See our shared calendar with Muddy Branch Alliance and Watts Branch.
Free Native Trees - April 4, 2025
Park Clean Ups
March 15, 2025
Free Native Tree Give-Away: We expect to have the free bare-root trees and shrubs on April 4. Check back here or on our website for details as the date approaches.
We reserved 50 seedlings of the following species: swamp white oak, baldcypress, black walnut, buttonbush, red chokeberry, American plum, red osier dogwood, and pawpaw and 25 seedlings of possumhaw. Each year we try to vary what we offer from within the DNR trees.
Trees must be planted immediately and should be protected from deer. Each household may take up to 10 trees which will be on a first come basis. Trees are intended for households within the Seneca Creek and Muddy Branch watersheds.
If you'd like to volunteer to help contact Merikay at merikays@verizon.net.
Diamond Farm Park Cleanup
Join Seneca Creek Watershed Partners on March 15 for a cleanup in Gaithersburg from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Parking is available along the road. Registration is optional but recommended for weather notification purposes. SSL Credit is available, and trash bags, grabbers, and gloves will be provided.
Please join us on March 15, 2025, from 11 AM to 3 PM.
Location: Diamond Farms Park, 857 Quince Orchard Boulevard, Gaithersburg
Register: https://forms.gle/cuXuKjKVJ12WWsJm7
This is a critical park to keep clean given its proximity just upstream from Clopper Lake, so thank you to our neighborhood leads for organizing this!
Berryville Road Cleanup
Join Seneca Creek Watershed Partners on March 15 for a cleanup in Darnestown, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Parking is available along the road and at gravel lots. Registration is optional but recommended for weather notification purposes. SSL Credit is available, and trash bags, grabbers, and gloves will be provided.
Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/5jCq9aFc54oE62yu6. This is not a marked location on Maps, but is at the big bend of Seneca Creek off Berryville road, where the stream meets with Hookers Branch
Register: https://forms.gle/BozX5Nw87XvyCJ4V6
This area tends to attract a lot of trash, so thank you to its neighbors for organizing this!
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:
Seneca Creek State Park Office (here); and
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.
