Warm Springs Watershed Association

05/09/2026

Bring your kids to our Curiosity Corner at the Master Gardener Plant Fair 5/9/2026 between 9:00-3:00. The Corner is an effort to get kids off their screens and onto the green. These kids were curious about why the bark is different on various trees.

For more info check out https://warmspringswatershed.com

05/04/2026

Finding a giant morel in the Warm Springs watershed is a small sign of hidden richness.

Morels depend on the right mix of soil, moisture, trees, and decay, so one this large suggests that patch of ground is alive and working well.

It does not prove the whole watershed is healthy, but it is a beautiful reminder that Warm Springs is not just runoff and flood control. It is a living system, still capable of surprise.

05/03/2026

05/02/2026

Snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) are large freshwater reptiles native to North America, known for their powerful jaws, long tails, and significant, yet often misunderstood, defensive nature. They play a vital role in aquatic ecosystems as both predators and scavengers, with a lifespan reaching over 100 years old.

There are three snappers that can be seen on a regular basis in the area between the Cardinal Bar and Creekside Creamery.

04/30/2026

WSWA is sponsoring a garlic mustard pulling event on Saturday, May 2, from 11:00-12:30 on the North Berkeley Rail Trail. At this stage, garlic mustard is extremely easy to uproot. We will provide bags and gloves. Wear sturdy footwear.

Bird expert Craig Kern will join us to help identify birds that are seen and/or heard. Feel free to bring binoculars.

At the end of this event we will provide recipes for using garlic mustard.

04/26/2026

04/17/2026

Get to know garlic mustard, a common plant flourishing right now all around us, and probably in your yard.
It's one of those invasives that we want to suppress by pulling it up by the roots and bagging so that the flowers and seeds are contained.
But unlike your other archenemies, you can cook and eat this! A recipe is in the comments below.

04/14/2026

The thing about streams and rivers is that one flows into another. Our Warm Springs Run feeds the Potomac River, now endangered by accidental spillage and by the deliberate construction of data centers

Washington, DC – April 14 — American Rivers ranked the Potomac River number one on its America’s Most Endangered Rivers® list of 2026, because of the

04/14/2026

While doing Make-it-Shine, we spotted this wood turtle. The wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) is found only in the Eastern Panhandle, and is recognized as a “Species of Greatest Conservation Need.”

Wood turtles are tied to clear, cool, forested streams and rivers with gravelly bottoms, deep pools for overwintering, and adjacent undisturbed floodplain or upland forest within roughly 300 m of the water. They can live for 40-60 years.

It’s a big deal to find a wood turtle in the riparian area of Warm Springs Run, and is a good indicator of the general health of the stream.

Thank you to Elizabeth Kump for identifying the wood turtle.

12/12/2025

Hurrah! WSWA has been awarded a 2026 Stream Partners grant award!!

12/03/2025

Starting on January 7, 2026, the WSWA Board will meet on the first Wednesday of each month. Meetings run from 6:00-7:00. All are welcome to attend.



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