Sat, Nov. 16: Kestral Meadow walk
10:00am – 11:30am or so
7100 16th Pl, Hyattsville, MD 20783
FOSC members John Stith and Kristin Zimmer (FOSC Board member) have long been involved with the “Kestral Meadow” in the Pepco powerline in Sligo Section 1. They will lead the walk. Meet at the metal gate on the 7100 block of 16th Place, Hyattsville. Bring binoculars if you have some. The walk is free and happens rain or shine.
Sun, Nov. 17: Weed Warriors – Long Branch
1:00pm -3:00pm at Haddon and Houston St. in Takoma Park
All are welcome to help our oxygen-giving, carbon-fixing trees by removing non-native invasive species (NNI’s). We will be focusing on porcelainberry and may get to other NNIs.
Please register here: https://montgomeryparks.org/event/weed-warrior-long-branch-svu1/
Community service hours are available. If you are interested in becoming a weed warrior, find out more here. Weed warriors always welcome (even if registration is closed, just show up).
Bring loppers, pruners and/or folding saws if you have them. Wear long sleeves, pants, gloves and sturdy shoes. And bring water!
Sat, Nov. 23: Weed Warrioring event
9:00am – 11:00am at Acorn Hill School, 9504 Brunett Avenue, Silver Spring, 20901
FOSC Weed Warriors will join with North Hills of Sligo Creek residents to help manage non-native invasive vines and shrubs at the Acorn Hill Waldorf Kindergarten and Nursery. The school is adjacent to the old Parkside Headquarters for Montgomery Parks and to Sligo Creek. We will reduce the threat that invasives pose to the school’s woodland and to the park.
FOSC will have tools, gloves, and Weed Warrior Supervisors on hand. We can use your labor and enthusiasm at the first of what may become a series of work events!
Questions? Contact Ross Campbell at [email protected].
In the last two months, FOSC has led or participated in many events:
- Ran two litter hotspot cleanups, at
Wheaton Branch Stormwater Ponds and Long Branch Community Center
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Ran the FOSC Stewardship Weekend – Sweep the Creek event at 8 sites in the watershed and two Weed Warrior events
Thank you Ed Murtagh, Nick Clements, Greg Odegaarten, and the many Sligo Stewards who staffed the FOSC tables, gave out bags and grabbers, as well as the Weed Warriors and all the Sweep volunteers! We filled 90 bags of trash and recyclables, pulled bags of non-native invasive plants, and made the creeks and parks a better place for people, plants and wildlife. Thank you all! More photos will be added to the Sweep the Creek Event Photos page shortly.
- Ran the Tree Hug Tree Appreciation Event in mid-Sligo at Dallas Ave. Thanks to Bruce Sidwell, Ross Campbell and Kit Gage who took groups of people around the meadow identifying the tree species. Participants helped plant a pawpaw and another tree provided by the Parks Dept.
- Litter Hot Spot cleanup at the Long Branch Community Center in Oct where volunteers gathered to pick up litter then sort it to help us track the most common types of litter for use in our advocacy efforts.
- The FOSC native plant sale, the largest for FOSC and our partner nursery, Seeds of Change.
- Tabled at the grand opening of the Downtown Silver Spring MOM’s Organic Market and at the Takoma Park Folk Festival.
News & Updates
Sligo and Long Branch are in fine color this fall. This short YouTube video shows the beautiful fall pictures taken by longtime FOSC member Michael Wilpers in the Park. Thank you, Michael, and Ed Murtagh for creating the video.
The Sligo Garden Program is Sold Out!
The Sligo Garden Program 2024 has sold out of both the garden kits and the design consultations. Every native plant counts for pollinators, and every sq. ft. of permeable conservation landscape helps absorb rainwater and reduce the stormwater entering the creek. You are adding resilience to our local ecology! Thank you to all who have participated in this program. We hope to obtain further grant funding to bring back this popular program.
Want to know what it was all about? Check out the Sligo Garden Program page under the Stormwater tab above.
Join FOSC
Sligo Creek connects us. Please join FOSC 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 FOSC newsletter.
You can make a donation too, either online (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
Fall 2024 Top Invasives
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- Porcelainberry
- English Ivy
- Bush honeysuckle
- Mulitflora rose
- Porcelainberry
- English Ivy
- Bush honeysuckle
- Mulitflora rose
Invasive: Italian Arum
Italian Arum is back in force around Sligo Creek and Long Branch. One of the EDRR (Early Detection, Rapid Response) invasive species, 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 small “daughter” corms. There is some evidence that spraying with glyphosate is effective at killing all its corms.
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