Comstock Branch Cleanup (a tributary of Sligo Creek)
Tuesday, July 14th from 10:00am-12:00pm
Meet at Mississippi Ave. and Piney Branch Rd.
Try to arrive a few minutes early!
We will first tackle removing several rolls of mineral wool insulation and then proceed with a general cleanup.
Weed Warriors are welcome to join us and tackle some NNIs too.
Be sure to wear long sleeved shirts, pants and sturdy shoes. The terrain is difficult with overgrown vegetation. Registration will be onsite.
Any questions, please contact Nick at [email protected].
Mothing Night in the Powerline Meadow
July 18, from 9:00pm -10:30pm
16th Place at the Pepco powerline meadow
A chance to visit the hidden world of moths! Come by at dusk or a little later to see them up close. We’ll have a large white canvas and a UV light set up to attract moths. Expert entomologists will be on hand with micro-close up cameras to identify the moths and their special adaptations and habits. Last year we saw 67 kinds of moths!
The location is just inside the Powerline meadow at 16th Place a bit beyond Drexel St.
The lat/long is: 38.978088, -76.981072
This event is organized by FOSC and the Carole Highlands Green Team.
FOSC at Parkside Plaza Rain Gardens Opening Ceremony
Saturday, August 15, from 10:00am – 12:00pm
9039 Sligo Creek Parkway at Three Oaks Drive (entrance on Three Oaks Drive)
FOSC will be a part of the opening festivities for Parkside Plaza’s newest rain gardens. Parkside created three additional large rain gardens to capture and filter runoff from the parking area. The gardens enhance the building’s grounds and reduce the speed of stormwater entering Sligo Creek, just down the hill, which will help control erosion of the creek banks.
All are welcome at this event. The Chesapeake Bay Alliance, funders, and dignitaries will be attending.
Intimate Waterscapes: Intepreting the Poetry of Nature with a Camera with Julius Kassovic
Tuesday, August 18, from 7:00pm – 8:30pm
Zoom link to be provided to registrants. Register here.
An exploration of Sligo Creek through the lens of Julius Kassovic, long-time resident of the watershed and internationally exhibited photographer.
“There are many different ways to use a camera, from portraiture to story-telling. I have tried most of them and found them all challenging and rewarding. Shortly after moving to a home near Sligo Creek in 2004, I discovered what was for me a completely new way to see through a lens. It is little bit of both portraiture and story-telling…Read more on the Calendar of Events page.
News & Updates
Volunteer Stewards Needed!
FOSC is looking for volunteers to become Stewards in Sligo Creek, Long Branch, Wheaton Branch, and Takoma Branch. For more about what being a Steward means, visit the Sligo Stewards page.
Clean up at Indian Spring Terrace Local Park
More than 30 volunteers cleaned up the entire length of this long narrow park on Sunday, March 8. They wrestled a sofa, mattress, various chairs, fencing, many bags of plastic and glass bottles, cans, fencing, and a plastic castle playset – good for many years if not decades or more of decomposing plastic. After removing well over 1,200 pounds of trash from the park, it is looking a lot better. We also had some Weed Warriors who started freeing trees from English ivy!
March 8 cleanup at Indian Spring Restoration site at Flower and Granville by Ed Murtagh
Thanks to everyone who came out and helped us get this park and restoration site, the headwaters of Long Branch, poised for spring growth without the trash and pollutants that would have been carried downstream into the rest of Long Branch. The restoration area, which has 5 stone stormwater retention ponds and hundreds of native plants installed by the Parks Dept, is worth a visit to see the investment the County is making in our watershed.
FOSC volunteers honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with service in Sligo and Long Branch
Despite the chilly weather, we had good turnouts at our three cleanup and three Weed Warrior events. They were a big success! There were 20 volunteers at Monday’s Weed Warrior event in Sligo Creek Park near Forest Grove, and 50 throughout the weekend.
At the cleanups, over 90 volunteers joined FOSC leaders, collecting over 40 large bags or approx. 1,305 pounds of litter.
During the events, I (along with others) spoke to many people in the park about stewardship. It was a great way to start 2026 and to honor Martin Luther King’s commitment to service. Our next big event will be in February when we shift our efforts to the PG County portion of our watershed.
A big thank you everyone who came out to protect our creeks and parklands!
~ Ed Murtagh, FOSC Vice President and Litter and Stewards coordinator
Join FOSC
Sligo Creek connects us. Become a FOSC member and help protect and restore the Creek for everyone in our community. It’s simple to do and can be free if you wish. Membership gives you early notice of events and the monthly FOSC newsletter.
You can make a donation, either online here or using the button below (both are simple and secure), or by check to FOSC, P.O. Box 11572, Takoma Park, MD 20913. Thank you!
FOSC Listservs on
Friends of Sligo Creek – Main Listserv
FOSC Advocacy Listserv
FOSC-Stewards Listserv (for Section Stewards only)
FOSC-WeedWarriors Listserv (for Weed Warriors only)
FOSC Action Hub
Summer 2026 Top Invasives
Invasives alarm: Italian Arum and Incised Fumewort
Italian arum
Italian Arum is back in force around Sligo Creek and Long Branch. It has spread from nearby yards. One of the EDRR (Early Detection, Rapid Response) invasive species, it has now spread into Sligo and from Sligo into neighbors’ yards. It has many little “daughter” corms attached to its main corm, which makes it difficult to remove completely. Dig it out carefully. Screen the loosened soil for the small “daughter” corms. Glyphosate seems to be effective at killing all its corms.
Incised fumewort (Corydalis incisa) is a fast spreading invasive plant from East Asia. First discovered in NY in 2005, it has rapidly spread northward as well as southward into PA, MD, DC, VA, NC, IL, and TN. Dig it out in April when the telltale purple flowers appear, before it flings its seeds up to 10 feet from the flower stem. It has a tuber which is difficult to dig out completely, but it’s worth doing because it forms a dense mat that can easily double in size each year. Dr. Christina Andruk, Associate Professor of Biology at Iona University, who has been studying and battling it in Westchester County, NY, says “It’s not only a threat to your yard, it [leads to] reduced native plant diversity, reduced nutrient cycling, reduced diversity of animals…it’s going to affect the whole ecosystem.”
Don’t be fooled by its appearance – Corydalis incisa is a tough invader. See this UMD Extension article for more information on this USDA designated High Risk plant.
FOSC on iNaturalist
Heard about FOSC on iNaturalist.org but uncertain how to navigate the site or contribute your own observations? Expert birder and iNaturalist… Read more