APACC Newsletter: April 2022

Oxon Cove Clean-Up Huge Success!

The Oxon Cove Clean-Up this past Saturday, April 23 was a huge success! Over 200 volunteers donated their time to remove 281 bags of trash, including 17 tires and more than 7,000 plastic bottles. The interesting part of the clean up is was that there were 60 volunteers from DC and 140 from Maryland. In addition, there was a wonderful group of volunteers from the Metropolitan Police Academy and a local sorority.

As part of the event we celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act. Speakers at the press conference included Nancy Stoner (Potomac Riverkeeper), Tara Morrison (Superintendent of National Parks East), Donna Edwards (Former Congresswoman) and Adam Ortiz (Regional Director, Environmental Protection Agency). Oxon Cove is a hidden national treasure in Ward 8. Our hope is to recruit more people to enjoy the precious gift that Mother Earth has bestowed upon on us.

APACC Selected for Thrive Outside Washington, DC

The Outdoor Foundation recently announced its third cohort of Thrive Outside Communities in Chicago, Detroit, Seattle, and Washington, DC. The initiative awards multi-year, capacity-building grants to diverse communities, directed at building and strengthening networks that provide children and families with repeat and reinforcing experiences in the outdoors. Thrive is a community-led initiative built with trusted local and national partners and supported by three years of funding.

“The Anacostia Park Community Collaborative is a prime network of environmental and community-based organizations working to make outdoor experiences meaningful for economically stressed youth and families. We are incredibly happy to build out our Meaningful Park Engagement work through Thrive DC,” said Akiima Price, Thrive Outside D.C. Director. “This opportunity will allow us to expand our capacity to work throughout the Anacostia River corridor, delivering thoughtful outdoor experiences that support the youth development needs of neighboring stressed communities. Our partnership will include private, federal, and city leaders working together to use parks and green spaces as hubs for vital outdoor engagement that considers the mental, physical, and social wellness of youth and families in Washington DC. This city has too many parks and green spaces not to cross-pollinate them as spaces to address the glaring crime and safety statistics impacting youth and communities around the Anacostia River.”

Citizens Poplar Point Working Group Listening Session

We are anxious to share with you convene a second public listening session April 27, 6:30-8 PM.

Your input at the first session resulted in two big outcomes: 1) A Poplar Point website; and 2) a youth charrette on Poplar Point with high school students that we will report on at the tonight’s meeting. Please share this email with anyone who may be interested in learning more about Poplar Point.

All are invited to join us for the second listening session. Register here and bring your friends and ideas!

APACC Joins the City Nature Challenge: April 29 - May 2, 2022

The City Nature Challenge (CNC) is an annual, global community science competition to document urban biodiversity. The challenge is a bioblitz that engages residents and visitors to find and document plants, animals and other living organisms living in urban areas. There was a big push last year and this year more communities of color. It is such a wonderful occasion to watch children and adults on their phones with the INaturalist app to photograph something interesting that they may have never noticed before.

The City Nature Challenge is held from April 29, 2022 – May 2, 2022. CNC encourages everyone to connect to nature in a way that resonates for them. The challenge is for each city all of over the world to document thousands of findings. The CNC activities for Anacostia Park, Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, Kenilworth Park and Oxon Run Park can be found on the APACC calendar.

DC Chairman & At-Large Councilmember Candidates Environmental Forum: May 20 at 6 PM

Join us the Anacostia Parks & Community Collaborative Candidates Environmental Forum on Friday, May 20, 2022 from 6–8 PM.

The forum is focused on the Anacostia River corridor and the environment. It’s a chance to ask the candidates questions about the built and natural environments and issues related to the resurgence of the Anacostia River.

Candidates from all parties were invited to participate and sent a list of survey questions developed by DC Appleseed and the APACC Policy Work Group. Audience members will have opportunities to ask questions. You can also submit questions in advance by email or on Twitter.

Meeting Info

Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88398614011?pwd=UEwzaXRvdnlBMjBHMTNFeWxySSs4dz09
Webinar ID: 883 9861 4011
Passcode: 524262
One tap mobile: US: +13017158592,,88398614011# or +16465588656,,88398614011#

About the Forum

The purpose of the forum is to provide the community with an opportunity to learn more about the candidates’ environmental platform on parks such as Poplar Point, a national park that has been on the radar screen for development for more than 30 years. However, until the land is transferred to the District and remediated, this waterfront public land will forever be in limbo.

There is also the question of how to reduce trash and litter and a push for a bottle bill. It is interesting that Ward 8 is home to the largest national and local park in the entire city ~ Anacostia Park and Oxon Run Park. There is an issue with accessibility to public restrooms as well as more funding for staffing and programming to activate and maintain the parks. There is also question of development in a floodplain.

In light of climate change, our days will be getting hotter. How do we ensure that there is a more robust tree canopy east of the river to keep neighborhoods cool? Research has shown that there is a direct correlation to heat sensitivity and violence. These environmental questions are important to the quality of life for residents in Wards 7 and 8.

Join us for this important conversation on environmental issues on Friday, May 20, 2022 from 6–8 PM.

Diverse City Fund’s Spring Grant Round Application is now open!

$5,000 for an organization/project and up to $15,000 for a coalition. Applications are due May 22, 2022.

Before you apply:

REVIEW Diverse City Fund’s revised What We Fund page to make sure your group is eligible and your work/project aligns with funding priorities.

ATTEND an Info Session. Info sessions for the Spring Grant, in English and Spanish, will be held at the following times with members of the DC Fund Board and Grantmaking Team.

All prospective applicants are encouraged to attend an Info Session.

Click a date to register:

Tuesday, May 10th @ 6:30 PM
Tuesday, May 17th @ 12 PM
Wednesday, May 18th @ 6:30 PM