Update! Trees are planted; help is needed to spread topsoil and mulch.

Help plant native trees and shrubs, spread mulch, and install protective caging. 3/30 will be rain date

Volunteers simply need to show up, ready to work. Please bring your own water bottle. Tools and gloves provided. All events are eligible for Student Service Learning (SSL) hours. Remember to bring your card for signature.
Email us with any questions!

ACWA will be hosting a booth at the 29th Annual HCC Alumni Flower & Garden Show

March 15 & 16, 2025

We will be selling native trees and shrubs at the event. A list of tree and shrub descriptions available in this article.

Mark your calendars and hope to see you there!

ACWA will be hosting a booth at the 29th Annual HCC Alumni Flower & Garden Show

March 15 & 16, 2025

We will be selling native trees and shrubs at the event. A list of tree and shrub descriptions available in this article.

Mark your calendars and hope to see you there!

Important maintenance tasks such as resetting plant plugs and weeding are needed before April planting days.

Tools and gloves will be provided. Please bring your own water bottle.
Saturday March 8th 10am-1pm. 
Meet at Hagerstown Community College, Parking Lot O

Please RSVP to help out on this work day
Mark your calendars for our first planting day: April 25th 10am-1pm Additional dates to be scheduled.

Mark your Calendars for the ACWA ANNUAL MEMBER MEETING!

• Held at Meinelschmidt Distillery, 54 S Potomac St, Hagerstown,

• Presentation “Insect Mimicry: Why insects look the way they do” by Entomologist Michael Turell, PhD

• Check in can start at 5:30pm; Presentations will start ~6:30pm

• Board of Director Elections

• Annual Report to Members (Join/Renew your membership for 2025)

• Appetizers and nibbles will be available

• Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks will be available for purchase at the bar.

• Meet & greet other members while supporting a local business

• Minors may attend, but cannot sit at the bar.

• Very limited street parking and the A&E parking garage is available immediately behind the venue off Renaissance Way, Hagerstown.

Free for members and guests. Each member may bring one guest. Please sign up to help us plan accordingly. Space is limited at the distillery venue.

About the Speaker: Michael J. Turell, PhD

Michael Turell recently retired as a principal investigator at USAMRIID (United States Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases) where he had served for more than 30 years. He has more than 200 referred publications and has given more than 175 presentations at national and international meetings, including invited presentations at >30 international meetings. In addition, Mike serves as an editor for PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases and serves as a reviewer for numerous journals.

His principal interest has been the study of factors affecting the ability of mosquitoes to transmit various arboviruses. He has evaluated the potential of selected arthropods to transmit pathogens such as Rift Valley fever, eastern equine encephalitis, Venezuelan equine encephalitis, Japanese encephalitis, and West Nile viruses. These involve both field studies (Peru, Ecuador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Senegal, Kenya, Republic of Korea, Uzbekistan, etc.) and laboratory studies.  In addition, he has conducted research on the development of vaccines for several mosquito-borne viruses and the development and evaluation of antigen and RNA detection assays. 

Dr. Turell will be providing an educational and entertaining presentation “Insect Mimicry: Why insects look the way they do” during our meeting.

UPDATE: C&O NPS has cancelled this event until further notice.

Tree Planting with the C&O Canal National Historic Park. Park Staff are requesting volunteer assistance to plant the first small grouping of 20 trees along the towpath. Volunteers will need to walk to the planting location and dig holes for the small seedlings. The group is limited to 8 volunteers, so please email to reserve your spot to help and to be notified of schedule changes.

 Thursday, 1/16 at 2pm (updated!)
Meet at Ferry Hill Parking Area
(map will be provided at sign up)

There are many ways to support ACWA during this season of giving. We understand you have many choices of charitable organizations and causes. We appreciate you choosing to support ACWA and our environmental stewardship programs.

