Tree Friends United volunteers recently cleared invasives at C&O Canal Lock 10

Next Outing:  Monday, October 5, 10am-12pm at Brookmont Neighborhood.  We’ll return to work in and near the Brookmont neighborhood of Bethesda to clear invasive plants at the corner of MacArthur Boulevard and Maryland Avenue as well as outbound up MacArthur and possibly other locations.  We meet at 10am at the corner of MacArthur and Maryland.  Sign up here for logistics and weather notifications:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0549A4A92EA0F94-65995351-brookmont

and Tuesday, October 20, 1-3pm at Sycamore Store Lot.  Join us to remove invasives down toward the C&O Canal and along MacArthur Boulevard.  We’ll meet at 1pm in the parking lot across from the former Sycamore Store at 7025 MacArthur Blvd near Walhonding Road in Bethesda.  We’ll fan out down the path to the Canal and by MacArthur—your choice—to free trees and native habitat.  Sign up here for logistics and weather notifications:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0549A4A92EA0F94-66395922-sycamore

For more information, or to join our mailing list, send email to: avanti7700@verizon.net

Tree Friends United is a group of 300 citizens centered in the Glen Echo, MD area who are concerned with the accelerating spread of invasive species overwhelming Montgomery County's parklands, roads, and neighborhoods. As volunteers, we assist the National Park Service (NPS), the county, and residents to remove invasive vines that are smothering trees and the plants that are destroying native ecosystems. As advocates, we are allied with other groups to seek broader public awareness of the growing problem, achieve better funding, and establish coordinated action to counter the invasives. Further, we seek changes in park service policies to actively engage our communities to maintain the ecological vibrancy of our public lands. 

Without decisive action, the future of our parklands is well represented by the photo above of the huge spread of kudzu on NPS land near historic Glen Echo Park. Like a growing cancer, the kudzu's relentless expansion has flattened many acres of tall trees. It is now extending its devastation towards the C&O Canal and Potomac River. On the Virginia side, kudzu patches have appeared on NPS's George Washington Memorial Parkway which will smother vibrant ecosystem along the river. 

Allowing invasive vines to kill our communities' trees and the expanding deterioration of our parklands is not acceptable. It can be solved. Ignoring the problems allows them to exponentially increase. But it takes community action and support to reverse the course.   We count on you to help restore our trees, ecosystems, and make our voices heard!