Park & Pond Stewardship
Depending on the season and the weather, Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens’ monthly and weekly stewardship volunteers will have the opportunity to:
- Work in the lily and lotus ponds (If you’ve never worn waders, here’s your chance!)
- Remove damaging invasive plants
- Clear trash from the marsh, the woods and the banks of the Anacostia River
- Repair and improve walking paths
- Enhance and maintain terrestrial flowerbeds
- Prune trees and shrubs
These activities require the ability to kneel, squat, lift, and perform routine gardening and clean up functions over a period of three hours – sometimes in warm, cold, or rainy weather.
Chances are you will get dirty! We suggest you wear clothing that a little mud won’t hurt. We also highly recommend close-toed shoes and long pants if you plan to work on land, even in summer (there is some poison ivy in the park), and shorts and t-shirt if you want to do pond work (weather/conditions permitting); hats and sunscreen; and a water bottle (filling stations will be available). Please leave all valuables at home or locked in your car.
Saturday Volunteers
Saturday volunteer work events take place between March-October, on the fourth Saturday of each month from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Volunteers can check the calendar here and must register online with EventBrite. Participants should plan to arrive at the park a few minutes before the official start time (usually 9:00 a.m.) to complete the registration process.
No training is needed, gloves/tools are provided, and individuals and groups of any size are welcome. For students seeking opportunities to earn service-learning credits, Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens is able to provide or sign documentation of your participation. Each event typically counts as three hours of service.
To learn more or get help registering your group, please contact our Programs & Outreach Manager, Alivia Villari, at alivia@fokag.org.