About Us
Rock Creek Conservancy is a watershed organization protecting Rock Creek and the philanthropic and stewardship partner to the entirety of Rock Creek (National) Park. The Conservancy’s mission is to restore Rock Creek and its parklands as a natural oasis for all people to appreciate and protect.
Rock Creek Conservancy is the only organization dedicated solely to Rock Creek and its parks. The creek meanders 33 miles through Montgomery County and Washington, DC, crossing federal lands as well as District, city, county, and state boundaries.
As the voice of Rock Creek and friends group to Rock Creek (national) park, the Conservancy:
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Recruits and trains volunteers who become environmental stewards
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Empowers the next generation of Rock Creek stewards through paid summer service learning
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Educates park visitors about ways to reduce impacts on Rock Creek while enjoying the park
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Restores mini-oases as demonstrations of the restoration needed throughout the park
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Advocates for the protection of the watershed and Rock Creek Park
Rock Creek Conservancy Staff
We work through a combination of education and advocacy. Our strategy is to build partnerships with government agencies, nonprofit organizations, community groups, and residents to work together to preserve Rock Creek for present and future generations.
Rock Creek Conservancy is recognized as a 501(c)(3) organization by the Internal Revenue Service and files IRS Form 990 each year.
Our Commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion
Our Goal: The Conservancy’s mission is to “restore Rock Creek and its parklands as a natural oasis for all people to appreciate and protect.” 'For all people:’ means that every single person in the Rock Creek community feels invited to participate meaningfully, and that those who choose to participate feel welcomed and included.
Through our work, we constantly strive to make our places and the systems around them more just and equitable. Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) is embedded in everything we do, not a thing we do. We believe that making our organization (staff, Board, marketing materials, etc.) more representative of the Rock Creek community will accelerate this work.
How we View Diversity: When speaking about diversity, the Conservancy thinks expansively – race, gender, sexual orientation, geography, ability, and more.
Strategic Direction
Building on 15 years of impact on behalf of and in Rock Creek, the Conservancy’s 2021-2025 strategic plan continues our unique model of people-powered restoration, considers the intersection with climate change, and embeds equity into all of our work. As the friends group to the entirety of Rock Creek Park, the Conservancy renews its commitment to building the necessary support for the natural, cultural, educational, and recreational resources of the park and using this urban oasis as a springboard for community stewardship.
2023 Impact Report
Whether you volunteered or made a gift (or both!), you made an impact on Rock Creek and its parklands in 2023, including:
History
In 2011, the organization changed its name to Rock Creek Conservancy to better reflect the full scope of people-powered restoration its programs entails.