Tag: nature
Community members explore the future Annandale Greenway
Loki leads the way as participants in the Annandale Greenway Inaugural Walk leave Green Spring Gardens and head toward Braddock Road. About 30 people went on the Annandale Greenway Inaugural Walk Oct. 24, a four-mile trek along existing trails and sidewalks between Green Spring Gardens and Annandale Community Park. The Annandale Greenway Alliance, an informal … Continued
Conservation group wants to prevent development of vacant Annandale properties
The Annandale properties up for auction are outlined in yellow. Fairfax County has put seven adjoining properties totaling 6.7 acres in Mason District up for auction. The land is adjacent to Accotink Creek, and the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust (NVCT) is scrambling to acquire the land so it can’t be developed. The seven parcels are … Continued
A spotted lanternfly, a dangerous invasive, spotted in Annandale
An adult spotted lanternfly. [Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture] If you see a spotted lanternfly, an invasive insect that has made its way to Virginia, the Fairfax County government wants you to kill it immediately. A “hitchhiker” adult spotted lanternfly was recently found in a shipment of produce at a grocery store in Annandale. There have … Continued
Construction underway on Hidden Oaks expansion project
Construction is underway on an expansion and renovation project at Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Annandale. The $1.2 million project includes 2,000 square feet for new offices and a new multipurpose room, accessible restrooms, an additional exhibition area, and improved stroller parking.
Deer hunting allowed in parks, beginning this Saturday
Signs like this are posted on trees in parks where deer hunting is allowed. Deer season in Fairfax County parks begins this Saturday, Sept. 11, and runs through Feb. 19, 2022. During this period, qualified groups of hunters are authorized to use archery to kill deer in designated areas across the county.
Nature center is getting a makeover
Construction is expected to start soon on an expansion/renovation project at Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Annandale. The $1.2 million project includes new offices, a new multipurpose room, accessible restrooms, an additional exhibition area, and improved stroller parking. The contractor will begin mobilizing on site in August.
Lake Accotink dredging sites could disrupt the Howrey memorial, youth sports, and wildlife habitats
These signs were put up by the Friends of the Soldiers Memorial at Howrey Park. The options under consideration for dredging Lake Accotink are raising alarm bells among residents concerned about the potential environmental destruction and loss of sports fields. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors agreed to fund a $30.5 million dredging project in … Continued
Public urged to stop feeding birds
A sick bluejay found in the D.C. area. [Belinda Burwell] Wildlife officials don’t yet know why so many birds are sick and dying, but they urge residents to stop feeding birds until there are answers. Wildlife managers in Virginia; Washington, D.C.; Maryland; and West Virginia began receiving reports of sick and dying birds with eye … Continued
Cicada lessons at Belvedere featured on TV news
Belvedere students examine a cicada. [Photos: FCPS] By the time the cicadas from Brood X started emerging earlier this month, students at Belvedere Elementary School in Annandale were ready and eager to study them up close. Two environmental educators, a librarian, and a resource teacher have been educating students about the 17-year cicadas for weeks, … Continued
Local photographer turns cicadas into media stars
Many people think of cicadas as creepy and annoying – but they can also be cute, fun, and talented. That’s the positive side of the Brood X invasion highlighted by photographer Oxana Ware of North Arlington.
First cicadas spotted in Annandale
Cicada sighting in Annandale backyard. The first cicadas from Brood X are beginning to emerge from the ground where they’ve spent the last 17 years. If you’re lucky, you might see a cicada or two in your yard now, but in a week or so, a wide swath of the Eastern United States will be … Continued
Visit Fairfax invites the public to play Cicada Bingo
Get ready for a cicada lovefest. [Visit Fairfax] If “Virginia is for Lovers,” the cicadas should feel right at home. When the billions of cicadas in Brood X will emerge next month after spending 17 years underground, they will have one thing on their minds – attracting a mate and producing the next generation.
17 things to know about the 17-year cicada invasion
Soon our yards will be full of cicadas like this one. [Scientific American] As we’re nearing the end of one plague, we’re about to be inundated by another. Billions of cicadas in Brood X, hidden underground for the past 17 years, will emerge across parts of the East Coast and Midwest in May. The D.C. … Continued
Watch the Green Grow program encourages residents to protect the watershed
A native garden in Annandale. Fairfax County residents who take actions to protect the watershed – by not using toxic chemicals on their lawn or replacing invasives with native plants, for example – can chart their efforts on an interactive map. The map is part of the Park Authority’s Watch the Green Grow program, which … Continued
Community members air concerns about plans to use Justice Park as a parking lot for Justice HS
Justice High School PE students use the basketball court at Justice Park. Fairfax County Public School and Park Authority officials have yet to explain to residents the process involved in their plans to pave a section of Justice Park to create a parking lot for Justice High School in Seven Corners. Community members expressed their … Continued