourage and applaud fellow cleanup groups.
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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Since 1989, the Alice Ferguson Foundation has spearheaded the Potomac Watershed Cleanup. Now the largest regional event of its kind, the cleanup has engaged over 40,000 volunteers and 300 partners and removed more than 1500 tons of trash from the Potomac Watershed.
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GET YOUR BRAIN WET! Join Friends of Accotink Creek in next year's annual Potomac Watershed Cleanup in April & May and the International Coastal Cleanup in September & October! |
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| Potomac Watershed Cleanup Stream Cleanup Results |
Spring 2013 Participants & Trash removed |
Spring 2014 Participants & Trash removed |
Spring 2015 Participants & Trash removed |
Spring 2016 Participants & Trash removed |
Spring 2017 Participants & Trash removed |
| Accotink Creek at Chain Bridge Road | 24 volunteers 27 bags |
12 volunteers 18 bags |
13 volunteers 20 bags |
25 volunteers 28 bags |
29 volunteers 35 bags |
| Accotink Creek at Fairfax Blvd | 37 volunteers 27 bags |
20 volunteers 31 bags |
34 volunteers 26 bags |
21 volunteers 21 bags |
69 volunteers 35 bags |
| Accotink Creek at Old Lee Hwy | 15 volunteers 36 bags |
13 volunteers 14 bags |
31 volunteers 44 bags |
23 volunteers 21 bags |
7 volunteers 14 bags |
| Accotink Creek at Pickett Road | 77 volunteers 56 bags |
109 volunteers 43 bags |
33 volunteers 31 bags |
35 volunteers 47 bags |
52 volunteers 41 bags |
| Accotink Creek at Barkley Drive | 42 volunteers 29 bags |
63 volunteers 44 bags |
38 volunteers 44 bags |
20 volunteers 21 bags |
10 volunteers 10 bags |
| Accotink Creek at Woodburn Road | 39 volunteers 33 bags |
50 volunteers 24 bags |
38 volunteers 59 bags |
25 volunteers 33 bags |
18 volunteers 32 bags |
| Accotink Creek at King Arthur Road | 17 volunteers 11 bags |
42 volunteers 37 bags |
26 volunteers 26 bags |
11 volunteers 11 bags |
12 volunteers 11 bags |
| Accotink Creek at Little River Turnpike | 17 volunteers 6 bags |
63 volunteers 50 bags |
17 volunteers 15 bags |
46 volunteers 34 bags |
12 volunteers 17 bags |
| Accotink Creek at Braddock Road | 19 volunteers 16 bags |
17 volunteers 23 bags |
22 volunteers 22 bags |
8 volunteers 8 bags |
11 volunteers 17 bags |
| Accotink Creek at Franconia-Springfield Pkwy | 46 volunteers 44 bags |
9 volunteers 15 bags |
43 volunteers 30 bags |
9 volunteers 18 bags |
6 volunteers 8 bags |
| Accotink Creek at Fullerton Road | 11 volunteers 17 bags |
44 volunteers 32 bags |
39 volunteers 39 bags |
20 volunteers 22 bags |
11 volunteers 13 bags |
| Accotink Creek at Telegraph Road | 9 volunteers 15 bags |
16 volunteers 20 bags |
37 volunteers 30 bags |
9 volunteers 15 bags |
5 volunteers 11 bags |
| Total | 353 volunteers 317 bags |
458 volunteers 351 bags |
371 volunteers 386 bags |
252 volunteers 279 bags |
242 volunteers 244 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. |