Covering Annandale, Bailey's Crossroads, Lincolnia, and Seven Corners in Fairfax County, Virginia

What’s wrong with moss?

This is the third piece in a three-part series on lawns by Jim McGlone, an urban forest conservationist in the Virginia Department of Forestry. The first piece, published April 9, explored the forces at play in the popularization of the “great American lawn.” The second article, published April 23, described how to keep your lawn … Continued

Annandale schools get grants for environmental projects

Belvedere Elementary School’s outdoor classroom. Two elementary schools in the Annandale area have been awardedgrants for environmental projects from Dominion Power’s foundation. Canterbury Woods Elementary School was awarded $3,500 to create an outdoor classroom and science lab, where students will study the life cycles of seeds and monarch butterflies, learn about the interaction of animals … Continued

Wakefield Run restoration project in Annandale is collaborative effort

A symbolic groundbreaking ceremony was hundreds of feet from Wakefield Run and several weeks before the start of construction. The increasing urbanization of the Annandale area is putting lots pressures on waterways. All the impervious surfaces created by development is causing stormwater to rush into streams causing erosion, but at least one degraded stream is … Continued

Native plants to be rescued before Wakefield Run restoration project starts

Mayapple, one of the native plants to be saved. Friends of Accotink Creek (FAC) is seeking volunteers to help rescue native plants along Wakefield Run before a major restoration project starts on July 24. The $440,000 project is aimed at curbing erosion caused by runoff from the beltway and stabilizing the stream bed. Wakefield Run … Continued

VA lt. governor candidates Chopra and Northam square off in debate

Left to right: Aneesh Chopra, moderator Rex Simmons, and Ralph Northam. The two candidates running in the Democratic primary for Virginia lieutenant governor—Aneesh Chopra and Ralph Northam—agree on a lot of key policy issues, such as women’s access to healthcare and the need to curb gun violence. One area where they differ is campaign tactics. … Continued

VDOT is failing to play fair in the I-395 ramp pollution issue

Virginia Secretary of Transportation Sean Connaughton (left) with local residents at the ramp site. Residents of the Landmark area are “deeply disappointed” in VDOT’s failure to address their concerns about the impact of dangerously high levels of pollution resulting from a new ramp on Interstate 395. Virginia Secretary of Transportation Sean Connaughton, Fairfax County Chair … Continued

VDOT chief will consider I-395 ramp alternatives but won’t delay the project

At the ramp site, left to right: VDOT Chief Engineer Garrett Moore, Transportation Secretary Sean Connaughton, Alexandria Mayor William Euille, and Fairfax County Chair Sharon Bulova. Virginia Secretary of Transportation Sean Connaughton told residents of the Landmark area opposed to a ramp on Interstate 395 April 26 that he will consider their request to consider … Continued

Students at Montessori School plant donated trees

Students at the Falls Church campus of the Montessori School of Northern Virginia celebrated Arbor Day a bit early, as they helped plant trees donated by Casey Trees, a Washington, D.C.-based  non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the tree canopy. Casey has planted over 12,000 trees in the District since its founding in 2002. The trees … Continued