THE LEAFLET

Langdon Park is a fan favorite here at Casey Trees. With volunteer help we’ve planted over 384 trees, and it’s one of our favorite spots in the city. Between Community Tree Plantings, Community Tree Care events, a Pop Up Arboreta, Urban Tree Summit field events, and more, Casey Trees is always up to something at Langdon Park. But this year, we’re expanding our work even more with an exciting new initiative.

Through a District of Columbia Community Stormwater Solutions Grant, we’re conducting a year-long climate resiliency program at Langdon Park. Our work begins next Friday, February 11, with our kick off volunteer Community Conservation Event from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. Register now for this event, the first in a series of volunteer conservation days at Langdon Park.

One of the remarkable parts of working in and around Langdon Park is its community and we’re excited to work together throughout the year on this new project. Do you live near Langdon Park? Have you ever admired the beautiful trees dotting the walking paths or the Chuck Brown Memorial? Have you cooled down in the Langdon Rec Center pool during the summer or taken your pup for a spin at the dog park? Then join us as we take care of this land, its trees, and our watersheds!

That’s not all though. Over the next few seasons, we’re counting on members of the Langdon Park community to join us as we work to restore, enhance, and protect this park. After all, you can’t accomplish all our goals with one simple conservation event. Sign up to stay tuned about our upcoming work in Langdon Park including upcoming volunteer events, educational events, and progress reports about our work, and for the Langdon Park Community Mailing List.

Our efforts at Langdon Park will provide environmental benefits and community ones. Care for this urban forest will lead to reduced surrounding temperatures, increased air quality, and increased shaded area. Langdon Park is in one of our priority zones – wards with high average temperatures and a census tract with more significant than average population risk factors. Working here directly supports our mission to restore, enhance, and protect the nation’s capital while prioritizing environmental justice.

Our goals include:

• Renewal and maintenance of five green infrastructure features, in the park, including three Bioretention areas, one open channel, and one infiltration area
• Removal of invasive plant material across the park
• Care for the hundreds of young trees throughout the park through pruning, watering, mulching, and removing stakes/supports
• And finally, the creation of a nearly 700 foot long walking trail that will carve through an existing forest, with signage at each of the trailheads and tree identification tags to provide a self-guided educational opportunity.

Our here at Langdon Park is thanks to our partners at The Chesapeake Bay Trust (CBT) and the DC Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) through the District of Columbia Community Stormwater Solutions Grant. The goals of this grant are to protect and enhance, directly or indirectly, the District’s water bodies or watersheds, create new community partners, and strengthen existing relationships with community-based organizations.

The work in Langdon Park is instrumental to the health of the park and our local ecosystem. Maintenance to BMPs will reduce the volume of stormwater runoff while increasing stormwater infiltration and groundwater recharge. Mitigating stormwater runoff will reduce the pollutant load that enters the Anacostia River, promoting ongoing efforts to increase the river’s water quality. Invasive removal will improve the ecology, allow for better ecosystem services, and prepare the space for future tree planting. And continuing to care for our young trees will foster healthy canopy growth as the trees mature and provide us with countless benefits such as reduced energy costs, clean air, and controlled stormwater runoff.

Creating a nature trail will also provide a new activity in the park for improved community health, environmental education opportunities, and enjoyment of nature. This walking path will increase public access to a naturalized forest area that is rare within the urban environment.