Tag: nature
Parks will open this weekend on a very limited basis
The pond at Mason District Park. The Fairfax County Park Authority is opening parks for the Memorial Day weekend, but most park facilities will remain closed. Park staff will be clearing barricades and opening parking lots at all 427 parks in the county May 20-22. Park visitors are asked to avoid groups of more than … Continued
Lake Accotink pipeline could threaten park’s habitat
County officials and community residents take a “pipeline walk” in Lake Accotink Park, accompanied by the sounds of spring peepers, wood frogs, and birds. When Fairfax County officials announced a plan in September to install a pipeline to haul dredged sediment away from Lake Accotink, many community members were happy that the lake would be … Continued
Native seedling sale underway
Common buttonbush The annual native tree and shrub seedling sale is underway. The sale is sponsored by the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District with the goal of adding more native plans to the environment to prevent soil erosion, cleanse the air and water, provide a habitat for wildlife, and cool the climate. Eastern … Continued
Hidden Oaks celebrates 50th anniversary with chainsaw tree sculpture
Kevin Holland of Friends of Hidden Oaks Nature Center uncovers the tree sculpture. [Photos by the Park Authority] The tree sculpture at the Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Annandale created by chainsaw artist Andrew Mallon was revealed at the center’s 50th anniversary celebration in October. Mallon transformed a tulip popular damaged by lightning into a work … Continued
Two Mason District park projects honored
The White Gardens Two Fairfax County parks were honored by the Virginia Recreation and Park Society, and both of them are in Mason District. The Indoor Valis Family Learning Center at the Pinecrest Golf Course was honored as the Best New Renovation/Addition in the Bricks and Mortar category for a population area greater than 200,000. … Continued
Chainsaw artist carves woodland creatures on a dead tree trunk at Hidden Oaks
Andrew Mallon carves animals on a tree trunk at Hidden Oaks Nature Center. Taking a chainsaw to a tree usually means destroying it. But what Andrew Mallon does with a chainsaw is turn a dead tree trunk into a work of art. Mallon was at the Hidden Oaks Nature Center Sept. 9 carving raccoons, squirrels, … Continued
Nature Center hosts NASA Family Science Nights
Hidden Oaks Nature Center. Children, age 7-12, are invited to participate in a new NASA Family Science Nights program at Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Annandale. There are five sessions, beginning Sept. 6, on Friday evenings, 6:30-8. Children will use telescopes and educational materials to explore the skies. The program also includes games, crafts, and … Continued
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