Tag: environment
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Lake Barcroft celebrates Earth Day
Kent Knowles, president of the Raptor Conservancy of Virginia, with a gyrfalcon. Lake Barcroft residents celebrated the community’s seventh annual Earth Day Sunday with a birds of prey demonstration, native plants and seeds, barge rides, and displays from organizations that promote sustainability and protect the environment. Lake Barcroft supports at least 22 fish species, including … Continued
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Environmental education is a big deal at Belvedere Elementary School
Belvedere students at the School Environmental Action Showcase at George Mason University April 6. [Belvedere ES] Belvedere Elementary School is taking the “going green” concept to the next level. In addition to schoolwide recycling and cafeteria composting, students grow fresh vegetables for a food pantry and engage in “food rescue,” in which unopened food and … Continued
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Volunteers clean up Lake Accotink Park
Mountains of trash collected by volunteers at Lake Accotink. [Michael A. Richards] The Spring Cleanup at Lake Accotink Park on April 2 netted an estimated 975 pounds of trash, reports park supervisor Julie Tahan. The cleanup was one of many scheduled for Saturday at parks and streams throughout Fairfax County, including Annandale Community Park, Long … Continued
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Cartons can now be recycled
Cartons can now be recycled in Fairfax County – which means they won’t pile up in landfills. These include packaging for products like juice, milk, cream, egg substitutes, soy milk, broth, and wine – including shelf-stable and refrigerated cartons. Remove the caps and straws from empty cartons and place them in your recycling bin. Cartons … Continued
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County seeks public engagement in litter initiative
Faced with growing piles of litter up around bus stops and no funds for trash pickup, the Fairfax County Department of Solid Waste is asking residents to help out. The department is launching a contest to see which group of bus riders can collect the most trash in plastic bags affixed to the bus stop … Continued
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Invasive insects destroying local ash trees
This pest is killing ash trees. [Emerald Ash Borer Network] If you have an ash tree, it’s most likely infected with the emerald ash borer, an invasive insect that has killed millions of ash trees in the United States since 2003. The Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services is urging residents to … Continued
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Park Authority urged to protect the natural resources at Lake Accotink
The marina area at Lake Accotink. People who enjoy Lake Accotink Park want the natural resources preserved and don’t want more paved surfaces. At least that was the theme of a community meeting March 14 hosted by the Fairfax County Park Authority. More than 130 people crammed into the cafeteria of Cardinal Forest Elementary School … Continued
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Dominion pays customers $50 for removing old refrigerators
Got an old refrigerator or freezer you want to get rid of? Dominion Virginia Power will pick it up at no cost and give you a $50 rebate. The company’s Appliance Recycling Program saves energy by taking inefficient appliances out of service, helps customers cut their utility bills, and reduces the environmental impact of appliance … Continued
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Fairfax County to revise master plan for Lake Accotink
The Fairfax County Park Authority is beginning the process of revising the master plan for Lake Accotink Park. A public meeting on the plan revision will be held March 14, 7 p.m., at Cardinal Forest Elementary School. Fairfax Board Chair Sharon Bulova; supervisors John Cook (Braddock), Jeff McKay (Lee), and Pat Herrity (Springfield); and members … Continued
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Stream restoration project in Pinecrest Golf Course to start this month
Pinecrest Golf Course. The Fairfax County Park Authority expects to begin work in mid-February on renovating a portion of Turkeycock Run within the Pinecrest Golf Course, at 6600 Little River Turnpike in the Alexandria portion of Mason District. The project is being done to stabilize Turkeycock Run to reduce erosion and sedimentation within the watershed. … Continued
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Virginia adopts Rapid Pass on-road vehicle emissions testing
The Rapid Pass system uses instruments in the green boxes on either side of the ramp to test vehicles’ emissions. A new automated vehicle emissions inspection system in place means you no longer have wait in line at a service station. Instead, you drive through an on-road portable Rapid Pass testing location and you don’t … Continued
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Stream restoration projects under way in Wakefield Park
Accotink Creek in Wakefield Park The Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services is carrying out two stream restoration projects at Wakefield Park in Annandale. Work along 3,700 feet in the Accotink Creek watershed area will include the installation of various in-stream structures, a pedestrian bridge crossing, and pipe culverts, as well as … Continued
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Homeowner battling county over land disturbance violation
The Laux backyard with the Calloway development behind the fence. Annandale resident David Laux is fighting a Fairfax County court injunction charging him with violating the building code and plans to take the case to the state Supreme Court. The county charged Laux and his wife Tara with failing to get a permit when they … Continued
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Get free milkwood seeds at Hidden Oaks to help save monarch butterflies
A monarch on milkweed. Have you seen a lot of monarch butterflies this spring? Probably not, because the monarch population is in serious decline. Milkweed plants, the only food monarch caterpillars eat, is fast disappearing due to loss of habitat as vacant land is developed. To help save monarchs, the Hidden Oaks Nature Center in … Continued
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Volunteers needed for meadow project at Americana Park
This grassy field at Americana Park will be transformed into a meadow. Annandale’s Americana Park is getting a facelift. A grassy field in the park that is subject to frequent flooding will be transformed into a meadow while invasive species will be replaced with native plants. Friends of Accotink Creek (FACC) is spearheading a planting … Continued