Friends of Accotink Creek Potomac Watershed Cleanup April & May 2026

Thanks go out to all the Friends of Accotink Creek participating in the Potomac Watershed Cleanup along our 12 adopted stretches of Accotink Creek in 2026!

Bowling with trash!	Our April 25, 2026 stream cleanups: We had a decent day for cleanups, with overcast skies and comfortable temperatures hovering in the 60's all day. The forecast afternoon rain held off while we were working, but the first showers began just as we were packing up at the last site.. At Pickett Road, our first site of the day, we had a turnout of 28 volunteers who hauled 28 bags of trash and 2 tires out of the creek. Our volunteers included a group from Boy Scout Troop 829. Thank you, Troop 829! Our most unusual finds here were a varied collection - a garden hoe, a basketball, a bowling ball, and an air rifle. At first mistaking the air rifle for a firearm, we reported it to the police, who responded and took it off our hands. The bowling ball was put to good use for a few rounds of informal bowling with trash bottles and cans for pins. At Barkley Drive, our second site of the day, we had 26 volunteers, including a group from The NOVA Social Club. Thank you, NOVA Social Club! Fairfax City Councilmember Tom Peterson passed by on his bicycle and stopped to chat. Our volunteers cleaned out 38 bags of trash and two tires. Our most unusual find here was two orange safety cones. Woodburn Road was our last site of the day, where we had a group of 26 volunteers. A group from Bishop O'Connell High School Climate Knight's Club joined us. Thank you, Climate Knights! Our volunteers collected 29 bags of trash and six tires. All our efforts to extract a seventh tire failed, so we decided that tire just wanted to be in the creek. Our most unusual finds here were a bicycle and a crowbar.
Graphic documentation of wintertime cleanups	Solo wintertime cleanup: We want to recognize the impressive efforts of Ted Plunkett, who conducted his usual solo winter cleanup campaign, devoting 23 hours to removing trash in the Wakefield Park area. Ted has done cleanups like this for years in and around Wakefield Park, and he's earned our gratitude and admiration. Thanks, Ted!
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! Learn more about Clean Virginia Waterways

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.