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Friends of Accotink Creek
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Monuments of "mung", the name for the mixture of trash and woody debris
accumulated in the Lake Accotink marina. 
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October 18, 2014 stream cleanups:
Fair and mild weather favored the last cleanup of the season at Lake Accotink Park. Cub Scout Pack 702 turned out in number to patrol the trails and streamsides. Thank you, Pack 702! Also among the scores of volunteers were the Accotink Canoe Raiders of FLAP, working the edge of the seawall and far out into the lake. Another crew worked the seawall from the land side, dipping nets and rakes to fish out rubbish and branches and manhandling large soggy logs up onto shore. Read more on the Park Authority blog
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. |
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Our October 11, 2014 stream cleanup: A slate gray sky and drizzling rain started our day of cleanups. The drizzle abated by midday, but the sky remained gray all day long. At our first location, Fairfax Boulevard, nine volunteers shrugged off the drizzle to participate in our cleanup. It is, sadly, not unusual to find tires in Accotink Creek, but the still-inflated "Baja Claw" high-performance truck tire was a surprise. This area is frequented by nocturnal beer drinkers, and we collected two full bags of beer cans still clean enough to recycle, almost 100% of them Miller Lite. At our Chain Bridge Road location seven volunteers hauled a collection of oddities out of this narrow upstream section of the creek - a tablet computer, an enamel roasting pan, metal shelves, and, oddest of all, an art collection of several oil canvases. Our last cleanup location of the day was Old Lee Highway, where our thirteen volunteers included a contingent from the Fairfax County Federation of Civic Associations. Thank you, Federation! Located right next to Army-Navy Country Club, the creek here is always peppered with golf balls that overshoot the driving range. We collected 240 golf balls (just a tiny percentage of the thousands to be seen) for use by the Fairfax High School golf team.
Learn about storm drain filters as a part of the solution to keeping trash from reaching our waterways: United Storm Water & Trident & 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 |
Volunteers improvise a labor-saving transport system.
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Virgin America volunteers hauling in the trash!
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Our October 4, 2014 stream cleanups:
As we began the day the last of the overnight sprinkles ended and the sun broke through the clouds. The rest of the day was excellent cleanup weather, with mild temperatures dropping through the day for a slightly chilly finish. As the temperature dropped, the breeze picked up, causing us to lower our tent to keep it from being blown over. At our first site, King Arthur Road members of Cub Scout Pack 115 jumped in with both feet, literally, and left soaking wet, but happy. Thanks, Pack 115! Several students of the Frost Middle School science program also joined in. Thank you, Frost students! An unusual find here was a child-size armchair with an ironic Noah's Ark pattern. Our second site, Little River Turnpike had a modest turnout of eight volunteers. Our most unusual find here was a vacuum cleaner handle. Perhaps the result of a misguided attempt at stream cleanup? At Braddock Road, our last site of the day, groups of volunteers from Virgin America and American Heritage Girls Troop VA2911 joined us. Thank you Virgin America and American Heritage Girls! As usual, Temple Adat Reyim contributed volunteers, this time working a bit farther downstream. Thank you Adat Reyim! Our most unusual find here was three metal fence posts, found in separate locations. Perhaps now we can begin building a fence to confine the litterbugs.
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Our September 27, 2014, cleanups:
A warm and sunny day favored our cleanups today. Our Fullerton Road site is along a scenic section of Accotink Creek where the creek tumbles over large rocks. A dozen volunteers clambered down the steep slope to the creek and then back up laden with their bags of trash. At Franconia Springfield Parkway only one volunteer had signed up beforehand for this site, but the Northern Virginia Community College Woodbridge Campus Green Club appeared to boost our numbers. Thanks, Green Club! The nearby Hooes Road dumpsite yielded a dishwasher, an auto bumper, and what seemed to be a discarded "salmon ladder" obstacle from American Ninja Warrior. At Telegraph Road three volunteers worked on this, the loneliest of our cleanup sites. The water was clear and sparkling in the sun as it flowed over broad gravel beds. We found a logjam with a large raft of trapped trash, but had to leave it half done when our time ran out.
How many ways can the message of personal responsibility be expressed? No littering! No Dumping! Pitch in! Put trash in its place! We all benefit by being reminded! 
Contact us, E-mail.
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An NVCC Green Club volunteer in action.
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Pirates of the Accotink raise the Jolly Roger flag.
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Our September 6, 2014 stream cleanups:
Our volunteers braved one of the hottest, most humid days of the summer on the first day of our International Coastal Cleanup.. At our Pickett Road site, we found a "hot spot" where a bicycle, weed whacker, two tires, two lacrosse balls, and an orange traffic cone had all accumulated in one spot. Thirteen volunteers joined the effort here. At our Barkley Drive site, we had fourteen volunteers. The dreaded Pirates of the Accotink raised the Jolly Roger in the form of a skull and crossbones design poncho found in the creek. Here also we met and were joined by a group of folks working to preserve the nearby Thompson Farm property at 8915 Lee Hwy as open space and community gardens. Thanks Thompson Farmers! This site is along the Bear Branch tributary of Accotink Creek, so let's hope we can help their efforts. Our most unusual (and deadly) find here was a full quart bottle of synthetic motor oil. At our Woodburn Road site, the humidity had dropped considerably. A short crew of only four volunteers worked this site, but managed to collect 18 bags of trash. Just at quitting time, we discovered a trash raft of thousands of bottles and other floatable rubbish, but had to leave it behind. A baseball and a can of dipping tobacco found together point to the inescapable conclusion that major league baseball has come to our watershed. The hip flask we found may or may not point the same way.
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 join Friends of Accotink Creek in next year's Potomac Watershed Cleanup in April & May, 2015 and the International Coastal Cleanup in September & October, 2015! Volunteer site leaders and coordinators are needed! Follow the Friends of Accotink Creek motto and "Find just one other person who cares". Contact us, E-mail.
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The International Coastal Cleanup is the world's largest volunteer data collection effort devoted to the marine environment. The Ocean Conservancy compiles the data received from sites around the world, and prepares a summary report to be used by citizens and policy makers in evaluating our progress in dealing with this serious form of pollution.
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GET YOUR BRAIN WET! Join Friends of Accotink Creek in next year's International Coastal Cleanup in September, 2015 and the Potomac Watershed Cleanup in April,2015! Contact us, E-mail.
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