| IWLA Pledge |
| To strive for
purity of water, the clarity of air, and the wise stewardship of the
land and its resources; to know the beauty and understanding of
nature, and the value of wildlife, woodlands and open space; to the
preservation of this heritage and to man's sharing in it, I pledge
myself as a member of the Izaak Walton League of America.
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The
Wildlife Achievement Chapter (WAC) is part of the Izaak Walton League of
America (IWLA), a national organization of hunters, fisherman, and other
conservation-minded outdoor enthusiasts. The IWLA was founded in 1922 and
the WAC was founded in 1937.
To learn more about the
programs, history, and mission, visit the Izaak Walton League of America
web site at http://www.iwla.org/.
- Up Coming Events
-
Patuxent Reservoirs Watershed Management Plan
On Thursday, May 14, 2009 from 7 to 8 p.m., the Wildlife Achievement Chapter
will be the location for the Montgomery County public meeting on the
Patuxent Reservoirs Watershed Management Plan. Learn how Howard, Montgomery,
and Prince George’s Counties are working together to develop a watershed management
plan for the Patuxent Reservoirs Watershed. For more information, contact Meo
Curtis at 240-777-7711 or via e-mail to
meosotis.curtis@montgomerycountymd.gov
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Friends of Brighton Dam
The WSSC is sponsoring a community group called Friends of Brighton Dam to help keep
the Brighton Dam Azalea Garden healthy and beautiful and to promote environmentally
friendly gardening throughout the watershed. Learn firsthand from Master Gardeners
and other experts about native plants, invasive plant management, organic pest control,
and more at upcoming free seminars. Help to create a Rainscapes garden with native
plants at the Brighton Dam Ranger Station. For more information, contact Kimberly
Knox at 301-206-8233 or
kknox@wsscwater.com.
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Conservation Events in the Watershed
The WSSC is also sponsoring related events at the Pigtail Recreation Center.
5525 Greenbridge Rd., in Dayton. Saturday June 13, Birdwatching Tour during the key
time of bird nesting. The Birdwatching Tour will be from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and will
include experts from the Howard County Bird Club. Then from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., there
will be an invasive species cleanup to help trees and shrubs along the banks of the
Patuxent thrive and create habitat for wildlife. For more information, contact WSSC
at (301) 206-8233 or email
kknox@wsscwater.com.
- Conservation
Links
- Other Conservation
Information
- Montgomery County's RainScapes Rewards Rebate Program is
now underway to help residents who want to install a raingarden,
pervious pavers, or trees . If you live in Montgomery County, you may
qualify for up to a $1200 reimbursement for using watershed friendly
lawn and landscaping practices. The RainScapes Program goal is to
address the source of stormwater runoff – yard by yard and
neighborhood by neighborhood, by encouraging widespread adoption of
practices such as rain gardens, permeable paver retrofits,
conservation landscaping, and tree planting. See the application
for additional information and contact information. Rebates will be
processed until this fiscal year's funding has been expended, so those
who apply early will be most likely to get the rebate this year.
- Conservation/Environmental
Science Scholarship Award to high school seniors pursuing
careers in conservation or environmental science. $500 per semester
for four years.
- American Elms -
the Wildlife Achievement Chapter has been working to help restore
American Elms to Montgomery County. In the first phase of this project
disease resistant elms were planted at four sites in the county. Based
on height
or caliper
the elms appear to be growing at the same rate as some Red Maples
planted at the same time as a control.
- Rain
Barrels (Presentation from the 2008 Workshop)
- Non-Native
Invasive Plants (Presentation from the 2009 Workshop)
For
the March 29th work day, 15 new and old members came in early
to learn the 'Sinister Seventeen' -- the most problematic
non-native invasive plants in Montgomery County -- and how to control
them. They then worked in some of the more visible areas of the Chapter
property using these techniques. Most of these plants were
deliberately introduced for ornamental, agricultural, or wildlife
habitat uses and then 'escaped' into woodlands, parks, and
unsuspecting neighbors' yards. The group focused on Oriental
bittersweet, Japanese honeysuckle, bush honeysuckle, autumn olive,
wineberry, and tree-of-heaven. For more information about local
volunteer programs:
- Montgomery County: www.weedwarriors.org. Paul Carlson at
MCP-WeedWarriors@mncppc-mc.org or 301-942-4709
- Howard County: Sue Muller at sue.muller@howardcountymd.gov or
410-313-4697
- Frederick County: Kay Schultz, watershedalliance@fredco-md.net,
or 301-694-1741
- Native
plant list for rain gardens. (Compiled by Montgomery
County Department of Environmental Protection)
- Nestbox
Workshop
- Charity
Skeet Shoot (2005)
- NTT Tree Planting (check
back for final report and photos.)
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