The conservancy hosts a program series, 鈥淩ace, History, and Rock Creek,鈥� to create transparency about the park鈥檚 history. The program aims to be a starting point to better understand how the park鈥檚 past affected equity and access, according to the organization鈥檚 .听听

Jeanne Braha, the executive director at Rock Creek Conservancy, said the series has received a great response from the community as it creates awareness among members.听

鈥淸The series] has allowed people to think about how they want to make the park better for the community,鈥� Braha said. 鈥淧eople also appreciated sort of putting the park in context, as it doesn鈥檛 only exist in a vacuum.鈥澛�

On Nov. 16, the conservancy hosted a panel discussion with author Rolf Diamant and Rock Creek Park Acting Superintendent Brian Joyner to discuss insights into the history and origins of the National Park Service and Rock Creek Park. The panelists provided an information session to the attendees and opened the floor to questions right after.听

Other panels included discussions on topics such as segregation in the park, the history of jazz at Carter Barron Amphitheater, and LGBTQ+ Pride celebrations in the park.

Braha said the series started as a way to keep people connected to the conservancy鈥檚 mission and work to preserve the area鈥檚 cultural resources during the COVID-19 pandemic.听

鈥淢ost people, when they think about Rock Creek, they think about the forest, hiking, and natural resources,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e want to teach people about the cultural resources and change the dynamic.鈥澛�

Eve Cruz, a resident who frequently exercises at Rock Creek Park, said she didn鈥檛 know about the program series but believes it is a good first step in educating people.听

鈥淚 think it shines a light on the history Americans need to learn more about,鈥� Cruz said. 鈥淎s an Indigenous woman myself, I am happy these conversations are happening, but there is still a lot of work to do.鈥澛�

Rock Creek was established by Congress in 1890, according to the . It is NPS鈥檚 oldest urban park.听

Karl Jacoby, a professor of history and ethnic studies at Columbia University, said the popular conception is that national parks are pristine, untouched nature, but, historically, national parks are 鈥渃reated wilderness.鈥澛�

鈥淲hat I mean by parks creating wilderness is that, to create these 鈥榰npeople landscapes,鈥� you have to remove people,鈥� Jacoby said. 鈥淎lmost in every case of all national parks, all the people removed were Indigenous, Native communities.鈥澛�

For millennia, American Indians quarried Rock Creek until European Americans claimed title to the land in the late 1600s, according to the National Park Service . After 40 years of contact with the Europeans, the Native population in Rock Creek became scarce.

In the 20th century, the District segregated Black people in its recreation facilities. This included Rock Creek Park, as it was one of the first federally managed areas, according to a by 听听

Jacoby said people need to recognize this history to understand why certain communities don鈥檛 feel welcome at national parks.听

鈥淚 think the reason that it鈥檚 jarring for people to learn this history is because we think about national parks as kind of the highest aspiration,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think we think of our history as being a very 鈥榮anitized鈥� history.鈥�

Lorenzo Eugenio, an Indigenous college student from the area, said he has never stepped foot in Rock Creek Park, as he doesn鈥檛 feel welcomed in the space, but appreciates the efforts the conservancy is making.听

鈥淚 think you got to recognize the history and I appreciate what they鈥檙e doing,鈥� Eugenio said. 鈥淢y people were pushed out of it for the longest time. I鈥檓 glad they鈥檙e shining a light on it among other things.鈥澨�

Maurice Federico, a resident who enjoys meditating at Rock Creek, said that, as a person of color, he is aware of the history, but he has also 鈥渕ade peace with the land.鈥澛�

鈥淚 found peace here once I recognized the facts and how it connected to my story,鈥� he said. 鈥� I hope people can find the same comfort. I hope they can reclaim what鈥檚 theirs.鈥澛�

Braha said the goal is to use Rock Creek to bring people together, as the area is a shared value in the community.听

鈥淗istorically, Rock Creek has been used to divide communities,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e want to make sure people know the past so that we don鈥檛 repeat it.鈥澛�

The conservancy hosts the program series virtually via Zoom every few months. You can register for the panels on the organization鈥檚 .听

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The half-mile trail, which runs through the southeastern edge of the National Zoo near the Duke Ellington Bridge, is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. While community members are happy to see it reopen after four years, some are unsatisfied with the current schedule, including D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton.

