What is plogging?? It started as a fitness trend in Sweden! People organized picking up trash while jogging to better enjoy their route. They would post photos of them jogging and picking up trash to challenge others to do the same! The term “Plogging” is a combination of two Swedish words: “plocka upp” (to
The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is excited to announce our first Trash Trap successfully installed in the Anacostia Watershed! Photo Credit: Anacostia Riverkeeper Learn how the trash trap was installed by visiting the Neighbors of Northwest Branch blog. This trash trap was funded by the Montgomery County Watershed
We get a lot of questions and concerns about backyard mosquito sprays. We interviewed two experts to learn more about the risks. Each year, more yards are being sprayed for mosquitos. Did you know you could be poisoning your yard but mosquito populations are not being reduced? Before deciding to spray your yard, know the
The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has released its 2021 Year in Review video with department highlights! The video features DEP’s Acting Director Adriana Hochberg and staff members describing 2021 accomplishments and innovative programs. Highlights of the video include: Climate Action Plan: Released in June and is one of the most ambitious climate
Stream restoration is a complicated and passionate debate for many and can even be quite polarizing. It is not a black and white subject and can contain a lot of grey depending on perspectives. For this reason, Montgomery County has created a webinar series to discuss the topic and various aspects of the County’s restoration
Have you noticed a storm drain in front of your home or business, school, or house of worship? Take these SIMPLE ACTIONS to make a BIG IMPACT on your local waterways and prevent flooding on the roads: Keep a broom handy, and frequently sweep up leaves, trash, and sediment that is in front of your
We Want to Hear from You The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is working to improve the way we communicate with our residents. We are asking Montgomery County residents to take a brief survey about their local environment, so we can understand our residents’ opinions and knowledge about our local environment. What we learn from
Tools in the fight against plastic pollution: Did you know that stormwater management facilities can often keep plastics out of the Chesapeake Bay? Many stormwater management structures have components specifically designed for this purpose. Large aboveground facilities have trash racks over the low flow opening and/or over the whole outfall of the
Introduction Can animals that look like rocks and are capable of trickery and bloodsucking have a positive effect on water quality? What if those same animals had common names like fuzzy pigtoe, purple wartyback, winged spike, fluted elephantear, rough rabbitsfoot, and orangefoot pimpleback? Could you take them seriously? It’s time to meet the stream critter
Introduction Marbled salamanders are marvelous critters. These thin-skinned, cold-blooded salamanders – and frogs and toads – survive winters without coats. That’s amazing. Salamanders can lose a leg or tail and grow back a completely new one. That’s incredible. Marbled salamanders spend most of their lives underground, each one alone, hidden away. But if you know