This year our donation page lists:

• our Amazon wish list, to order online and ship to us

• various local retailers to purchase gift cards to support our volunteers and work days

• link to donate funds directly to ACWA to direct to programs of most needs.

No matter how you choose to give, Thank You for your generosity and considering ACWA!

ACWA is a 501(c)3 charitable organization

Volunteers are needed to help remove weeds from the newly planted bioswales at Hagerstown Community College. Thousands of native plants were installed in September and October. Weeds need to be removed to give the native plants a chance to grow and thrive.

Meet at Parking Lot O.

Gloves will be provided. Please bring your own drinking water bottle.

Our watershed partners, Beaver Creek Watershed Association (BCWA) is hosting a tree care and cage removal day. Trees that were previously planted on lands around the Jackson fly fishing area have outgrown their protective cages.

Join BCWA in providing this needed tree maintenance supporting the riparian buffer along the creek. Volunteers will be walking through uneven pasture, tall grasses, and brush. It is recommended to wear sturdy shoes and dress in layers.

Tools, gloves, and any supplies will be provided. Please bring your own drinking water bottle.

No prior experience is necessary; training will be provided. Minors of high school age may attend with adults.

Parking is at the Flyfishing parking lot. Overflow parking will be uphill at the church.

BCWA information can be found at: www.beavercreekwatershedassociation-md.org/

Open to members to attend

To be held after the Second Chance Tree Sale (4-6pm)

at Crickhollow Farm, 20464 Beaver Creek Road, Hagerstown, MD

Social with refreshments at 6:30pm; Meeting begins at 7pm

Email us to receive agenda and event updates: info@acwamaryland.org

Many trees & shrubs remain in our seedling nursery (updated list below). We are offering another opportunity to purchase trees before our Board Meeting:

Thursday, 10/24 from 4-6pm
The white barn at Crickhollow Farm, 20464 Beaver Creek Road, Hagerstown, MD

• During this time, volunteers can also help plant seeds and prepare the nursery for winter.

• ACWA shirts, hats, and can koozies will also be available for purchase.
  ACWA members are welcome to stay for the meeting which starts at 7pm. Board meeting details here.

• Cash and Credit Card accepted, Checks accepted from members

• Trees are $10/piece ($7 for members) plus tax

• UPDATED AVAILABILITY LIST as of 10/22/24

Please contact us with questions or to coordinate tree\shrub pick up.

Fall Membership Campaign is still in effect! Learn more here…

Save the date for this tree planting scheduled for Saturday October 19th from 10am-noon

Volunteers will be planting, staking and caging trees. We will provide gloves, tools, and supplies.

More details will be posted ASAP.

We were recently made aware of an older property owner facing a deadline which could impact their ability to achieve a permanent conservation easement along the banks of the Antietam Creek in Washington County, MD. This owner needs to have over 100 trees planted by the end of the month to meet an existing conservation requirement. Volunteers are desperately needed to make this happen!

The deadline for the planting is one that simply can't wait out the rain. We are scheduling a work event for THIS Friday 9/27 from 9am-3pm (or longer if we wish). If we do not get the work finished, we may return to the property the afternoon of Saturday 9/28.

Volunteers will be needed to help...

• Dig holes

• Plant 100+ 1-3 gallon stock trees

• Install tree shelters and stakes

• Assist with minor site preparation needs

EVENT DETAILS: 

Location: 20230 Trovinger Mill Road, Hagerstown

Date & Time: Friday, September 27th, 9am-3pm

Parking: Follow the event signs when you enter the property, please park in the field close to the residence. We recommend carpooling, if possible.

Clothing Recommendations: We expect some wet, grassy fields and mud! Dress accordingly. Wear sturdy waterproof boots. Bring a change of clothes. 

Tools:We will have tools on site for volunteers to use. If you have any of the following, we invite you to bring them along as well: weed whacker, mallets, small hand-held augers, loppers

Bring a snack and a water bottle. ACWA will provide a water bottle refill station and some additional food.