We might be a small group, but we get a lot done! Here’s just some of what we’ve accomplished in the last 14 years.
Salt Testing Shows High Baseline Levels
Baseline readings of the streams in the Little Falls watershed showed high to chronic levels in three locations. Both the Little Falls and Willett Branches had levels above 200 ppm in our December baseline reading. The Willett Branch reading was 290 ppm, which is above the tolerance threshold for fresh water organisms
MoCo DEP to Investigate Source of Human Fecal Bacteria in Willett Branch
After so much bad news about the fecal bacteria levels in the Little Falls Watershed - especially the out of the ballpark numbers on the Willett Branch where it runs behind the Bethesda Pool -Little Falls Watershed Alliance is happy to share some good news.
Mow Your Leaves for a Better Environment!
It’s time for our annual appeal: Leave the leaves , MOW don’t Rake (and never blow!)
Feed your lawn by mowing the leaves. It’s good for the environment and good for your lawn. We’ve been preaching the benefits of mowing your leaves for almost 10 years now and it’s beginning to catch on! If you’re skeptical, just try it on a portion of your lawn, maybe a side yard, or behind the garage. To quote Scotts Fertilizer: “When spring arrives, you'll notice something: The leaf litter you mulched up in the fall will have disappeared. Meanwhile, your rake will look dusty and neglected—but your grass will look greener than ever.” Yes, even Scotts Fertilizer is recommending that you mow instead of raking (or blowing)!
All Things Nature: Norwood Park Natural History Day
Mushrooms, trees, ceramics, rocks, ice cream, saplings, birds, milkweed balls, and more all came together for one big celebration at the Norwood Park Natural History Day, Sunday October 30. Over 200 attendees learned about the trees in the Park, what kind of mushrooms grow where (and even sampled some cooked up right on site), learned about watersheds and the importance of native plants, and did some non-native invasive removal.
21 Bird Species Spotted in Norwood Park on Morning Walk
Little Falls Creek Fails Macro Test; Stream Rated Poor.
Muddy water and a broken water main were the highlights of the Fall stream monitoring last Saturday, October 22. No sooner had our volunteers started to sample than the water started to rise and turn muddy. A woman passing by told us that there had been a water main break at a construction site upstream from our spot. With only three-quarters of the nettings complete, we abandon the water for safer ground.
Fecal Bacteria Monitoring Ends for Season
Thank you to our amazing volunteers for making this program possible and to Joe Barnes for coordinating the effort and publishing the data every week. The data from the final week was consistent with our findings through out the summer. Two sites on the Little Falls Branch pass, two failed and all three sites on the Willett Branch showed dangerously high levels. We are working with the WSSC to track the source of the fecal bacteria.
T-shirt Design Selected for Norwood Park History Day
We have a winner! The Norwood Park Natural History Day t-shirt design competition features Ginkgo, Redbud and Tulip Poplar leaves, and a Monarch Butterfly, as well as one of the well-loved merry-go-rounds at Norwood Park. Thank you to everyone who submitted art work and congratulations to winner Lucy O’Dowd