Member Highlight: Muddy Branch Alliance
For this Member Highlight, the Coalition's Maryland State Lead, Marisa Olszewski, interviews Janette Rosenbaum, President at Muddy Branch Alliance. Their edited conversation follows.
Tell us about your organization and your mission.
The goal of the Muddy Branch Alliance is to protect the vulnerable natural environment that surrounds our stream in central Maryland. From Gaithersburg, through North Potomac and eventually to the Potomac River, we want to ensure that the natural spaces in our area flourish into the future. As stewards of the Muddy Branch Watershed, we are committed to maintaining its water quality, natural habitat and ecological well-being. We do this by bringing neighbors together to build awareness, improve its natural habitat, and enhance the community's enjoyment of the many creeks and streams within the watershed.
What is one of your current projects you are the most excited about?
I'm very excited about our HOA partnership project! We are working with homeowners' associations in our area to help them transition lawn areas to native plant gardens. We're creating communications materials that will guide HOA leaders through parts of the process, allowing us to scale our efforts—and we're leveraging our learnings to replicate the program with other organizations nationwide! We are very grateful to the Chesapeake Bay Trust and the University of Maryland Environmental Finance Center for their invaluable assistance.
What issue area do you hope to focus on in the future? How is it relevant for clean water restoration?
We want to do more advocacy. This year, we've worked with partners to call for the cancellation of a proposed highway expansion that threatens our stream and its greenway. We've also joined our Coalition allies in asking the Bay states to renew and strengthen the Chesapeake Bay Agreement. We love engaging neighbors in litter cleanups and Weed Warrior events; these actions make an immediate visible difference for our stream. But advocacy is crucial for addressing systemic problems like climate change, excessive runoff, and the ongoing influx of invasive species, which are the major threats to clean water in our area.
What do you hope to gain from being a member of the Coalition?
The Coalition has been an incredible source of information, inspiration, and strategic guidance. With the help of Coalition leaders and partners, we know what to advocate for and how to advocate for it—and we know we have allies on our side. It's been great to share knowledge and stories with our friends all around the Chesapeake Bay region.
Muddy Branch Alliance President Janette Rosenbaum at the opening of an Izaak Walton League Rain Garden and Meadow.
