Hiking in Piscataway Park just got better!  Last month, thanks to a collaboration between the Accokeek Foundation, the Potomac Heritage Trail, and the National Park Service, a new connector trail has been blazed in Accokeek. By clearing almost a quarter-acre of brush, volunteers were able to conjoin the Mockley Point Trail and the Foundation’s trail system, resulting in nearly 4 miles of uninterrupted views of the Potomac River shoreline. This connector trail serves as the ne

April 16, 2016. It was a peaceful morning on the Potomac River. The sun was shining, there was hardly a breeze to ripple the river’s surface, and spring’s warmth was finally beating out winter’s brutal cold. It was a perfect April morning. Too perfect. How could we guess at the horrors that awaited us? 10 am. The volunteers began to arrive for the 28th Annual Potomac River Watershed Clean-Up. They checked in, gathered their trash bags and gloves and grabbers, and headed out f

Terrie-Lea poses with Hog Island lamb, Nigel. It’s National Volunteer Week and to celebrate, we’re kicking off a monthly Volunteer Spotlight blog series highlighting the most dedicated of the Accokeek Foundation’s Volunteer Team. This month’s Spotlight is Terrie-Lea Blueitt, a Livestock Farmhand and Bluebird Monitor. She joined the volunteer team in 2012, and since then has dedicated an impressive 270 hours. Rain or shine, we can count on Terrie-Lea’s enthusiasm in the barnya

This week is AmeriCorps Week and to celebrate, I’ve put together a list of the amazing AmeriCorps members who have served as volunteers at the foundation over the last two years. They’ve done everything from mucking barns to building bluebird nest boxes, and we owe the success of several programs to their dedication and support.  I will never fail to get excited when I see an e-mail from an AmeriCorps group in my inbox, and I hope to continue partnering with these special peo

A female eastern bluebird guards her nest. Credit Bonnie Simpers. This week is going to the birds, literally. Sunday marks the beginning of the Accokeek Foundation’s Bluebird Monitoring season as the faithful Bluebird Monitor volunteers return to repair and prepare the trail of 20+ boxes on the Ken Otis Bluebird Trail. After Sunday, these volunteers will be performing weekly nestbox checks until August to ensure Piscataway Park has a thriving native cavity nester population,

We began recruiting volunteers for this year’s Twilight Tales over the summer, and the dedicated group of people who answered our call have been working tirelessly, despite the shutdown, to make this year’s event a spectacular one. After a jam-session to learn the songs (yes, you heard right–songs!), a prop design day to help transform the farm, and two rehearsals of the script, we are only one dress rehearsal away from event day. This year’s Twilight Tales will follow Gemmy