News & Updates
Joan Had Some Work Done
In the first week of November, Rock Creek Conservancy restored the Joan of Arc Statue in Meridian Hill Park, also known as Malcolm X Park. The project was possible with support from the Jeanne d'Arc Foundation of Le Lyceum Société des Femmes de France à New York via the New York Community Trust.
The restoration work included:
Replacing a missing part of the spur and part of the bridle on the statue’s left side.
Repairing minor cracks in the granite base.
Treating the bronze statue with hot wax to remove minor rust.
“While most people think of Rock Creek Park as a forested oasis, it is also home to many culturally significant landmarks and monuments like the Joan of Arc Statue,” Superintendent Brian Joyner said. “Philanthropic partners like Rock Creek Conservancy play a vital role in helping the National Park Service care for special features like Joan.”
The Joan of Arc Statue is the only equestrian statue of a woman in Washington, DC. Joan of Arc was a heroic French figure who claimed to receive religious visions telling her to fight for France and overthrow the English during the Hundred Years' War. Upon her capture and trial at the hands of the English, she was burned at the stake, leading the Catholic Church to recognize her as a martyr in 1456. She was canonized in 1920. The statue in Meridian Hill Park is a copy of the original at the Rheims Cathedral. It was a gift from the Society of French Women in Exile in New York, and approval for the statue occurred under an act of Congress on March 20, 1922. The Ministre des Beaux Arts in Paris supervised the casting of the statue and it was placed in Meridian Hill Park in 1922.
Rock Creek Conservancy is the philanthropic and stewardship partner to the entirety of Rock Creek Park and the only organization that serves as the voice of the Rock Creek watershed. With strong community support, the Conservancy engages more than 4,500 volunteers each year in forest restoration and watershed protection. In addition, the Conservancy provides philanthropic support and services like the restoration of the Joan of Arc Statue.
$1.02 million for Forest Resilience in Rock Creek from Inflation Reduction Act
Rock Creek Park is excited to embark on a project with Rock Creek Conservancy and funded by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to promote the regeneration of the park's forests. This project is the first implementation of the soon-to-be-released Forest Resilience Framework, which will guide the rehabilitation and restoration of the park's forest after years of deer overbrowsing and as the region's climate changes. It builds on five years of collaborative success, at 33 acres of restoration sites ('mini-oases'), where people-powered restoration has removed invasive plants and the planting of native species, helping to regenerate the forests of Rock Creek Park.
This project is part of a National Park Service investment of $195 million in Inflation Reduction Act funding to restore and build resilience in the lands and waters that serve as important wildlife and native plant habitats, spaces for recreation and reflection, and memorials to our nation’s history. In the National Capital Region, an estimated $13 million will be invested with $1.02 million of these funds helping foster forest resilience and restore native grasslands in Rock Creek Park.
Learn more about forest resilience for Rock Creek Park at www.rockcreekconservancy.org/forests.
The full press release from the National Capital Region is below.
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PRESS RELEASE: Faces of the Forest: Frontline of Resilience
Artist Sophia McCrocklin gives voice to the forest through the “Faces of the Forest” Collection.
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2023 IMPACT REPORT
Thanks to you, Rock Creek and its parklands are being restored for all people to appreciate and protect. Learn more about your impact in 2023:
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PRESS RELEASE: New Board Members 2024
January 17, 2023
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2023 Fall Current Newsletter
Stories from the field, project spotlights, and more! Check out the latest Rock Creek Conservancy Current to learn more.
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2022 Impact Report
Whether you volunteered or made a gift (or both!), you made an impact on Rock Creek and its parklands in 2022, including:
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Raise Your Voice for Forest Health
September 22, 2022
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Celebrating Bill Yeaman's 50 Years of Service
September 22, 2022
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Press Release: Redesignation of Rock Creek Resources Names for Melvin Hazen
February 23, 2022
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Press Release: 2022 MLK Weekend of Service
January 14, 2022
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Press Release: 2022 New Board Members and Board Chair
January 10, 2022
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2021 Impact Report
January 1, 2022
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New Year Resolutions that Protect Rock Creek
December 27, 2021
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Rock Creek-Friendly Ways to Prepare for Winter Weather
December 20, 2021
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Letter to Congressmember Norton: Melvin Hazen Designation
March 16, 2021
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Protect Rock Creek This Spring with Proper Fertilizer Use
March 11, 2021
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Bacteria monitoring and Recreate responsibly
August 11, 2021
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RC3 Celebrates A Successful In-Person Summer of People-Powered Restoration!
August 10, 2021