Theme: Planting Produces Positive Outcomes for Our River!
This academic year, SEA students will engage in many hands-on activities that take them from awareness to action regarding the benefits of increasing “green infrastructure” in our watershed. Green infrastructure is a fancy term for plants and increasing the amount of green infrastructure through planting native plants and preserving/maintaining what already exists, helps to slow and filter pollutants out of stormwater runoff. It also helps hold soil in place, reducing erosion and runoff; provides food and habitat for native wildlife; provides shade so humans can get out and enjoy recreational activities along our river and in our watershed; and more. SEA cannot wait to kick off this year’s activities and get our hands dirty with our students as we learn, plant, and help our Anacostia River!
| DATE | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| 9/30 |
Get to know the SEA students and staff, help form SEA expectations, and learn about our theme at this fall kick-off session! Explore connections to our theme as we help with a native tree planting at the Festival del Rio – a celebration of our Anacostia River and all who live in its watershed! Along with the tree planting, we may also explore the table exhibits and activities set up from partners of the event. |
|
10/7 |
Travel back to an area of Bladensburg Waterfront Park, near where we planted native trees last week, to help plant the native wetland plant, Pickerelweed. Wetlands play many vital roles in our environment, including serving as natural filters for our rivers. Our work will expand the power of the wetlands along the Anacostia River to reduce pollution entering the river, enhance habitat for native wildlife, and more. |
|
10/14 |
Take a trip to the Washington Youth Garden in the National Arboretum to participate in various garden and planting activities. We may also get a chance to harvest and taste fresh vegetables from the garden! This site is alongside the Anacostia River, so we will also learn about the impact of this vast greenspace (the Arboretum) on the health of our local watershed and river. |
|
10/21 |
Visit Anacostia Park, a National Park along the Anacostia River to help care for young trees recently planted by Casey Trees. We will do activities like watering, mulching, and weeding to help these young trees thrive and thereby aid in the protection of the Anacostia River. We will also do related activities on urban heat island effect, air quality measurements, and/or green infrastructure aiding in stormwater control, etc. |
|
10/28 |
Protect our Anacostia watershed with staff from the DC Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE). We will help plant a rain garden at Fort Dupont, another National Park in DC! We will also learn how DOEE works to increase and protect green infrastructure locally and how that affects the health of the Anacostia River. |
|
11/4 |
Participate in City Blossoms’ Bulb Bash to help plant numerous bulbs at an urban community farm in the Anacostia watershed! We may do some other garden activities like mulching, painting, and more. This is a relatively new farm/garden space and it is exciting that SEA is involved in the visioning process as we may be creating art, designing a welcome board, hanging ribbon in the space, and more. |
