Volunteers to Clean Briar Ditch Saturday

Residents from Riverdale Heights and Riverdale Hills are looking for help clean up Briar Ditch on Saturday.

The tributary runs behind and is a part of the larger Anacostia River Watershed.

This is the second clean-up the group has hosted since the first in May of 2009.

"It was a wonderful experience and a truly a collaborative effort between community members," Marty Newman, president of president of the RRC Community Association (or Riverdale Heights, Riverdale Hills and Crestwood Community Association) said.

Newman said the event started after her husband, Bill, noticed all the trash, destruction and vandalism in the spring of 2009 and told her about it.

"He said that we should do something about getting the area and the waterway cleaned up," she said.

So far several groups have already signed-up to volunteer, including about 75 Wirt Middle School students, the Department of Environmental Resources, Maryland National Capital Park Police, District I's Police Explorers, students from , the Clean Water Fund, Anacostia Watershed Society, WSSC, the Riverdale Heights Volunteer Fire Department and the Latino Parent Group from Parkdale High.  

Newman said anyone is welcome to join. The cleanup will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Volunteers should meet in the parking lot of the middle school.