Tag: environment | Page 11 | Annandale Today

Cartons can now be recycled

April 3, 2016

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

County seeks public engagement in litter initiative

April 1, 2016

#environment, #litter

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

Invasive insects destroying local ash trees

March 24, 2016

#environment, #gardening, #nature, #wildlife

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

Park Authority urged to protect the natural resources at Lake Accotink

March 15, 2016

#environment, #Lake Accotink, #nature, #parks, #trails

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

Dominion pays customers $50 for removing old refrigerators

March 12, 2016

#Dominion Power, #environment, #utilities

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

Fairfax County to revise master plan for Lake Accotink

February 26, 2016

#community events, #environment, #Lake Accotink, #nature, #parks, #Recreation, #streams, #water

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

Stream restoration project in Pinecrest Golf Course to start this month

February 11, 2016

#environment, #infrastructure, #parks, #stormwater, #streams, #water

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

Virginia adopts Rapid Pass on-road vehicle emissions testing

January 16, 2016

#cars, #environment, #state government, #traffic, #transportation

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

Stream restoration projects under way in Wakefield Park

October 23, 2015

#environment, #infrastructure, #parks, #stormwater, #streams, #trails

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

Homeowner battling county over land disturbance violation

July 1, 2015

#courts, #environment, #housing, #land use, #water

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

Get free milkwood seeds at Hidden Oaks to help save monarch butterflies

June 2, 2015

#animals, #environment, #gardening, #nature, #wildlife

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

Volunteers needed for meadow project at Americana Park

March 27, 2015

#environment, #gardening, #parks, #stormwater, #volunteers

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

Beautify your yard with native plants

March 4, 2015

#environment, #gardening, #nature

Silky dogwood The Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District is selling packs of seedlings in an effort to spread native plants throughout the region. Native plants use less water, attract wildlife, protect air and water quality, and bring beauty to your landscaping. They are also more disease resistant than imported plants. There are two … Continued

Improvements to Green Spring Gardens proposed

February 1, 2015

#environment, #gardening, #land use, #nature, #parks

Looking forward to spring at Green Spring. Several people who spoke at a meeting on improving Green Spring Gardens Jan. 29 urged the Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) to keep the trees on a 2.5-acre piece of land that’s been added to the park. The meeting launched FCPA’s efforts to revise the Master Plan for … Continued

Plastic bag tax fails in Virginia General Assembly

January 22, 2015

#environment, #state government, #streams, #taxes

Plastic bags clog a stream feeding into the Chesapeake Bay. By Elizabeth Kirchner Despite widespread grassroots support and the possibility of about $20 million in annual revenue dedicated to Chesapeake Bay cleanup efforts, a bill establishing a 5-cent “plastic bag tax” failed to get out of committee Jan 21. The bill, introduced in the Virginia … Continued