Fort Slocum Mini-oasis
The Fort Slocum Mini-Oasis contains all of the forested area within Fort Slocum Park. Fort Slocum is an important piece of Washington’s Civil War history and today serves as a peaceful retreat for its neighbors in nearby Manor Park and Brightwood Park.
Fun Fact
Fort Slocum hasn’t always been a forest - it was built as part of the Civil War Defenses of Washington in September 1861, and housed 25 artillery pieces.
Size: 15.12 acres
Status: Restoration in progress
Primary issue: Invasive plant cover and a declining tree canopy threaten the future of Fort Slocum’s forest.
Site Description
The Fort Slocum Mini-Oasis has been stewarded by Conservancy staff, volunteers, and Weed Warriors since 2021. The forest consists of a chestnut oak dominant canopy and associated understory plants including deerberry. Invasive vines provide a high degree of cover on the forest edge and light gaps, and a wide variety of invasive shrubs can be found throughout the forest. The site also features what was historically a meadow, which is naturally converting into an invasive shrub thicket.
Upcoming Work
Invasive Plant Removal: Conservancy volunteers and staff regularly remove invasive vegetation across Fort Slocum, including English ivy, bush honeysuckle, and Japanese honeysuckle.
Join us at an upcoming event to learn more about this mini-oasis and support its restoration. As events are scheduled, they will be added to the calendar below. If none are available at this time, we encourage you to view our full calendar here for more volunteer opportunities.
Restoration History
DOEE Restoring Targeted Natural Areas Grant: Through a District of Columbia Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) grant, the Conservancy received funding for invasive plant management by Conservancy staff. This successful grant has supported the removal of thousands of square feet of invasive vegetation and brought park visitors to Fort Slocum to participate in non-service activities like birding and forest bathing. In 2022, this grant allowed the Conservancy to hire two Summer Fellows who performed manual and mechanical management of invasive plants, marking the first restoration work done at the site in recent history.
Rock Creek Conservation Corps: The Rock Creek Conservation Corps have contributed to significant invasive plant management across the site, especially the removal of dense, impenetrable multiflora rose thickets and vine cover on trees.
Before Restoration
During Restoration
After Restoration