鈥淭here are many, many people in the District who use the trail and would like to see the hours extended,鈥� Norton said.

The Zoo Loop Trail is an important connection between northwest D.C. and the heart of the District, said Washington Area Bicyclist Association Communications Director Colin Browne. Pedestrians and cyclists can use it for commuting and recreation instead of traveling on busy streets.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a way to keep you away from traffic and is just generally delightful,鈥� Browne said.

The trail allows users to bypass a narrow tunnel path on Beach Drive, which Browne said is unsafe because of its proximity to two lanes of car traffic.听

鈥淭here鈥檚 a low barrier which isn鈥檛 going to protect anybody from falling,鈥� Browne said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 not space for two people on bikes or even a person walking from the opposite direction to be able to pass each other.鈥澛�

A sign near the tunnel entrance reads 鈥淐aution: trail narrows鈥� and suggests cyclists dismount their bikes.

Because the Zoo Loop Trail is closed when it鈥檚 dark, pedestrians and cyclists must travel through the tunnel during a period of low visibility. This could put them more at risk of being struck by a car, according to a .

鈥淭he zoo tunnel along Beach Drive is notorious and people have felt unsafe there for a very long time,鈥� Browne said.

Under the trail鈥檚 current schedule, Browne said people cannot use it for their commutes home. The path is also popular for recreational use, which is being restricted due to its hours of operation, Browne said.听

鈥淭he zoo has a different set of priorities for how it uses its space that is affecting people鈥檚 ability to move through the city,鈥� Browne said.

The trail hours are tied to the zoo鈥檚 operating hours, said Annalisa Meyer, National Zoo deputy director of communications. This is to maintain accreditation through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums since the trail runs through the zoo鈥檚 secondary animal containment perimeter.

Meyer said industry security standards require the zoo to have a continuous perimeter fence.

鈥淲e can鈥檛 achieve that security-wise without closing the bike path gates outside of operating hours,鈥� Meyer said.

Since October, Norton has been working to extend the trail鈥檚 hours of operations.听 The congressmember said she has a special interest in the topic because of her position as chair of the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.

Norton said she thinks the best options are either extending the zoo鈥檚 hours of operation or building a new secondary fence around the trail. On behalf of the zoo, Meyer said neither option is feasible due to financial and accreditation-related reasons.

鈥淲e are really wanting to make sure that we are keeping people safe and have to abide by accreditation rules in order for us to do that,鈥� Meyer said.

Norton said she is also exploring legislative options to extend the trail鈥檚 hours.听

In November, Norton requested the House Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies 鈥� which has jurisdiction over the zoo 鈥� add a provision to its upcoming appropriations bill directing the zoo to extend the trail hours in a way that maintains its accreditation.听

Norton has not heard back from any subcommittee members but said she is still hopeful. While the congressmember would need to 鈥渨ork very hard鈥� to get the provision added, she said she believes there is still time.

鈥淚t’s not yet in any of the House or the Senate [bill] versions, but I think it’s noncontroversial and I’m hoping to get it in,鈥� Norton said.

The congressmember said she is also organizing a virtual town hall for community members to voice their opinions on the trail hours. She has invited the zoo, DDOT and the National Park Service to attend. The AZA has said it is willing to participate in the event, according to a .

Norton said her team is still working on setting a date for the town hall.

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In its fifth year of work, the Rock Creek Songbirds continue to engage in community outreach, planting, and regenerating the park for migratory birds.

The Songbirds work with organizations like D.C.鈥檚 Audubon Society to raise awareness about the resources that once made up the park, but are now suffering due to the city鈥檚 growth and development. Steve Dryden, the initiative鈥檚 director, says it鈥檚 important to raise awareness about the park since many people are unaware of its history.

