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Friends of Accotink Creek
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Our May 10, 2025 stream cleanups:
The day was beautiful, with low humidity, and heavily laden with pollen.. At our first site, Fairfax Boulevard, We had a crew of 28 volunteers here, including a group from Highlight Technologies. Thank you, Highlight! The volunteers collected 16 bags of trash and three rusted metal rods of indeterminate function. At our second location, Chain Bridge Road, we had one volunteer, who collected 3 bags of trash and a No Parking sign. The low turnout was due to our having closed registrations early in anticipation of being joined by a couple of groups which ultimately did not come through for us. Blenheim Blvd, our last location of the day, we had 16 volunteers, including a contingent from Boy Scout Troop 1345. Our volunteers collected 15 bags of trash, two of which were chock full of golf balls, and a long piece of thick construction cable, a basketball hoop, twisted metal sides of what appeared to be shelves. |
 Volunteers take a post-cleanup break at Fairfax Blvd. |
Volunteers after cleaning up a dumping ground along Hatmark Branch |
Our May 3, 2025 stream cleanups:
We had a favorable day for cleanups, warm with steady sunshine. Vaden Drive was our first site of the day. We had a crew of 18 volunteers, including a mom with three small children and one more on the way. The crew collected 23 bags of trash, most of it from an area that had clearly been used for years for meeting and drinking in the woods. Our most unusual find here was an electronic apparatus rusted beyond recognition, possibly an old CB radio. At our second site of the day, King Arthur Road, we had a crew of 17 volunteers. Finding trash conditions rather light, our volunteers only collected 7 bags of trash. Near the end, we did find a large trash raft caught behind fallen trees, but had to leave most of it behind as time ran out. Our most unusual find here was 4-foot length of 10-inch diameter cast iron pipe. An unexpected sight was a couple casting their fishing lines into the creek from the King Arthur bridge. They soon decided to move on to a more likely spot. At Little River Turnpike, our last site of the day, we had a group of 23 volunteers. Still finding light trash conditions, our volunteers collected only 10 bags of trash. Two volunteers struggled to bring out an unusually heavy truck tire. Our most unusual find here was half a fishing rod, hopefully not discarded in disappointment over the poor fishing at the King Arthur bridge. |
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Our April 19, 2025 stream cleanups:
We had a warm day with light overcast and a noticable level of humidity. At Pickett Road, our first site of the day, we had a turnout of 21 volunteers who hauled 18 bags of trash out of the creek. Our most unusual finds here were a shopping cart and an upholstered chair. At Barkley Drive, our second site of the day, we had 35 volunteers, including Providence District Supervisor Dahlia Palchik. Thank you, Supervisor! Our volunteers cleaned out 35 bags of trash. Our most unusual find here was an old 42-inch TV. Woodburn Road was our last site of the day, where we had a group of 17 volunteers. Our volunteers collected 15 bags of trash. Our oddest find here was a pair of large electrical transformers(?) labeled Verizon. |
Supervisor Dahlia Palchik was among our volunteers at Barkley Drive |
Volunteers return from their toil at Telegraph Road |
Our April 12, 2025 stream cleanups: The day was overcast with a chilly breeze. By late afternoon a few patches of clear sky tooks turns with a few scattered raindrops. The creek was a little too high for the best cleanup conditions, covering many of the gravel bars we would normally be able to walk on. Braddock Road was our first site of the day. Our group of 19 volunteers included a group of Marshall High School Key Club member Thank you, Key Club!. A feww volunteers worka away from the Creek, trying to clean up an especially littered site near 495, but found there was far too much to finish. The crew collected 22 bags of trash ond one tire. Our most unusual find here was a folding car window shade. At our second site, Franconia-Springfield Parkway, our crew of 14 volunteers hauled out 11 bags of trash. There wasn't much unusual that we found here, just the usual bottles, styrofoam, and plastic bags. Our last site of the day was Telegraph Road, where 11 volunteers removed 18 bags of trash and 2 tires. Most of this came from an abandoned homeless campsite (at the request of the previous occupant). Our most unusual finds were a long-forgotten half-buried cassette player and some photo filmstrips. Both of these were objects of mystery to the younger volunteers. |
The graphic report from Ted's solo cleanup. |
Solo wintertime cleanup: We want to recognize the impressive efforts of Ted Plunkett, who conducted his usual solo winter cleanup campaign, devoting some 30 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! |
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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. |