This 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 Bay
December 12, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The 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, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Downstream 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 watershed
October 17, 2013 by 3 Comments
Before 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 End
September 19, 2013 by 2 Comments
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 22
June 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment
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. […]
Blue Ridge Watershed Coalition Launches Monitoring Program
May 2, 2013 by Leave a Comment
[ylwm_vimeo height=”366″ width=”550″]65323772[/ylwm_vimeo] The Truth Lies in the Data In 2008, several community meetings were held on the Blue Ridge of Jefferson County to help create a vision of these mountain communities in years to come. The meetings were well attended by approximately 350 mountain residents. With the new Chesapeake Bay pollution diet restrictions (TMDL) looming, […]
The Goose Creek Challenge
April 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment
[ylwm_vimeo height=”366″ width=”550″]63265281[/ylwm_vimeo] The Goose Creek Association kicked off its 2013 riparian buffer project called The Goose Creek Challenge, chaired by Marcia Woolman, using a joint project with Tom Turner of the John Marshall Soil and Water District (JMS&WD), to plant 433 trees on March 15th and 16th. The success of this watershed conservation […]
Landowners’ Guide to Spout Run
December 12, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Landowners’ Guide to Spout Run December 7, 2012 By Bill Howard Leave a Comment (Edit) Spout Run is a truly local stream. Most residents know that Spout Run, including Page Brook and Roseville Run quite literally flow out of the ground in several clean and cold springs: Saratoga, Prospect, Page Brook and Carter Hall to […]
The Field School hosts Dreamyard Preparatory School and SU
September 26, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Catch the action on our Dreamyard Video Blog On August 5, 2012, students from The Dreamyard Project were hosted for an exhilarating day on the Shenandoah River with their sponsors, The Performing Arts Camp of Shenandoah University.
