Ward 8 Woods grew out of the Committee to Restore Shepherd Parkway, an all-volunteer effort begun in 2011 as part of the Congress Heights Community Association. During volunteer trash clean-ups, residents frequently asked about paid employment. The obvious demand for work opportunities inspired our signature Park Steward program, which employs Ward 8 residents who face barriers to employment in the hard work of remediating trash and invasive species.  

The success of that 2018 pilot program (sponsored by the Anacostia Coordinating Council) led to incorporation of the Ward 8 Woods Conservancy as an independent nonprofit organization.  

In our first year, we received a Climate and Energy Leadership Award from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and a District Sustainability Award from the D.C. Department of Energy and the Environment.  

We are the de facto caretakers of more than 500 acres of urban forest in Ward 8, including Shepherd Parkway, Fort Stanton Park, Oxon Run Parkway and Suitland Parkway. Our work has also expanded to include neighboring areas in Ward 7 and Prince George’s County, Maryland. 

 In six years of work, our crew and volunteers have removed more than 1.5 million pounds of trash and cut invasive vines from over 7,000 trees. 

To address the root causes of dumping and littering, in 2021 we launched the #CleanItClaimIt campaign. 

As part of our mission to connect people to nature, we also run a garden program in partnership with Martin Luther King Elementary School.  

We also engage in advocacy for policies that heal the land and empower people. Our efforts center on three issue areas: parks and planning, local environmental laws, and stopping deforestation.