WISH LIST $100: in-school, hands-on watershed education class; $500: river field study for 30 students and teachers; $10,000: barriers to protect wetland plants from overgrazing geese.

The Anacostia Watershed was once a broad, meandering waterway: 2,500 acres of wetlands filled with vegetation and animal life. Hopelessly polluted ten years ago, its status has now changed from “critical” to “serious”… and its prognosis is actually “good, ” thanks to the efforts of the Anacostia Watershed Society. AWS is dedicated to protecting and restoring the Anacostia River and its watershed– working hand-in-hand with local volunteers (41,000 to date) to restore the threatened habitat: growing and transplanting native trees and shrubs; organizing large-scale cleanups; stabilizing eroded streambanks; and monitoring water quality. Educators have brought their Watershed Explorers and River Habitat curricula to over 5,000 local schoolchildren, and students also do river field studies and engage in on-the-ground wetland restoration. Environmentally friendly recreational activities for local residents– like the annual Paddlesport Regatta– help develop a vested interest in river and watershed protection. The Anacostia river is one of our great urban treasures, and there is hope and opportunity for its renewal through the collaborative efforts of AWS and its supporters – like you.

Robert E Boone, President 4302 Baltimore Avenue Bladensburg, MD 20710 301-699-6204 www.anacostiaws.org