Piney Branch Creek used to be an extensive wetland and much of the creek has been buried. Still, though, there still is a lot of water on the grounds.

鈥淭his water is actually coming out 24/7,鈥� Dryden said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very vigorous, and it actually has this orangey color which is in the soil,鈥� or natural iron deposits in the earth.

Rock Creek Park is home to a number of migratory birds and has been for many years, Dryden said. Many warblers migrate through the park every year. While some birds simply fly through and continue towards their destination, others stay and even make their nests in the trees.

Keeping the trees regenerating has become a main concern for the Songbirds,as D.C.鈥檚 urban setting and rapid growth have had a major impact on the park鈥檚 ability to do so naturally. Another concern are invasive species.

鈥淭here are vines, that were unfortunately brought in for ornamental purposes, that grow up into the trees,鈥� Dryden said. 鈥淭hey can actually blanket [the trees] and kill them.鈥�

To combat the rising concerns of tree growth and regeneration, Dryden said the Songbirds are focusing their efforts on planting trees and removing the invasive species.

Since its founding, the organization has planted about 500 trees.

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Invasive, non-native plants pose a huge threat to the natural makeup of the Rock Creek Park. The Weed Warriors are people who have recognized these threats to the park and want to do something about it.

Ana Chuquin, the botanist for Rock Creek Park, runs the Weed Warriors Program. Non-native species have been making their way into the park since the late 1950s, Chuquin said. And over the years, the park has been doing more and more to help combat the issue.

鈥淲e use manual methods, in which volunteers are really great help. We use chemical methods, in which we have an internal SWAT team that uses herbicides to remove invasives. We use contractors,鈥� Chuquin said.

The Weed Warrior program started more than ten years ago. The idea, Chuquin said, is to involve the community to help them. Just as people can 鈥渁dopt a highway,鈥� this program allows volunteers to adopt certain areas of the park to protect. Volunteers can either select an area they are passionate about protecting or defer to the park experts to assign them a particular area.

Chuquin said Weed Warriors are more than just volunteers — they are committed workers. To become a Weed Warrior, volunteers must complete a two-day training on plant identification and protection. Then they receive a permit, which gives them Weed Warrior eligibility and allows them to work without park ranger supervision.

While the program is volunteer driven, Chuquin says the park still needs to supervise.

鈥淵ou really have to go and take a look at the places, not because we want to be overprotective but because the park is such a visited park and it鈥檚 in the middle of the city,鈥� Chuquin said. 鈥淲e really have to know who鈥檚 doing what in the park.鈥�

Each Weed Warrior agrees to perform at least 36 hours of work in their designated area. Chuquin said a lot of these Weed Warriors don鈥檛 do a little — they do a lot. Right now, there are about 60 Weed Warriors working in Rock Creek Park. The park became one of the earliest federally managed parks in 1890 and is now home to over 200 invasive plant species.

鈥淲e have all sorts of vegetation, native vegetation to protect,鈥� Chuquin said. 聽鈥淕oing from the ground up from fords, grasses, and most importantly our upper, higher really old canopy which are millions of trees that are mostly native to this area and date back at least 100 聽to 150 years.鈥�

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Plastic bags. Toppled trees. Sewage.

These items pollute the picturesque landscape, where Washingtonians often come to escape city life.

鈥淩ock Creek is seen by me and kind of a lot of folks, and maybe everyone, as kind of a green oasis where nature is the dominant element,鈥� 聽said Scott Einberger, a historian who studies the area. 鈥淵et, you aren’t allowed to stick your feet or wade or swim in the water, because it’s polluted.鈥�

Rock Creek failed the Environmental Protection Agency鈥檚 water quality test in 2012 because it contained a large amount of bacteria, mercury, metal and other toxic pollutants, according to the EPA鈥檚 Water Quality Assessment . The poor water quality kills fish living in the water, said Melanie Choukas-Bradley, a Chevy Chase writer who spent a year studying the park.

