Tag: nature
VDOT destroys native species recently planted along beltway
Native plants mowed down along the beltway in Annandale..[FACC photo] Much of the native species planted along the beltway over the past few years were destroyed recently by a VDOT contractor apparently unaware that they should have been protected. Friends of Accotink Creek (FACC) sent a letter to state legislators, Fairfax County supervisors, and other … Continued
Volunteers form friends group for Long Branch Stream Valley
Volunteers collect trash along the Long Branch trail Oct. 18. [LBSV photos] Volunteers from several Annandale and Fairfax neighborhoods created a new group, the Friends of Long Branch Stream Valley, to maintain the trail and address erosion, water quality management, invasive species removal, and related environmental issues. The 2.75-mile Long Branch trail follows the stream … Continued
Scene around A-Town: Giant mushrooms
Look what popped up by the parking lot to the Broyhill Recreation Club by the entrance to Kendale Woods Park, Annandale.
Local Boy Scouts explore wilderness on a Western camping trip
Members of Boy Scout Troop 895 of Falls Church headed west for summer camp this year, traveling a bit farther than usual, reports Matt Dillard, assistant scoutmaster. After over a year of planning and fundraising, 26 boys and 14 adults spent a week in Yellowstone National Park and a week in the Grand Tetons. At … Continued
Public support needed for humane deer management program
The Deer Spay program in action. [Photo by Tom Jackman] If you live around the City of Fairfax, you might be surprised to see deer with “bling.” The deer wearing ear tags were part of a groundbreaking sterilization effort undertaken last winter called Deer Spay. That was the first time the Deer Spay approach was … Continued
Cross County Trail renamed in honor of Rep. Connolly
Rep. Connolly (center) at the trail-naming ceremony. The 40-mile Cross County Trail is now known as the “Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail,” in recognition of the congressman’s strong support for open space and parkland, as well as his role in creating the trail. The name change occurred at a Fairfax County Park Authority ceremony … Continued
Fundraising campaign aimed at protecting the Kingstowne turtles
Turtles “playing Frogger” on Kingstown Village Parkway are in danger of getting hit by cars. The situation is also dangerous for drivers who risk causing an accident as they try to avoid hitting the turtles—as well as the people running onto the road to help them. Jessica Bowser, a resident of Kingstowne in the Alexandria … Continued
Effective, safe mosquito control requires more brains than brawn
Yard signs from mosquito control companies. [photo by Friends of Accotink Creek] By Elizabeth Kirchner A yard sign advertisement shows a muscular cartoon warrior wielding a backpack sprayer blasting a towering spear-stingered mosquito: Insecticide “fogging” to control mosquitoes in summertime backyards seems powerful and effective, but specialists—even representatives of insect-control industries, Fairfax County, and the … Continued
Scene around A-Town: a red-tailed hawk
When a red-tailed hawk dropped in to visit the bird bath at Bob Kovacs’s home in the Columbia Pines community in Annandale, Bob had his camera ready and got this shot.
Green Festival at NOVA-Annandale on Earth Day
A previous Green Festival at NOVA. [Photo by Gary Robinette.] Learn about environmental issues, resource conservation, and sustainable living at the free Green Festival, April 22, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., at the Annandale campus of Northern Virginia Community College. The keynote speaker is environmentalist and CNN Top 10 Hero of the Year for 2013 Chad Pregracke, … Continued
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
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
Nature is part of the learning environment at Westlawn Elementary School
A pleasant setting for story time at Westlawn Elementary School. Learning at Westlawn Elementary School in Falls Church isn’t confined to the classrooms. The instructional program is enhanced through experiences with the natural world via the school’s outdoor discovery area. A new “storytelling chair,” developed as part of an Eagle Scout project, is used for … 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