Local is hereApril 7, 2014This past weekend, our local farmers market reopened for the season in Shepherdstown, W. Va where many of us on the Downstream team live. From now until December, locavores can follow the seasons with fresh food grown in nearby fields and orchards, support open space, and reduce the high fossil fuel footprint of transporting food
Farm Programs Helping to Save the BayDecember 12, 2013The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) shared some encouraging news last week: Its most recent analysis of conservation programs in the Chesapeake Bay watershed show that new farming practices are reducing sediment and nutrient loading into waterways. Federal programs promoted through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) as well as state, local and private
Water pollution? There’s an app for that.October 22, 2013Downstream Project Executive Director (and Rotarian) Bill Howard invited Upper Potomac River Manager for the Potomac RIVERKEEPER, Brent Walls, to speak at the Shepherdstown, WV Rotary Club breakfast last week, where Brent announced the Water Reporter —a new iPhone and iPad app (Android coming soon) that lets you report pollution as soon as you see it.
Who Knew? Scientists discover hidden streams in Potomac River watershedOctober 17, 2013Before there was a capital city on the Potomac or a port in Baltimore; before the Beltways, the suburbs, the strip malls and subdivisions, there were streams – a lot of them, apparently. Recently, scientists from the University of Maryland’s Center for Environmental Science developed high resolution maps that identify headwater channels throughout the Potomac
Summer’s EndSeptember 19, 2013 Garden fresh tomatoes and crisp cucumbers. A cool swimming hole and a paddle down the river. A quiet evening fishing and a campsite by the creek. What did you enjoy this summer? Whatever it was, chances are it depended on clean water. We often take clean water for granted these days, but not so
Don’t Miss These Great Speakers on Riparian Conservation and Restoration, June 22June 15, 2013 Riparian Conservation and Restoration Workshop Join us on Saturday June 22nd at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute from 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. for lectures on watershed management, on-the-ground conservation programs, and benefits of riparian restorations to our local wildlife followed by a panel discussion and farm tour in the afternoon. Registration is limited.