Muddy Branch Alliance

For more information visit our website by going to our website at muddybranch.org

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Upcoming Events!

This Saturday, December 22, there is a invasive weed removal event along the Muddy Branch Trail led by Ken Bawer! 

January 12th (also a Saturday), there is a project to remove this fridge from our woods so it can be disposed of by the spring.

  If you're interested, get in contact here.

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The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal is our only hope.

Wendell Berry

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From an email from Casey Trees.

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For anyone interested in making a garden system that will get nutrients from fish, which in turn will have their tank filtered. :) I visited another farm recently, and they had this system going. So ingenius! 

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My house doesn't have a rain garden just yet, but my mom's been working on the law and creating new deeper garden areas to decrease water runoff into the street.

~ Cally

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Good Life Farm Visit

Today Nicole, Alex, her sons, and I visited our farmer friend Larry, who has offered to let us plant a few trees on his land until we can figure out who would like them for their yards.  We learned that the farm gets its water from a well and a stream and that many of his crops have drip irrigation systems set up.  Larry's is a CSA farm that practices minimal pesticide use. He has a circulation system of animal made fertilizer from his horses that his chickens and pigs root through that he can then use for his crops. He also has other ways of keeping insects away from specific crops like attracting some of their likely predators like dragonflies. His website is here if you want more information or want to sign up for the CSA. And as always, if anyone in Montgomery County is interested in getting a seedling to plant in their yard we have  a fair amount of Black Cherry and Sweet Gum, and a limited number of Tulip Poplars, Oaks, and Red Maples. Please email me if interested. 

~ Cally

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Speaking of limbs and fruit- autumn is just around the corner and it's a great time to plant trees! Did you know that the Muddy Branch Alliance is working on a tree planting program? There are so many benefits to planting trees, often including fruit!

If you are at all interested in getting native trees to plant in your yard or perhaps know somebody who would be interested, contact me.

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Hey everyone, Join us at starting 10am to however long you want to stay (event officially ends at 12:30pm) tomorrow July 21 for another weed warrior event! Learn how to identify nonnative invasives like Autumn Olive, Garlic Mustard, and more! To sign up go to our website here and press the sign up link near the bottom.

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I am a forest, and a night of dark trees: but he who is not afraid of my darkness, will find banks full of roses under my cypresses.

by Friedrich Nietzsche Now go get to know your neighborhood woods! :D

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Running in the Woods

Today I decided I needed to go for a run. It was absolutely necessary, I said to myself as I set my alarm clock for 6am. Naturally that didn't happen but at around 10am I decided it was still a necessary action and away I went. My choice of running course- the woods. Why, you ask? Well what better place to avoid the heat, humidity, and direct sunlight thanks to the trees lovely shade. Not to mention the path, worn down and compacted as that soil is, is still much gentler on my knees than the pavement or sidewalks would have been. And lastly, because the scenery was much more appealing and kept me much more motivated and energized. I even met up with my neighbor who was walking his dogs.  Running in the woods is definitely where it's at.   ~ Cally

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Warning: The Emerald Ash Borer has arrived

Known as an invasive species from Asian, this beetle eats and kills ash trees within a year. Unfortunately has just recently been found in Gaithersburg making it the first siting in Montgomery County. There are 7 million ash trees in Maryland, and only about 1,000 of them are in Gaithersburg so this is something to be concerned about. The two solutions being implemented thus far are to pre-treat the ash trees with the pesticide Imidacloprid or the newer attempt of releasing an Emerald Ash Borer parasiter; an Asian wasp. However, from other states that have had the Emerald Ash Borer for a while now, the only real solution is to diversify the tree stock and decrease reliance in ashes.

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Tree Steward Training

On June 23rd about 50 people got together at 1030 Forest Glen Road, Silver Spring from 8am to 4pm to learn about how to be a tree steward. We practiced tree identification, learned about how to identify trees that were considered high risk and picked parks to watch over for a year. We learned about the most common invasives (bittersweet, autumn olive, ) as well as safety measures to take when checking out trees, especially after a storm.  Then on June 26th I attended continuing education meeting and learned about the biggest nonnative threats to our trees of 2012. The list included:  - emerald ash borer (attacks ashes- has just been spotted in MD! read about it here) - brown marmorated stink bug (they attack fruit) - kudzu bug (attacks soy) - spotted winged drosophila - thousand canker disease (a fungi transmitted by beetles; kills walnuts) - ambrosia beetle - asian longhorn beetle - a major concern because it hasn't hit MD yet. You'll see sawdust piles in a trees if it's there. Keep an eye out for this quarter-sized bugger: 

~ Cally 

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Kentlands Foundation Go Green Group Nature Walk in Lakelands led by Amy Beam on June 10th

There was a great turnout with lots of families with young children. Amy was great at getting everyone's attention and keeping the walk engaging for all ages.  Some concerns Paul and I noticed with the area- many people seem to dump waste behind the houses in the woods. We picked up as much trash as we could as well as removing lots of the nonnative invasive plant, garlic mustard.  ~ Cally 

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Wondering About Tree Maintenance? Tune in to caseytrees.org/treetalkthursdays this Thursday June 14th at noon. Every second Thursday of each month there are online tree talk chat sessions offered by the Casey Trees Group in DC. See their website for more information.  

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Upcoming Events

If interested in any of the events- reserve a spot by going to our website: muddybranch.org, and clicking on the event on our calendar

June 10 - Nature Walk in the Lakelands (10am - 11:30pm)

June 10 - Muddy Branch Board Meetings (6pm - 8:30pm)

June 13 - WSSC Water Plant Tour (5pm-8pm)

June 16 - Conservation Gardening (9am - 12pm)

June 23 - Weed Warrior Event (10am-12:30pm)

August 4 - Canoe/Kayak Adventure (9am-1:30pm)

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Happy National 'Get Outdoors' Day!

For those of you who have been stuck in an office all week long and yearn for the warmth of the sun upon your faces, now is your chance! 

Go out and frolic about my friends! The weather is supposed to be beautiful (according to weather.com anyway). 

For more information on this holiday visit: http://www.nationalgetoutdoorsday.org/