Three tires, one tire rim, several feet of plastic piping, one air filter, one large flower pot, one Halloween mask, and the remnants of one pinata. On July 16, Cowork Frederick members rolled up their sleeves to help clean the Monocacy River. The effort was chosen by members as this year’s way to give back to the broader Frederick community.

Each year, members of Cowork Frederick volunteer their time and/or expertise to organize and complete a giving back project. Members of Cowork Frederick suggest and then vote on a project. Past projects have included a men’s clothing drive for a shelter (who knew, until a member raised our awareness, that most donated clothing is for women and men are often left in need?), designing, building and promoting a new website for Seed of Life (who helps ensure families in need have farm-fresh produce), and a silent auction that raised over $1000 for the Student Homelessness Initiative Partnership (SHIP) of Frederick County (who provides critical resources and urgent services to the hundreds of Frederick County youth experiencing homelessness each year).

This year the choice was easy. While weighing several options, the team organizing our 2022 Giving Back project learned that fellow Cowork Frederick member Scott Harris had already volunteered to lead the Potomac Conservancy’s first-ever river cleanup in Frederick County and was looking for help. Done!

The Monocacy River forms at the confluence of Marsh Creek and Rock Creek at the Pennsylvania state line and forms the boundary between Frederick and Carroll Counties. From this point the Monocacy flows for 58 miles to the Potomac River. The Monocacy River watershed encompasses some 974 square miles including portions of Frederick County, Carroll County, and Adams County, Pennsylvania and is the largest Maryland tributary to the Potomac River.

“Healthy waterways are critical for many reasons, and it was gratifying to leave a park noticeably cleaner than we found it!”

Scott Harris