Events: Get outside with a walking tour of Oxon Run Parkway

EventsBy Jacy Heidorn (Former Engagement Fellow) September 11, 2023

Bikers riding along the Oxon Run trail by Payton Chung licensed under Creative Commons.

Have you been itching to get into nature lately? This walking tour is a great excuse! Oxon Run Parkway is the National Park Service’s 126-acre unit that connects with multiple Ward 8 neighborhoods along the Maryland state line: Shipley Terrace, Congress Heights, and Washington Highlands. This natural oasis contains Oxon Run stream (Ward 8’s only stream that runs into the Potomac River), large sandbars, white oak and mountain laurel forest, and a rare magnolia bog. The walking tour will cover about two miles of terrain within this unit of land and take about two hours. It will be led by Nathan Harrington, the Founder and Director of Ward 8 Woods Conservancy. Learn more & RSVP here.

Monday, September 11 - Saturday, September 16:

Attend a symposium on environmental justice and health disparities: University of Maryland’s (UMD) Center for Community Engagement, Environmental Justice, and Health is hosting a week-long symposium to take an in-depth look into the environmental and climate justice issues that continue to affect the Greater Washington region. Themes include air quality, climate justice, energy justice, toxic prisons, environmental justice mapping tools, policy, law, and more. The symposium will be virtual on September 11, 12, and 15 and in-person at UMD on September 14 and 16. There will be keynote speakers for all virtual days. Both in-person days will include breakfast and lunch. Learn more & RSVP for the online days here and the in-person days here.

Wednesday, September 13:

Learn about the Maryland home buying process: The Latino Economic Development Center partners with the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development to host monthly recurring introductory home buying courses for first-time home buyers in Prince George’s County and Montgomery County, Maryland. These courses teach people about what home buyer programs exist in these two counties and how they can financially assist you through offering down or closing payment costs based on the price of the house and your income. They will also lay out the next steps you will need to take in the home buying process. This orientation is free to anyone interested. Learn more & RSVP here.

Friday, September 15:

Paddle to keep the Potomac clean: The Alliance for Chesapeake Bay’s DC team and Boating in DC are kicking off this year’s Project Clean Stream with a cleanup event in the Potomac River. Project Clean Stream brings together tens of thousands of volunteers each year to clean up their local waterways, parks, and neighborhoods. For this kickoff event you will paddle along the Potomac to pick up trash and debris. There will be a safety talk from Thompson Boat Center staff prior to heading out and staff available on the water at all times. Trash bags, gloves, grabbers, lifejackets, and boats will be provided. Previous paddling/boating experience is not required but if this is not for you, there will be future cleanup opportunities on land too! Learn more & RSVP here.

Take part in the National Landing BID’s Park(ing) Day: National Landing is celebrating Park(ing) Day on Friday, September 15, and they want you to join in on the fun! What, exactly, is Park(ing) Day? It is a global, public, participatory project where people temporarily re-purpose curbside parking spaces worldwide; they are converted into both social and green spaces to advocate for more safe, sustainable, and equitable streets that are for the people. The hope is that this project will help keep the conversation going on how we should be designing and building our cities. National Landing will be activating their new parklets (publicly accessible seating areas) at the 12th and South Fern Street intersection by handing out free coffee, snacks, and swag. There will be music too! Community members are encouraged to write their thoughts on the benefits of making street space less car-centric on the parklets. Learn more & RSVP here.

Sunday, September 17:

Join in on a family bike fest: Calling all cyclists! The 2023 DC Family Bike Fest is happening Saturday, September 17, and everyone is welcome, from the avid, everyday bikers to the bike curious. There will be many different organizations, activities, bike shop representatives, bikes to try out, and amenities at this event, as well as a lot of really cool raffle prizes. There are also numerous ways to get there such as slow, family rides with organizations such as Ward 5 Biking, Girls in Gear, and Hyattsville Family Biking or taking a bike bus from locations around the city. No RSVP needed. Learn more about the event and the fun ways to get there here.

Monday, September 18:

Participate in a roundtable for pro-transit business owners: Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) is teaming up with Ward 3 Bikes and Baked by Yael to host a roundtable for business owners and leaders from around the DC region. The goal of this roundtable is to provide a space for pro-transit business leaders to talk to transportation advocates about how they can increase collaboration, especially on sustainable transportation projects, and on creating more shared goals. Baked by Yael will be providing a breakfast of bagels, cream cheese, and coffee for attendees. Learn more & RSVP here.

Save the date:

Usher in fall at the GGWash Fall Mixer: It’s hard to believe, but the days will soon cool down and the leaves will start changing color—that means it’s time for our Fall Mixer at Metrobar! This casual event is the biggest gathering of transit fans and housing advocates around and you will have the chance to connect with hundreds of like-minded people. Bring your friends and family and join GGWash on Wednesday, September 27 for a night of fun in the fresh air—no SmarTrip card required! If the $30 ticket price doesn’t seem doable, you can use this form to request one of our pay-it-forward tickets or to sign up to volunteer. Learn more & RSVP here.

View more upcoming events on our calendar!


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