Tag: nature
New environmental group will advocate for protection of Holmes Run waterway
Holmes Run overflowed its banks after torrential rains July 8. [Photos by Kris Unger] A newly formed organization, Friends of Holmes Run, plans to keep an eye on development at the Inova site on Gallows Road, at Fairview Parkway in Merrifield, and other sites near the Holmes Run waterway. “We are concerned about human impacts … Continued
Hidden Oaks invites community to Woodland Wonders Tree Art Open House June 1
A drawing of the tree sculpture. The community is invited to an open house at the Hidden Oaks Nature Center June 1 to raise money for an art project to be created from a tree stump. At the Woodland Wonders Tree Art Open House, at 7701 Royce St., Annandale, 1-3 p.m., attendees can meet chainsaw … Continued
Swarm gathers on a Bee-M-W
Bees congregate on a car. [FCFRD] When someone contacted the West Annandale Fire Station about a bee swarm on a BMW parked at an office complex April 30, Capt. Dave Weand know what to do. “At times, people call the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department for a variety of non-fire or emergency medical situations … Continued
Chainsaw artist will transform a tree trunk at nature center
This tree was cut down in March. The 10-foot trunk remaining after a huge tulip poplar was cut down at the Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Annandale will become a work of art. Chainsaw artist Andrew Mallon, who has transformed tree trunks into dragons, wizards, and cats other in Annandale and nearby communities, will carve woodland … Continued
Native seedling sale under way
Persimmons [NVSWCD] The Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District’s annual seedling sale started Feb. 1. In keeping with this year’s theme, Incredible Edibles, the sale features native shrubs and trees that provide fruit, berries, and nuts for wildlife, and in some cases, treats for humans. Seedlings can be ordered online by April 2 or … Continued
Every bit of unused land doesn’t need to be developed: Conservation Trust offers an alternative
By Alan Rowsome, executive director of the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust. As residents of Northern Virginia, we’re witnessing our communities develop rapidly with an influx of new businesses that are soon to call this region home. There are many positives to living and working in such a thriving area, but it is also crucial that … Continued
Sediment from Inova project is damaging the watershed
Sediment from the Inova construction site is flowing into streams. [Photos by Kris Unger] Construction at the Inova Center for Personalized Health and related projects on Gallows Road on the former Exxon Mobil site is causing large amounts of sediment to flow into streams and is thus compromising the Holmes Run watershed. While some efforts have … Continued
County will repave part of Cross County Trail
The Cross County Trail The Fairfax County Park Authority will begin construction to improve the surface of the Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail between King Arthur Road and Woodburn Road in Annandale this month. The trail will be repaved with asphalt and concrete, and several culverts will be replaced. The project is expected to be … Continued
Blame the weird weather for the #FallFail
Fall foliage in Seven Corners on Nov. 1, 2018. October has come and gone and we still haven’t seen the blaze of color in our trees that make the fall landscape in Northern Virginia so dramatic. Don’t hold your breath. While a few trees have turned yellow, “fall color is not going to be great … Continued
Hidden Oaks celebrates 10 years of free play in nature
Nature Playce offers children a place to explore and play in a natural setting. Nature Playce, the outdoor play area at the Hidden Oaks Nature Center, gives children a chance to play and be creative outdoors with no rules. And that’s what they did at the 10th anniversary celebration of Nature Playce Sept. 29: They … Continued
You’re invited: Join a mussel rescue party
Volunteers save mussels at Accotink Creek. [FACC] By Tony Vellucci The Friends of Accotink Creek (FACC) invite you to join their party this summer – a mussel rescue party! At one time, fresh water mussels are believed to have inhabited a number of streams in Fairfax County. Today, however, the only place Accotink watershed stream … Continued
Hidden Oaks interpreter honored
Holland Naturalist Suzanne Holland, the visitor services manager at Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Annandale, was honored as one of 30 “Shining Stars of Interpretation” in the United States by the National Association for Interpretation (NAI). Holland is credited with increasing programming and visitation at Hidden Oaks, which is operated by the Fairfax County Park … Continued
Petitions call for bond referendum to protect Lake Accotink
The marina at Lake Accotink. Save Lake Accotink, an advocacy group that’s pushing Fairfax County to support a bond referendum to ensure the future existence of the lake, submitted a package of petitions with 4,168 signatures to the Park Authority May 25. The petitions will be presented to the Board of Supervisors June 5. Fairfax … Continued
Vernal pools sustain habitats for wildlife
The group gathers for a tour of vernal pools near Lake Accotink. By Dave Lincoln and Beverley Rivera of Friends of Accotink Creek On a recent sunny April afternoon, educator and vernal pool expert Michael Hayslett led a captivating exploration of vernal pools in the Accotink Creek watershed. Vernal pools, also known as ephemeral pools, … Continued
Healthy trees can withstand a windstorm
Tree damage from windstorm. Much of the damage caused by trees crashing onto houses and power lines during last week’s windstorm could have been prevented, says Jim McGlone, an urban forest conservationist with the Virginia Department of Forestry. Many of the trees that were uprooted were already dead or dying, McGlone told the audience at … Continued