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 is aimed at encouraging people to take positive steps to reduce watershed pollution, conserve the forested buffer along streams, and support Resource Protection Areas, says program coordinator Tamara Sheiffer.  

The program started in summer 2019 as a pilot in three areas, including the Accotink Stream Valley, and has since been expanded across the county. 

Watch the Green Grow encourages residents to take such actions as picking up pet waste; stop using pesticides and herbicides; keep yard waste out of natural areas; and “mow high and let it lie.”  

People can then share their actions on the map on the Watch the Green Grow website – which will hopefully motivate others. Residents can attach photos, too. 

Related story: Annandale homeowners highlighted on Sustainable Garden Tour

On the map, an Annandale resident reports planting a native flower bed to reduce the amount of lawn to mow and add diversity to the landscape. A Bailey’s Crossroads resident scoops dog poop, even in their own yard.

“Things people do in their own yards have an impact on streams and can help protect parks and streams,” Sheiffer says.