Press Release: Celebrate MLK Weekend of Service by Cleaning Up Rock Creek

By Press Release On Dec 30, 2019 Last updated Dec 30, 2019

News Release — Rock Creek Conservancy

DC-Area Volunteers Remove Trash and Invasive Plants from Our Urban Oasis

Bethesda, MD (December 30, 2019) – From Saturday, Jan. 18 to Monday, Jan. 20 Rock Creek Conservancy will host its 10^th annual MLK Weekend of Service in honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Conservancy volunteers will gather at sites across the Rock Creek watershed to serve their communities by picking up trash and removing invasive plants.

“Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy continues to inspire others to serve their community, in this case by caring for our treasured urban wilderness,” stated Jeanne Braha, executive director of Rock Creek Conservancy. “Rock Creek is a place where people come together and enjoy an oasis from the stress of urban life. On Dr. King’s birthday we celebrate his conviction that ‘all of life is interrelated’ by protecting the parklands that make our region resilient to climate change and that provide green spaces where we build community connections.”

Rock Creek Conservancy is encouraging community members to get outside and help restore Rock Creek during the MLK Weekend of Service. Every year, park friends and neighbors help to care for the 33-mile length of Rock Creek and its tributaries.

The impact of this cleanup goes far beyond Rock Creek. When a plastic bag or bottle is left uncollected in Rock Creek it will continue to float downstream. That piece of trash can make its way into the Potomac River, drift to the Chesapeake Bay, and ultimately end up in the ocean, where it would join the trillions of pieces of plastic trash that currently pollute the Earth’s largest bodies of water.

Visit the Rock Creek Conservancy events site for details on MLK Weekend of Service volunteer activities, locations, times, and registration details.

ROCK CREEK CONSERVANCY

Rock Creek Conservancy is an awarding-winning 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to the restoration of Rock Creek and its 33-mile watershed as a natural oasis for the benefit and enjoyment of all people. As the only organization devoted solely to Rock Creek and its parks and as a philanthropic partner of Rock Creek Park, the Conservancy engages communities and volunteers, enhances visitor experiences, and provides direct restoration to Rock Creek. For more information, visit www.rockcreekconservancy.org.