D.C.'s river warriors.

The cleanup of Washington D.C.'s Anacostia River continues (see "Washington's Forgotten River," In Brief, January/February 2004). This past Earth Day 1,500 people pulled more than 40 tons of garbage from the watershed. The Anacostia Watershed Society, which organized the cleanup, also continues to reach out to the community through programs such as Rice Rangers. This three-year project will recruit teachers and students to plant native rice plants in an effort to improve wildlife habitats along the river. Bills seeking to protect and revitalize the Anacostia are under review in Congress and in the chambers of local D.C. government. Mary Jane Goodrick, a project director at the advocacy group DC Appleseed Center, says, "Having legislation dealing with the Anacostia River's restoration before both the D.C. Council and on Capitol Hill shows progress toward recognizing the necessity of a multi-jurisdictional approach, which is the only way these efforts can possibly succeed." CONTACT: Anacostia Watershed Society, [phone], www.anacostiaws.org; DC Appleseed Center, [phone], www.dcappleseed.org.