GREAT SENECA STREAM VALLY PARK/M83 HIKE

Saturday, June 1st at 10:00AM (Rain Date: Sunday, June 2nd at 10:00am)

Come explore one of Montgomery County’s largest (1,557 ac.) parks---the Great Seneca Stream Valley Park in Germantown. We will hike in the park along the alignment of the proposed alignment of Highway M83, explore dense woodlands, a wide, lush floodplain forest, and a cliff that rises dramatically over the floodplain. All of these landforms and resources are threatened with destruction by M83 highway that remains in County master plans.

DISTANCE:

2 miles round-trip, with easy opportunity to extend the hike along the Seneca Creek Greenway Trail. The start of hike will be at the intersection of Middlebrook Road and Knollcross Drive in Germantown.  The County restricts parking along Middlebrook Road, so parking is on two adjacent streets - Knollcross Drive and Madrigal Drive.

DIRECTIONS:

From points South:  Take I-270 north to Exit 13A, Middlebrook Road East.  Proceed on Middlebrook Road and cross over MD 355, Frederick Road. Continue on Middlebrook Road past MD 355 for approximately 0.5 miles to Knollcross Drive or Madrigal Drive. Look for event signs and a table. From Points North:  Take I-270 south to Exit 15A-B.  Turn left off the ramp to Exit 15A (MD 118 North).  Proceed on MD 118 for 1 mile and then turn right (south) on MD 355.  Follow MD 355 south for 0.75 miles. Turn left onto Middlebrook Road, proceeding 0.5 miles to Knollcross Drive or Madrigal Drive.  Look for event signs and a table

Signup here: https://act.sierraclub.org/events/details?formcampaignid=7013q000002K2GuAAK

Native Tree Give-Away

Update (March 22, 8:30PM): Thank you to everyone who came out today! We had a huge turnout, and are down to our last trees. For the giveout tomorrow (only at 14909 Spring Meadows Drive, Darnestown Md, 20874), we have:

10 sycamore

6 pin oaks

2 river birch.

Friday, March 22 from 5:30 - 7:00 pm, two Locations:

1. Seneca Creek State Park Office (here); and

2. 14909 Spring Meadows Drive, Darnestown Md, 20874.

Saturday, March 23, 10 am to noon; one location: 14909 Spring Meadows Drive, Darnestown Md, 20874.

FREE NATIVE TREES!
We'll be distributing 450 native tree seedlings again this spring -- up to 10 trees per household.

The Seneca Creek Watershed Partners/Muddy Branch Alliance/Friends of Seneca Creek State Park native tree giveaway will be this Friday and Saturday, March 22-23. The event will run on Friday, March 2, from 5:30 - 7:00 pm (please do not arrive early, we will not distribute until 5:30). Trees will be available at two sites on Friday: the Seneca Creek State Park office, and at 14909 Spring Meadows Drive, Darnestown, MD, 20874 (Jeff and Merikay's home). Trees not given out on Friday will be available Saturday at 14909 Spring Meadows Drive from 10 am to noon. This is the 10th year the Smiths have organized this event for Seneca Creek/Muddy Branch.

If planted immediately and protected from deer (and watered as needed) the trees will grow vigorously. Within five years or so, they will be healthier than large (expensive) container-grown trees.

This year's picks: pin oak, serviceberry, redbud, river birch, hazelnut, black cherry, indigobush, silky dogwood, and American sycamore.

Winter Water Quality Monitoring

We will conduct our seasonal water quality monitoring on January 27 from 11:00-2:00 off Riffle Ford Road. If you are interested in attending, please contact us at senecacreekwp@gmail.com

March 2, 2024: Cleanup along Berryville Road

Join Seneca Creek Watershed Partners in and along the creek as we clean up a section of our stream and its tributary, Hookers Branch. The cleanup will run from 10-12, and we will provide the necessary supplies.

Please RSVP at this link so that we can provide updated information in the event of inclement weather.