Within the urban landscape of Washington, DC's Ward 8 are over 500 acres of eastern hardwood forest. These federal and city-owned parklands include the remains of Civil War fortifications, dramatic hills and ravines, and diverse plant and animal life.  

Unfortunately, decades of neglect have left these lands with millions of pounds of trash, extreme infestations of invasives vines, and very little public access or use. This is an environmental injustice. 

Building on the successful restoration work done by the Committee to Restore Shepherd Parkway since 2011, the Ward 8 Woods project expands that work to the three other large wooded areas in Ward 8: Ft. Stanton Park, Oxon Run Parkway, and Suitland Parkway. 

Since July 2018, a crew of Ward 8 residents has removed more than 35,000 pounds of trash, cut invasive vines from hundreds of trees, and begun outreach to residents of surrounding neighborhoods. 

Our Park Stewards earn much-need income, gain valuable knowledge and skills, and become ambassadors for Ward 8 parks.  

$1,500 will fund 100 hours of work by our crew to remove trash and invasives species from Suitland Parkway, the over 100-acres of city-owned wooded hillsides that flank the busy roadway.

Those funds will go directly into the pockets of low-income Ward 8 residents and will bring us that much closer to our vision of  a health, vibrant forests for all to enjoy.

Anacostia Coordinating Council, Inc. is fiscal agent for the Ward 8 Woods project.