Planting trees is essential to protecting the river. Forested stream banks shade the tributaries thus cooling the water, preventing soil erosion, helping rainwater seep into the ground, offering beauty to humans and providing habitat for wildlife. AWS works with local schools and community groups to plant trees and shrubs on their school grounds or within their community.  To date the Society has planted over 10,600 trees since 1989 in Washington D.C. and Maryland along tributaries of the Anacostia River.

Our ‘Trees for Schools’ program is one of the most effective ‘first encounters’ with hands-on environmental action for students. They are able to witness many of these benefits first hand, every day.

The Society has been reforesting the Anacostia Floodplain for the last two years. Since the program commenced in 1998, AWS has planted 360 trees and shrubs on the banks of the Northeast and Northwest Branches of the Anacostia River with the help of many volunteers. During the 1999 summer months, AWS partnered with the Town of Riverdale Park, the Brentwood Community Fire Department, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission and the Prince George’s County Department of Public Works to maintain the trees. AWS staff and members of the Hyattsville Organization for a Positive Environment as well as the All Souls Unitarian Church also helped maintain the trees by watering and weeding them once per week. We have found that by involving volunteers and local municipalities in the maintenance of the trees, their chance of survival significantly increases.

If you are interested in planting trees and helping improve the water quality of the Anacostia River, please check out our calendar in the late Fall and early Spring to see if we have any events scheduled. If you would like to participate, or if you would like to schedule an additional tree planting for your group, please contact Steve McKindley-Ward at 301-699-6204 or contact us.

If you are interested in helping mulch, weed and maintain trees that have already been planted, please contact Steve at 301.699.6204.