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Environmental Education
Hyattsville's Canopy Conservation Project
The City of Hyattsville was awarded a 2023 Stormwater Stewardship Grant from Prince George's County and the Chesapeake Bay Trust to conserve our tree canopy by removing invasive vines. One of trees' many benefits is the critical role they play in filtering stormwater and preventing erosion with their complex root systems. Unfortunately our City is losing many trees due to an overgrowth of invasive vines that stunt young trees and strangle mature ones.
Through the grant the City is partnering with the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) to empower residents to be tree stewards. The Anacostia Watershed Society will also provide workshops in Spanish. CCAN has a proven track record in this work, saving 4,000 trees without the use of herbicides in Takoma Park, MD!
We need your help! Scroll for volunteer opportunities below!
Additional creative vine removal tactics, like grazing goats!, will help City staff preserve our tree canopy without the use of potentially harmful herbicides.
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Priyanka Joshi
Deputy Director, Environmental OperationsPhone: (240) 309-8182
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Dawn Taft
Environmental Programs Manager, City ArboristPhone: (240) 487-0290
Spanish-language Tree Care Courses
Join our community partner, Defensores de la Cuenca, for Spanish-language Tree Care and Community Science Trainings!
Participants will help care for community trees and learn about our local environment. Become a community scientist by documenting plant and animal species in the park while you work!
Upcoming dates:
- Saturday, November 18, 1:30 PM - 3:30 p.m.; Heurich Park, 2900 Nicholson Street. Follow the roadway past the dog park; meet in the back parking lot by the Comic Hero Playground. Register here.
Save our trees! Volunteers needed!
CCAN assessed City trees and identified approximately 3,747 trees currently being strangled by invasive vines on public and private property. The City is looking for volunteers to assist with invasive vine removal to save these trees!
Upcoming trainings:
- December 16, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 6201 Belcrest Road. Register here.
- January 13, 2024, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m., Location TBD. Register here.
During the training participants will learn the skills and tools needed to remove vines without harming the tree. These skills can be applied at home or to support neighbors needing tree care. CCAN will organize groups of trained volunteers to assist with the trees at most risk over the next several months.
Snacks and water will be provided at the trainings, though we do recommend people bring their own water bottles. Participants will be working outdoors and in brush and should be dressed appropriately (pants, long-sleeved shirts, and hats). Tools (pruning clippers, hand saw) and gloves will be provided, but please bring your own if you have them!
Because we will be using sharp tools, we ask that participants be ages 13 and up to participate safely.
For questions about the Canopy Conservation project, please get in touch with environment@hyattsville.org or call (301) 985-5032.
Grazing Goats
To assist with invasive vines in the Driskell Park woods, the City has used herds of goats and sheep from Browsing Green Goats to remove harmful plants without using chemicals.
Why goats? Ruminant animals, like goats and sheep, can eat tough, woody plants and digest them, turning them into a helpful fertilizer (also known as goat poop!) The digestion process kills off plant seeds, helping to ensure invasive plants won't return the following season.
Audubon Bird-Friendly Habitat Certification
Native plants are beautiful, require less water and maintenance, and provide shelter and food for local wildlife. Email audubonwildlifehabitat@gmail.com to request a FREE site visit from a Prince George’s County Audubon Society Habitat Advisor and receive suggestions that will put you on the path towards Audubon Bird-Friendly Habitat certification. The first 25 City residents to complete the program will receive a free yard certification sign courtesy of the City of Hyattsville!
Watch our January 2023 recording about available resources and support through the Habitat Advisor program.
Driskell Park Tree Tour
Walk the Driskell Park woods with this tree tour map to identify local tree species! Trees along the route are identified by informational signage.
Hyattsville Green Housekeeping Resources
Learn how to keep your home and our environment safe with the resources provided at the City's March 2022 Green Housekeeping Workshops. Workshops were offered in partnership with the Prince George's County Department of the Environment with assistance from the Anacostia Watershed Society, and Defensores de la Cuenca.
Anacostia Watershed Stewards
Are you ready to be an environmental leader for Hyattsville? The City of Hyattsville sponsors City residents to participate in the Anacostia Watershed Stewards Academy! Participants receive specialized education to recognize and address local water pollution. As part of their coursework, they will lead community projects to improve the quality of our streams and rivers.
Click here to learn more about the program. If you'd like to receive a sponsorship to participate in a future cohort, please get in touch with environment@hyattsville.org.
Resource Guides
Leading a more eco-friendly lifestyle is easy and fun! Whether you're already an environmental champion, or you're looking for where to start, the City of Hyattsville and The Neighborhood Design Center are here to help.
The Action Guides linked below provide guidance for community members to keep our planet happy and healthy. Together we can make lifestyle choices that not only fit the planet’s biocapacity, but help us save money and feel healthier to boot!
How Do I Become an Environmental Champion?
How Do I Build & Install a Rain Barrel?
How Do I Create a Native Pollinator Garden?
How Do I Design & Build a Rain Garden?
How Do I Identify & Remove Weeds?
How Do I Increase Energy Efficiency?
How Do I Pick Suitable Native Plants?
How Do I Plant a Tree?
How Do I Remove English Ivy?
How Do I Weatherize My House?
How Do I Use Leaves for Mulch?