Stream Team Leaders
Rock Creek’s streams are vital to the health of the watershed and surrounding communities. A major threat to these waterways is stormwater runoff, which carries pollution directly into Rock Creek. Rock Creek stewards can help protect water quality and aquatic habitat by becoming a Stream Team Leader.
Stream Team Leaders are neighborhood-based volunteers who function as the eyes and ears of the Rock Creek watershed. Leaders host cleanups and other conservation activities, conduct outreach, and otherwise help to educate and promote the broader Rock Creek community around stewardship best practices regarding stormwater runoff. We work closely with the National Park Service and Montgomery County Parks to mobilize teams along the full 33-mile length of Rock Creek.
Stream Team Leader Goals
Reduce Stormwater Volume
Promote participation in local stormwater programs such as RiverSmart (DC) and RainScapes (Montgomery County).
Encourage the adoption of green infrastructure and conservation landscaping practices.
Reduce Stormwater Pollution
Participate in water quality monitoring programs and share results.
Educate neighbors about behaviors that impact water quality, including:
Pet waste disposal, fertilizer use, and road and sidewalk salt application.
Prevent and Remove Litter
Prospective Stream Team Leaders
Stream Team Leader training provides individuals with the knowledge, skills, and tools needed to help engage community members through outreach and education, and to act as community stewards. Stream team leaders are asked to lead at least two stewardship actions per year and must report activities and volunteer service hours to Rock Creek Conservancy.
To become a certified Stream Team Leader, you must:
Be 18 years or older, OR accompanied by a parent or guardian
Attend Stream Team Leader training
Be recertified annually attending an Event Leadership training session.
Examples of Stream Team Leader Activities
Upcoming Trainings:
Current Stream Team Leaders
To schedule an event, email volunteer@rockcreekconservancy.org with the time, date, and location of your event at least 2 weeks in advance.
Stream Team Leaders must report stewardship activities and volunteer service hours to: volunteer@rockcreekconservancy.org
To maintain certification, Stream Team Leaders must attend an annual Event Leadership training session and host two events each year.
2025 Stream Leader Impact
In 2025, Stream Team Leaders demonstrated the power of people-powered restoration and made a measurable impact on the health of Rock Creek. Thank you for your year-round service to the community!
55
Volunteer Events
764
Volunteers Engaged
2,112
Volunteer hours served at events
7,995
lbs of litter removed
Help Support Extreme Cleanup
Each April, Stream Team Leaders help support the Annual Rock Creek Extreme Cleanup during Earth Month. This annual event, which is part of the Alice Ferguson Foundation’s Annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup, engages thousands of volunteers each year and helps prevent litter from entering the streams and rivers Stream Team Leaders are essential to Extreme Cleanup, leading sites, engaging volunteers, and expanding stewardship across the watershed.
