SOLVE

SOLVE volunteers picking up trash during National Public Lands Day, September 2016. | NPS Photo

In honor of the Rock Creek Park 125th Anniversary, we launched the Sustaining Our Lands with Volunteer Energy (SOLVE) program during National Public Lands Day, September 26, 2015, enabling community groups and individuals to adopt and maintain parts of the park.

 

What is SOLVE?

A program that gives you a chance to SOLVE challenges Rock Creek Park faces. It allows the community to adopt and care for parts of Rock Creek Park by picking up litter and debris, removing invasive species, and maintaining trails.

How Does It Work?

• National Park Service (NPS) staff perform a site assessment of a proposed part of the park to adopt. NPS staff then develop and approve the SOLVE task list and write it into a SOLVE Agreement.
• The SOLVE Agreement is reviewed, agreed upon, and signed by the National Park Service and the community partner.
• The National Park Service provides support and oversight for the year-long term of the SOLVE Agreement.
• SOLVE Agreements can be renewed annually.

How Do I Get Started?

Reach out to the Rock Creek Park Volunteer Program Coordinator to discuss adopting a part of Rock Creek Park under SOLVE.

 

Current SOLVE Sites

Bryce Park

• Partner: Friends of Bryce Park
• Volunteer Tasks: trash pickup, removal of dead detached plant debris from trails

Fort Bunker Hill

• Partner: Brookland Neighborhood Civic Association
• Volunteer Tasks: trash pickup, removal of dead detached plant debris from trails

Grant Circle

• Partner: Steven Feingold
• Volunteer Tasks: trash pickup, pruning and trimming, general maintenance and upkeep of the circle

James Cardinal Gibbons Statue

• Partner: YouthBuild Public Charter School
• Volunteer Tasks: trash pickup, general maintenance and upkeep

Pinehurst Branch & Broad Branch

• Partner: John Burwell
• Volunteer Tasks: trash pickup, invasive species plant removal, removal of dead detached plant debris from trails

Other Work Areas

Meridian Hill Park

• Partner: Washington Parks & People
• Volunteer Tasks: trash pickup, invasive plant species removal, skimming, debris removal, and upkeep of fountains, general maintenance and upkeep of the park

Black Horse Trail

• Partner: Black Horse Trail Preservation Club
• Volunteer Tasks: trash pickup, removal of dead detached plant debris from trails, minor trimming to maintain trail clearance, culvert and waterbar cleaning

If you are interested in joining volunteer activities with a current Rock Creek Park SOLVE partner, please contact the Rock Creek Park Volunteer Program Coordinator.

Please Note: Some activities performed as a part of SOLVE Agreements require permits. Permitting is handled between the National Park Service and the SOLVE partners as a part of the SOLVE Agreement process. Check with the SOLVE partner specific to the site you are interested in prior to any volunteer activities. Contact the Rock Creek Park Volunteer Program Coordinator for individual SOLVE partner contact information or for any questions.