|
Friends of Accotink Creek
|
|
Our May 16, 2026 stream cleanups:
The day was excellent for cleanups, with blue skies, and temperatures that started in the low 60's. rising to the mid 80's. At our first site, Fairfax Boulevard, We had a crew of 17 volunteers, including a group from our perennial collaborator, Highlight Technologies. Thank you, Highlight! The volunteers collected 17 bags of trash and one tire. Our more unusual finds here included a reforestation sign, a shopping cart, and a toddler's push scooter. A pleasant surprise here was seeing that Fairfax City Parks has installed a series of nature-themed trailside information signs. Not so pleasant was the condition of the North Fork of Accotink Creek where it flows through the area of the recent Stafford Drive stream redesign. The streambed here was coated with an unsightly carpet of ropy green algae. This was a marked contrast to the clean stony bottom of the Main Fork, which joins at this point. The exuberant algae growth is brought about by the extra spring sunlight and higher nutrient runoff the creek is receiving after tree clearance for the redesign project. This should improve in subsequent years after vegetation more fully reestablishes. At our second location, University Boulevard, we were greet on arrival by the unfortunate sight of clusters of spotted lantern fly nymphs on the poison ivy bushes. This caused some mixed feelings about the squishing that followed. We had 14 volunteers here, who collected 20 bags of trash and one tire. Our more unusual finds here included a yellow soccer ball, three shopping carts, and an electric sidewalk riding car. Naturally, a cart vs. car race down the trail was obligatory. At Blenheim Boulevard, our last location of the day, we had 15 volunteers, including a contingent from Sons of Solomon Motorcycle Club Thank you, Sons of Solomon!. Our volunteers collected 15 bags of trash. Our most unusual find here was nothing more interesting than a Home Depot bucket. A new feature at this site was the dozens of Heineken bottles tossed directly into the creek. |
br>
Racing with rubbish!
|
Volunteers with half a piano |
Our May 9, 2026 stream cleanups:
It was overall a good day for cleanups. Temperatures began in the low 60's and climbed to the mid 70's. At first the predicted thunderstorms seemed to have faded away - but not entirely. At our second site, clouds gathered and we had about 15 minutes of steady rain just after we had packed up. Sunshine returned for our last site of the day. Vaden Drive was our first site of the day. We had a crew of 5 volunteers, again including a group from Boy Scout Troop 829. Thank you, Troop 829!. The crew collected 14 bags of trash. Our most unusual find here was the back half of an upright piano. The piano was too heavy to move, but being next to the parking lot, we simply turned it into the base of our pile of bags, ready for the County crew to haul away. At our second site of the day, King Arthur Road, we had a crew of 16 volunteers, including Cub Scout Pack 1533. Thank you, Pack 1533! Our volunteers collected 14 bags of trash and two tires. As usual here in the spring, some volunteers collected edible bamboo shoots. Our most unusual find here was chunks of 10-inch diameter cast iron pipe, maybe the same pipe we found a larger piece of last year. A pond had formed on one part of the creek, created by an unusually dense accumulation of logs and debris. At Little River Turnpike, our last site of the day, we had a group of 27 volunteers. We were pleasantly surprised to by joined by a contingent from Annandale Rotary Club and the new East Fairfax Chamber of Commerce. Thank you, Rotary and Chamber of Commerce! Our volunteers collected 10 bags of trash and one tire. Our most unusual find here was nothing more interesting than an empty 5-gallon hydraulic oil bucket. |
|
Our May 2, 2026 stream cleanups:
The day started out on the chilly side with light overcast. When we reached our last site, the sun came out and welcome warm sunshine took over. Braddock Road was our first site of the day. Our group of 11 volunteers. The crew collected 16 bags of trash. Our most unusual find here was a plastic playhouse roof - the volunteers struggled to extract the sand and mud accumulated inside, then haul the awkward object back to the drop off point. We encountered an injured great blue heron, unable to fly. It was reported to Animal Services, but with unknown outcome. At our second site, Franconia-Springfield Parkway, our crew of 9 volunteers hauled out 13 bags of trash. The most unusual thing found here was a yellow bathtub duck. Our cleanup fortuitously coincided with the cleanup by the surrounding Daventry community. Our last site of the day was Telegraph Road, where 15 volunteers joined us. This site used to be our loneliest, rarely attacting even two or three participants. We don't know why turnouts have increased, but the change is welcome. Due to the number of volunteers, some of them chose the option of cleaning the dirty ditch and sidewalk leading to the creek. The crew removed 28 bags of trash and one tire. Two large tires that have mocked us for years had emerged enough from the sediment that we believe they can be extracted next time if we come equipped with shovels. Our most unusual finds were a window, a gas line marker, and a 15-lb gym weight. |
Down in the dirty ditch at Telegraph Road |
|
Bowling with trash! |
Our April 25, 2026 stream cleanups:
We had a decent day for cleanups, with overcast skies and comfortable temperatures hovering in the 60's all day. The forecast afternoon rain held off while we were working, but the first showers began just as we were packing up at the last site.. At Pickett Road, our first site of the day, we had a turnout of 28 volunteers who hauled 28 bags of trash and 2 tires out of the creek. Our volunteers included a group from Boy Scout Troop 829. Thank you, Troop 829! Our most unusual finds here were a varied collection - a garden hoe, a basketball, a bowling ball, and an air rifle. At first mistaking the air rifle for a firearm, we reported it to the police, who responded and took it off our hands. The bowling ball was put to good use for a few rounds of informal bowling with trash bottles and cans for pins. At Barkley Drive, our second site of the day, we had 26 volunteers, including a group from The NOVA Social Club. Thank you, NOVA Social Club! Fairfax City Councilmember Tom Peterson passed by on his bicycle and stopped to chat. Our volunteers cleaned out 38 bags of trash and two tires. Our most unusual find here was two orange safety cones. Woodburn Road was our last site of the day, where we had a group of 26 volunteers. A group from Bishop O'Connell High School Climate Knight's Club joined us. Thank you, Climate Knights! Our volunteers collected 29 bags of trash and six tires. All our efforts to extract a seventh tire failed, so we decided that tire just wanted to be in the creek. Our most unusual finds here were a bicycle and a crowbar. |
Graphic documentation of wintertime cleanups |
Solo wintertime cleanup: We want to recognize the impressive efforts of Ted Plunkett, who conducted his usual solo winter cleanup campaign, devoting 23 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! |
|
|
|
|
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. |