Tag: environment
County to spray Mason District Park to eradicate fall cankerworms
Fall cankerworm caterpillars. [Virginia Department of Forestry photo] Fairfax County urban foresters will begin aerial spraying to suppress fall cankerworm caterpillars around the third week in April. A total of 2,200 acres will be treated, including 61 acres in Mason District encompassing the southern half of Mason District Park in Annandale between Oak Hill Drive … Continued
Volunteers needed to help clean up Accotink Creek
Some of the volunteers who helped clean up Accotink Creek in 2013. [Photo by Friends of Accotink Creek.] The annual Potomac Watershed Cleanup takes place in April and May, and the Friends of Accotink Creek (FAC) are seeking volunteers to join the effort. Spending a spring day clearing out litter and making our streams a … Continued
Students invited to take part in environmental film festival
Students are encouraged to participate in the Green Inspirations Environmental Film Festival next month during Earth Week at the Cinema Arts Theatre in Fairfax. Green Inspirations is sponsored by the Fairfax County Restoration Project (FCRP) and is aimed at raising the profile of Earth Week in Fairfax County. People who are unable to participate in … Continued
Beautify your yard with organic gardening
A garden created by Prior Unity Garden. By Marie Reinsdorf If you are not yet growing some of your own food in your backyard, you can do it—and in such a way that your food plants are part of beautiful landscaping. Debby Ward offered lots of advice on how to do that in a presentation … Continued
Just World Festival brings cultural awareness to Annandale community
Peter Ter urges Annandale HS students to give back. Students and community members gathered at Annandale High School Friday afternoon to share cultural experiences and showcase organizations and projects aimed at creating a better world. The highlight of the school’s Just World Festival was an inspiring talk by Peter Ter, one of the Lost Boys … Continued
State lawmakers update Annandale residents on actions in Richmond
Virginia General Assembly For the Democratic legislators that represent the Annandale/Mason area in the Virginia General Assembly, it’s been nearly impossible to get anything passed by the Republican-controlled House of Delegates. Nevertheless, Del. Kaye Kory, Sen. Dave Marsden, and Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw have been able to make some limited progress, they told constituents … Continued
Native seedling sale under way
Winterberry Using native plants in your landscaping protects water and air quality, helps attract wildlife, conserve energy, reduces carbon emissions, and can even help you save time and money. Native plants use less water and are more resistant to damage and disease than imported plants and protect water quality through better drainage. The Northern Virginia … Continued
Park Authority planning trail improvements at Lake Accotink
Lake Accotink dam [Park Authority photo]. The Fairfax County Park Authority is planning trail improvements at Lake Accotink Park in Springfield, including an elevated walkway over the dam outfall. A public meeting to discuss the project will be held Jan. 27, at 7 p.m., at Braddock Hall, 9002 Burke Lake Road in Burke. The existing … Continued
Small environmental group focusing on stream conservation makes a big splash
Wakefield Run before the restoration project started. Friends of Accotink Creek (FAC) has been named 2013 “Cooperator of the Year” by the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District (NVSWCD). FAC is an all-volunteer organization committed to protecting and restoring water quality in a major waterway that flows through the Annandale area and drains into … Continued
Major sewage spill at Holmes Run and Cameron Run
Dead fish in Dora Kelley Nature Park. [Photo by Mark Kelly.] UPDATE: A notice from Fairfax County urges people to avoid Holmes Run stream between Columbia Pike and Dowden Terrace. A sanitary sewer line has broke at Holmes Run, and the City of Alexandria has published a warning urging people to “avoid contact with waters … Continued
Public invited to free workshop on preserving watersheds
Rain barrels don’t have to be boring. Learn how you can help protect, preserve, and improve local watersheds at a free workshop Saturday, Oct. 5, at Northern Virginia Community College’s Annandale campus. Educational presentations on the value of the watershed and how to promote sustainable practices will take place in the Ernst Center, 10 a.m.-4 … Continued
Overuse of pesticides is killing off bees essential for pollination
Dead bees under trees sprayed in a mall in Wilsonville, Ore. [Photo by Rich Hatfield of the Xerces Society.] By Deanna Crumbling In Wilsonville, Ore., on June 17, it was discovered that a chemical weapon of mass destruction had left over 25,000 carcasses in the parking lot of a shopping center, and the bodies were … Continued
Volunteers needed for Accotink Creek cleanups
Volunteers with some of the tires and trash taken out of local streams. (Photo from Friends of Accotink Creek.] Community associations, nonprofits, employee groups, religious institutions, scout groups, students needing community service hours, and anyone who cares about having clean, healthy, litter-free waterways are encouraged to join the 2013 International Coastal Cleanup, beginning next Saturday. … Continued
FXCO orders community to plant 400 trees and shrubs – or be penalized
The site in dispute is between the Glen Forest Pool and Long Branch Creek. When residents of Glen Forest in Bailey’s Crossroads decided to clean up a vacant area next to the community pool—clearing out poison ivy and other vines—to provide a nice, safe space for picnics and children’s recreation, they had no idea they … Continued
Opponents of I-95 ramp continuing to press for pollution monitoring
Pylons for the ramp are under construction. After months of trying to get government officials to halt construction of a ramp on Interstate 95 between the Edsall Road and Route 236 exits, members of the citizen advocacy group Concerned Residents of Landmark are disappointed that the ramp is being built, but “we haven’t given up,” … Continued