Tag: nature | Page 9 | Annandale Today

Small environmental group focusing on stream conservation makes a big splash

December 28, 2013

#environment, #nature, #stormwater, #streams, #water

Wakefield Run before the restoration project started. Friends of Accotink Creek (FAC) has been named 2013 “Cooperator of the Year” by the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District (NVSWCD). FAC is an all-volunteer organization committed to protecting and restoring water quality in a major waterway that flows through the Annandale area and drains into … Continued

Fairfax City approves sterilization program to curb deer population

December 26, 2013

#nature, #parks, #wildlife

A deer in Annandale Community Park. The City of Fairfax has approved a pilot program for humanely controlling the deer population by removing the ovaries from females, but don’t expect Fairfax County to do this any time soon. Getting the program underway has been a huge bureaucratic nightmare, said Anthony J. DiNicola, a wildlife ecologist … Continued

Fairfax County needs to use humane methods to control deer population

October 25, 2013

#animals, #nature, #wildlife

A young deer in Luria Park in Annandale. By Melissa Klein There was a packed house of rapt animal welfare advocates at the quarterly luncheon hosted by Sandy Lerner at her Ayrshire Farm estate in Upperville, Va., recently. The riveting topic was an exciting new approach in managing wildlife called Deer Spay, or more technically … Continued

Public invited to free workshop on preserving watersheds

October 3, 2013

#environment, #nature, #stormwater, #streams, #water

Rain barrels don’t have to be boring. Learn how you can help protect, preserve, and improve local watersheds at a free workshop Saturday, Oct. 5, at Northern Virginia Community College’s Annandale campus. Educational presentations on the value of the watershed and how to promote sustainable practices will take place in the Ernst Center, 10 a.m.-4 … Continued

Overuse of pesticides is killing off bees essential for pollination

September 6, 2013

#environment, #gardening, #nature, #wildlife

Dead bees under trees sprayed in a mall in Wilsonville, Ore. [Photo by Rich Hatfield of the Xerces Society.] By Deanna Crumbling In Wilsonville, Ore., on June 17, it was discovered that a chemical weapon of mass destruction had left over 25,000 carcasses in the parking lot of a shopping center, and the bodies were … Continued

Volunteers needed for Accotink Creek cleanups

September 2, 2013

#environment, #nature, #streams, #volunteers, #water

Volunteers with some of the tires and trash taken out of local streams. (Photo from Friends of Accotink Creek.] Community associations, nonprofits, employee groups, religious institutions, scout groups, students needing community service hours, and anyone who cares about having clean, healthy, litter-free waterways are encouraged to join the 2013 International Coastal Cleanup, beginning next Saturday. … Continued

Deer hunting in Annandale starts Sept. 7

August 21, 2013

#animals, #nature, #parks, #safety, #wildlife

Roundtree Park on Annandale Road. Only two people attended the public meeting on Fairfax County’s deer hunting program Aug. 20. Maybe the low turnout had to do with the inconvenient time, 6 p.m., and remote location at the Fairfax County South County Center on Richmond Highway, which is nearly as far as Mount Vernon. The … Continued

What’s wrong with moss?

August 17, 2013

#environment, #gardening, #nature

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

August 15, 2013

#environment, #gardening, #nature, #schools

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

No local public meetings on deer archery program scheduled for Annandale

August 13, 2013

#animals, #nature, #safety, #wildlife

Deer in Green Spring Gardens. Annandale residents concerned about Fairfax County’s decision to allow the use of archery to control the deer population in several Mason District parks are encouraged to attend one of two upcoming public meetings. Unfortunately, neither of these sessions on the 2013-14 archery program is actually in the Mason area. The … Continued

Enjoy nature at night on a trail ride through Wakefield Park

August 6, 2013

#nature, #parks, #Recreation, #sports

Photos from MORE. There’s something totally exhilarating about zipping through the woods on a mountain bike at night scattering stones and mud in your wake. And that’s correct; I did say “night.” An organization of local mountain bikers called Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts (MORE) organizes night rides in Wakefield Park in Annandale three times a week … Continued

Wakefield Run restoration project in Annandale is collaborative effort

July 25, 2013

#Cook, #environment, #land use, #nature, #parks, #stormwater

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

Holmes Run Crossing project will expand trail access

July 3, 2013

#Alexandria, #biking, #nature, #parks, #Recreation, #stormwater, #streams, #water

An easier way to cross Holmes Run. When the Holmes Run Crossing project is completed later this summer, people will have an easier way to walk or bicycle along a trail between the Heywood Glen/Lincolnia Hills community in Fairfax County and Dowden Terrace and Dora Kelly Nature Park on the other side of Holmes Run … Continued

Natural, outdoor Discovery Area takes shape at Westlawn Elementary School

June 25, 2013

#children, #gardening, #nature, #schools, #volunteers

Chldren help with the digging and planting. Parents, kids, and school staff have been making lots of progress on a new Discovery Area, a natural, outdoor play area on the grounds of Westlawn Elementary School. The school received a $2,500 grant last fall from the Dominion K-12 Educational Partnership to get the project started. It’s … Continued

Native plants to be rescued before Wakefield Run restoration project starts

June 19, 2013

#environment, #gardening, #infrastructure, #nature, #volunteers, #water

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