Advocates blame population density, the area鈥檚 sewage system and heavy rainfall caused by climate change. They say initiatives to redirect rainwater and teach residents about the creek will help repair a park once beloved by President Theodore Roosevelt.

鈥淲ater connects us all,鈥� said Diane Lill, director of education for the Audubon Naturalist Society, a Washington conservation group. 鈥淭here鈥檚 just so much value in connecting people and getting them to pay attention to what鈥檚 happening with the water in their own neighborhood.鈥�

A damaged waterway

鈥淧ollution may occur during rainfall.鈥� That鈥檚 the warning posted next to the creek in Rock Creek Park along Piney Branch Parkway in the District.

Pollution in Rock Creek wasn鈥檛 always common. In the early 20th century, most rainwater in the Washington region filtered into the ground naturally, Einberger said. That changed when the population swelled in the mid-20th century.

Sidewalks, parking lots and rooftops are impervious, meaning water can鈥檛 easily filter through them, Einberger said. The percentage of impervious surfaces inside the Beltway increased from 22 percent in 1984 to 26 percent in 2010, Xiao-Peng Song, University of Maryland scientist who published a study on the topic in 2016, said in a .

In heavy thunderstorms, water hits concrete across the District and flows into storm drains. Along the way, it picks up pollutants, like trash or oil. Some of the water eventually flows into Rock Creek, dirtying the watershed, Einberger said.

The District鈥檚 underground water tunnel system doesn鈥檛 help. Parts of the system simultaneously handle stormwater and sewage, which is what you flush or rinse at home, said Pamela Mooring, spokesperson for the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority, known as DC Water.

In a thunderstorm, the tunnels aren鈥檛 large enough to carry both regular sewage and extra rainwater. This forces the system to pump a dirty mixture of the two, called combined sewage overflow, into Rock Creek and other rivers in the region. That kills fish living there and hurts the birds that feed on them, Choukas-Bradley said.

鈥淛ust like with us, without oxygen, the aquatic species, fish, can’t survive,鈥� Einberger said.

Heavy rainfall caused by climate change isn鈥檛 helping, Einberger said. Choukas-Bradley spent 2007 studying Rock Creek Park for her . She said extra rain, like what the region saw in September 2018, floods the creek. This can erode the banks and uproot trees, she said.

鈥淚鈥檝e really seen a change in how potent the storms are and how you can just get incredible rainfall all of the sudden,鈥� Choukas-Bradley said.

How residents can help

Residents can participate in programs in Montgomery County and the District, both home to parts of Rock Creek Park, to improve the watershed鈥檚 water quality.

In Montgomery County, environmental advocates are developing a chemistry curriculum to teach high schoolers about the watershed. They hope it will motivate them to preserve the park, Lill, one of the program鈥檚 architects, said.

Students will study the nitrogen cycle, sample precipitation and test water runoff in different locations near their school, Lill said. The program will be funded by a from the National Park Foundation.

“Taking these students outside and showing them that there are living creatures under the rocks in the stream that depend on clean water kind of opens their eyes to this whole new world of nature that’s right there in their own neighborhood,鈥� Lill said.

In the District, DC Water has the Clean Rivers Project, an initiative launched in the early 2000s to keep pollution out of rivers. The project will expand the city鈥檚 tunnel system, lowering the amount of sewage dumped into rivers, and add plants, soil and natural items to the city to soak up stormwater, said John Lisle, spokesperson for DC Water.

Residents can help through the District鈥檚 RiverSmart Homes program. The program offers subsidies for homeowners to plant trees, install rain barrels, plant gardens or implement other techniques to naturally filter rainwater, according to their . Montgomery County has a similar program called .

鈥淚t is such a treasure for our city to have this forested stream valley running right down the middle of the city,鈥� Choukas-Bradley said. 鈥淲hen it鈥檚 threatened by stormwater runoff, there are all kinds of consequences.鈥�

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