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Upcoming Volunteer EventsWeed Warriors at work.

Ongoing Events
Upcoming Events

Invasive species present one of the greatest threats to the health and biodiverstiy of our parklands. These unwelcome plants disrupt the ecology of natural ecosystems, displace native plants, impact native wildlife, and degrade the wonderful diverse wild lands of Montgomery County.

To help fight the battle against invasive plants, we are looking for you to lend a helping hand! Join us for one of several invasive plant pull projects in a number of different parklands. With the help of your muscle power, and pruners, we will manually remove non-native vines and shrubs and save the mature trees and other native plants that the invasive plants are strangling and out competing.

  • Are YOU interested in joining in a Weed Warrior project for a day?
    - Click here to search for individual volunteer listings.
  • Is your GROUP interested in joining the fight?
    - Click here to search for group volunteer listings.

NOTE: No experience is necessary; we will train you on-site. Your help during one of these projects could make a difference for years to come! Do you have a group that would like to join in the effort? Contact Lynette Scaffidi, Natural Resources Specialist at: Lynette.Scaffidi@montgomeryparks.org or 301-949-0223 to set up a pull for your group!

What You Need to Know
  • You must register to participate in these project days
  • Participants under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult
  • Organized groups are welcome. Please call ahead if you are bringing a group.
  • We are Student Service Learning (SSL) approved.
  • Wear clothes that are good for working in the out-of-doors.
  • Bring gloves, pruners, and water - we will have extras on-site if you don't have them.
  • We work rain or shine, however, thunderstorms do cancel the project.
Projects Contact Information

Let us know if you are joining us or get additional information by contacting the event project leader. If no project leader is listed for an event contact Lynette Scaffidi, Natural Resources Specialist:

Special Project Weed Warrior Events

Upcoming Events | Ongoing Events

Upcoming Events

2010
  • Saturday, April 24, 2010 and Sunday, April 25, 2010.
    Save the date for Garlic Mustard Challenge 2010.     Click here for a detailed schedule
  • Rachel Carson Greenway at Burnt Mills
    Wednesday, March 24 from 10 am – 12 noon! Cancelled in the event of rain.     Meet at 10 am at 10700 Colesville Rd. Silver Spring, MD 20901 – the Burnt Mills WSSC parking lot where Route 29 crosses over Northwest Branch Stream. Join Montgomery County Parks Certified Weed Warrior Supervisor, Larry Hush, and Natural Resources Specialist, Lynette Scaffidi, as we manually remove invasive plants and vines from the woodlands along the Northwest Branch Stream. We will hike along the rocky fall line of the stream to our work area, so be prepared to walk on rocky, uneven trails for about ¼ of a mile . This is a spectacular section of the stream, come help protect this Montgomery Parks treasure. Please join the effort to help save the trees from the threat of non-native invasive plants.
  • Little Bennett Regional Park
    March 27 from 9 am to 12 pm - rain or shine.     Meet at 9 AM at the Hyattstown Mill park entrance parking lot to Little Bennett Regional Park off Rte 355. Join Montgomery County Parks Certified Weed Warrior Supervisor, David Fryauff, as we manually remove invasive vines along both sides of the Western Piedmont trail. For this project we will focus on removing the non-native invasive wintercreeper vines. This is the only area that wintercreeper has established itself in Little Bennett. Help us eradicate this invasive plant and help save the trees.

Ongoing Events

  • Brookside Nature Center in Wheaton Regional Park
    Starting in March!  The first Saturday of each month from 2 – 4 PM.
    Inclement weather number for the day of the project – 301-946-9071.     Meet at Brookside Nature Center 1400 Glenallan Ave. Wheaton, MD  20902.  Join Montgomery County Parks Certified Weed Warrior Supervisors, Margie Richards and Judy Ziems, as we manually remove invasive plants and vines from the woodlands surrounding Brookside Nature Center . Montgomery County Park Naturalists, along with many volunteers,  have worked for years to save Brookside’s  trees and woodland wildflowers from the overgrowth of non-native invasive vines. Their efforts have created an oasis that is enjoyed and loved by many.  Please join the effort to help save the trees from the threat of non-native invasive plants.
  • Capital Crescent Trail
     The first Wednesday of each month from 10am – 11:30am – Rain or shine
    Meeting location TBD. Check this website the week of the project or call 301-949-0223.     Help us save the magnificent native trees along the Capital Crescent Trail! Join Montgomery County Parks Certified Weed Warrior Supervisor, David Brooks, as we manually remove the invasive vines from trees along this well loved trail. English ivy vines cover the trees, slowly killing them. The vines also harbor a bacterial leaf scorch that affects a wide variety of native and ornamental trees. Other invasive vines completely engulf the trees, shading them out and overburdening them with added weight, causing the trees to topple. Help us save them!!- map
  • Garlic Mustard Challenge 2009 - Results!
    Thanks to the many amazing volunteers and Parks Staff who made this year another great success. Get the details here.
  • Little Falls Trail
    Mar. 6 & 13/ April 10 & 24/ May 8 & 22/ June 5 & 19 from 8 – 10am– Rain or shine.     Meet at the gravel parking lot at the intersection of Massachusetts Ave and Little Falls Parkway at 8am. Help us save the magnificent native trees along Little Falls Stream! Join Montgomery County Parks Certified Weed Warrior Supervisors, Lynnwood Andrews and Suzanne Richman, as we manually remove the invasive vines from trees along this stream valley park. English ivy vines cover the trees, slowly killing the trees from the base upwards. The vines also harbor a bacterial leaf scorch that affects a wide variety of native and ornamental trees. Other invasive vines completely engulf the trees, shading them out and overburdening them with added weight, causing the trees to topple. Help us save them!! Co-sponsored by Montgomery County Parks and Little Falls Watershed Alliance. - map
  • Meadowbrook Park along Rock Creek Stream Valley
    The first Saturday of each month from 10 am to 12 noon – Rain or shine. Meet the first parking lot on Beach Drive just south of the intersection of East-West Highway and Beach Drive. Join Montgomery County Parks Certified Weed Warrior Supervisor, Jeremy Arling, and Montgomery County Sierra Club as we manually remove invasive vines from the mature and reforestation trees along Rock Creek Stream . Montgomery County Parks has worked for years to save the many trees along this stream from the overgrowth of non-native invasive vines. After years of work, the Parks reforested the area to replace the trees we were not able to save. Help us preserve the existing mature trees and the newly planted trees from the same fate of the mature trees that once stood in it’s place.
  • Rachel Carson Conservation Park
    This event will re-commence next spring on the second Sunday of each month. New project dates will be posted soon.
    8 - 10am - Rain or shine. Meet at the gravel parking lot at off Zion Road – 22201 Zion Road, Brookeville, MD 20833. Join Montgomery County Parks Certified Weed Warrior Supervisor, Mimi Abdu, as we manually remove invasive vines from this amazing, pristine, undeveloped park. Help us keep it that way by removing newly invading invasive vines.- map
  • Underground Railroad Trail at Woodlawn Mansion
    The second Saturday of each month (except for January 18, 2010 Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday – instead of the 2nd Saturday) from 10 AM – 12 Noon – Rain or shine. Meet at the parking lot behind Woodlawn Mansion at 16501 Norwood Road. Join Montgomery County Parks Certified Weed Warrior Supervisor, Jeremy Arling and Amy Allage and Montgomery County Sierra Club as we manually remove invasive vines from along the Underground RR Trail. - map

 

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