Stream Stewards Volunteer Program
Want to help protect our local waters? Learn more about our different volunteer opportunities below. Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection provides necessary supplies and staff support for all volunteer activities*.
* Note: we cannot provide resources for these projects if the proposed location is in a park, on a highway, or in the City of Rockville, Gaithersburg, or Takoma Park.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Organize a Community Cleanup
Become a hero of your community by organizing a community cleanup in a spot that needs it! If you know a location in the County that has a litter issue, help keep our environment clean by hosting a cleanup event. We can provide free supplies, staff assistance the day of the event, and trash removal; help promote the event for volunteers to sign up; and coordinate Student Service Learning forms for MCPS student volunteers who may need one.
Join Our Plogging Program
What is plogging? It started as a fitness trend in Sweden! People picked up trash while jogging to better enjoy their route. Then they posted photos of themselves jogging and picking up trash to challenge others to do the same! The term “Plogging” is a combination of two Swedish words: “plocka upp” (to pick up) and “jogga” (to jog). The trend became popular on social media with everyone posting their photos and using #plogging.
Want to plog? We are encouraging people to pick up trash individually in an area you choose (maybe where you already go for a walk?) by providing free supplies. Plogging is easy, some people may realize they have been plogging for a long time already. Start reporting your work to us and pick up supplies to make it easier! We can all make a difference in reducing trash pollution together by plogging in our local neighborhoods.
Participate in a Storm Drain Marking
Storm Drain Marking is an excellent program for small teams of two or large groups. Markers are installed quickly and easily using permanent adhesive. Help change behavior by organizing a storm drain marking project in your neighborhood! All materials needed for the project are provided.
Lead a Storm Drain Art Program
Do you want to help protect the environment? Do you enjoy art? Do you want to use art to help protect the environment? Then the Storm Drain Art Program might be for you!
What is Storm Drain Art?
The Storm Drain Art Program uses art to educate the public about the connection between our storm drains, streams, and the bay and inspires the protection of our communities, environment, and waterways. The program reaches both participants involved in the painting itself as well as others in the community who see the art and messaging.
All storm drain art must be done under the direction of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). DEP has overseen the painting of storm drains at schools, as well as in commercial, residential, and public areas, since 2015. The department provides all materials (paint, brushes, etc.) and on-site staff support to help facilitate the project. Read on to learn more about the program.
What is the process for a Storm Drain Art Program?
Generally, the steps for a storm drain art program are as follows:
- A storm drain is identified to be painted.
- Montgomery County DEP obtains permission to paint the drain (depending on where the drain is located, the people we need to contact will differ).
- Once we obtain permission, a date is set for the painting event.
- A design is chosen (this is either a design from the "library" of designs we have preapproved OR many groups have had success running a community/school art contest to pick a design).
- On the day of the event, DEP provides materials (paints, brushes, etc.) and on-site staff support to help facilitate the project.
- The storm drain art is maintained by DEP. We conduct inspections and may coordinate repainting efforts as needed.
Who can participate in a Storm Drain Art Program? Can I receive SSL hours?
Anyone who lives in Montgomery County is welcome to participate in this program! Volunteers under the age of 13 must be accompanied by an adult. Students can receive SSL hours for this program.
How many people can participate? How many drains can we paint?
The number of people that can participate in a storm drain painting program is dependent on the age of the volunteers, the size of the drains, and how many drains are being painted. Normally, we recommend no more than 7-8 youth working on one medium sized drain and no more than 4-5 adults.
To equitably share our resources across the county, we normally will not paint more than two drains during one program.
Do you have a school green team or other large group of volunteers and want to participate in this program? We may still be able to work with you! Feel free to reach out so we can see how best we might accommodate your group.
Where in the county can storm drains be painted? How do we get permission to paint?
The Storm Drain Marking Program paints drains across the county on:
- Private property with written permission from the property owner
- Homeowner’s Association (HOA) property with written permission from the HOA and communication with the community regarding the program
- County property where drains are managed by Montgomery County’s Department of Transportation (DOT); DEP receives permission from DOT.
- Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) property; DEP receives permission from MCPS.
The Storm Drain Marking Program does NOT paint drains:
- Managed/owned by Washington Suburban Sanity Commission (WSSC), Montgomery Parks, or any municipality located in Montgomery County (City of Gaithersburg, City of Rockville, and City of Takoma Park).
How do I select the right storm drain(s) for my program?
A good place to start is the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (DOT) Storm Drain Map, MC-StormNET.
This is good both for finding the locations of drains, as well as clicking on them to get information on ownership (county or private, etc.)
When picking a drain, we also recommend drains that are highly visible, but won't get walked on directly (if possible). If you want to paint more than one drain, we recommend they be relatively close together.
What kind of things can I paint?
Get creative! The art on the drain should be aesthetically pleasing, not overly complex so that it can be painted by volunteers, and include a message you would like to communicate about water quality, pollution, and our streams.
Check out some storm drain art from the program here: Montgomery County DEP Storm Drain Art Flickr Album
What materials are provided by the county?
The county provides all materials needed for the program. This includes but is not limited to: paint (the same kind used to paint roads), painting supplies (brushes, mixing containers, water, etc.), and safety supplies (traffic cones, neon vests, etc.).
What does the program timeline look like?
To secure supplies, obtain required permissions, and schedule a painting day, programs should be scheduled at least two months in advance.
Programs occur, weather permitting, March-October and take approximately 4 hours. Painting can occur anytime during the week, depending on volunteer and staff availability. Prior to painting day, a white or blue (depending on the design) base layer of paint will be applied to the drain(s).
On painting day, DEP staff will provide all supplies, a sketch of the design should be applied to the base layer using pencil, and then painting can begin!
What happens after the drain is painted?
We go back as needed or at least every 5 years to retouch the art. We may also coordinate repainting efforts with the group we partnered with to paint the drain initially. This could even result in a new painting event which is another great opportunity to educate participants and residents in the community about storm drains, stormwater runoff, and water pollution.