Normanstone Mini-Oasis
The Normanstone Mini-Oasis is located at the intersection of the Rock Creek & Potomac Parkway and the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge. It is the Conservancy’s southernmost mini-oasis, and located along Rock Creek, this site acts as the last buffer before stormwater runoff enters the creek.
Fun Fact
This site has been in our restoration roster since 2017. A portion of this site is the area of the Rock Creek Conservancy, NPS-ROCR, and Casey Tree’s Centennial Challenge Cost Share Project. For this project, Rock Creek Conservancy donated funds that were matched by the National Park Service for large-scale invasive plant removal contracting that was completed in 2018.
Size: 7.29 acres
Status: Restoration in progress
Primary issue: Invasive plants and lack of understory
Site Description
The Normanstone Mini-Oasis has been stewarded by Conservancy staff and volunteers since 2017. The site features a large collection of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants but is overtaken by non-native invasive plants. Two trails transect the site, which is popular for hikers, runners, and dog walkers.
Upcoming Work
Tree Maintenance: The site requires weeding, mulching, and maintaining fencing around planted trees and shrubs to ensure their success. Many trees are starting to outgrow their deer protective cages.
Invasive Plant Removal: Conservancy volunteers support the continued removal of invasive vines including porcelain berry and English ivy, as well as shade tolerant invasive shrubs and grasses, with the goal of reducing groundcover and freeing all trees of vines.
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
2021-2022 Grass seeding: As an important cultural landscape in Rock Creek Park, Normanstone cannot be replanted as a forest. In an effort to prevent continual regeneration by invasive vines in the seed bank, Conservancy staff seeded portions of the mini-oasis with tall fescue, which helps to stabilize the soil and provide cultural control for future invasions.
2021 Rock Creek Conservation Corps: Rock Creek Conservation Corps members spent part of their 2021 summer season maintaining restoration plantings by removing vines from protective cages and watering across the site.
2016-2017 Bush Honeysuckle Removal: Targeted bush honeysuckle removal completed by Conservancy volunteers in 2016 and 2017.
2015 Tree Planting with Casey Trees: As a part of the Centennial Challenge, a portion of this site was planted with native tree species to support the overall health of the forest.
