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TextSpring Environmental Updates: Forthcoming Leadership Institute, Seedling Sale, Internship Opportunities and More
Braddock Environmental Leadership Institute Scheduled
Braddock District residents who are motivated to promote
environmental stewardship in our community are invited to Supervisor
Cook’s Environmental Leadership Institute, at The Oaks Community Center
in Burke on May 7 from 10:00 -2:00 pm.
The goal of this program is to train leaders who will reach out to their
civic and homeowner associations to encourage their neighbors to take
small steps to aide our environment. Segments will include information on
recycling, litter abatement, composting, stormwater management, home
water usage, rain barrels, cisterns, energy efficiency, reducing
herbicide/pesticide use and tree planting. More information and a
registration form will be in next month’s Beacon.
Monticello Park Master Plan Meeting Rescheduled
The meeting, to be held on April 4 at 7:00 p.m. at Bonnie Brae
Elementary School, will feature a presentation describing the site’s
existing conditions, potential future uses and the park master planning
process. One potential future use already proposed, is a dog park.
A public discussion will follow the staff presentation in an effort to
identify community concerns, answer questions and receive suggestions for
future park uses. If you are interested in learning more, please visit http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/plandev/monticello.htm.
If you are unable to attend, comments can be sent to
Parkmail@fairfaxcounty.gov or Braddock@fairfaxcounty.gov.
2011 Native Seedling Sale
The Conservation District is holding its annual seedling sale for
2011. This year, the District is offering two packages, one featuring
deer resistant shrubs and small trees for smaller suburban yards, and the
other wildlife-friendly full canopy and understory trees for larger yards
or common areas.
The deer resistant package is $15.95 and includes two of each of the
following: Red Osier Dogwood, Silky Dogwood, Serviceberry, Spicebush and
Pawpaw. The tree package is $10.95 and includes two of each: Black Oak,
Sycamore, and American Hornbeam. All seedlings are native to the DC metro
area. For more information, please visit the website of the Northern
Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District or contact Nick
Kokales.
23rd Annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup
The Alice Ferguson Foundation’s 23rd Annual Potomac River Watershed
Cleanup is just around the corner, and as usual, jurisdictions all over
the area will be going “all in” with their participation. Well over 130
cleanups were held in Northern Virginia last year, and this year could be
even bigger - as long as we get your help. Cleanups will be held
throughout the month of April. To volunteer to assist at a cleanup or to
register your very own cleanup, please go to the Ferguson Foundation’s
website. If you would like to register a new cleanup, but need some help
finding a site and volunteers, contact
Dan.Schwartz@fairfaxcounty.gov.
Environmental Summer Internship
The Conservation District is seeking a part-time or full-time summer
intern to support a variety of outreach and education programs, according
to the intern’s interests and NVSWCD’s needs. Outreach programs include
rain barrel workshops, storm drain marking, stream monitoring, a home and
garden tour, website work, creating storm drain GIS maps, and
others.
Note: experience with web work or GIS software is not necessary to
assist with those projects, but attention to detail and a desire to learn
are helpful. To apply, please send a resume and cover letter to Lily
Whitesell.
College Scholarship for Students Studying Conservation
The Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Society is providing $1,000
scholarships for freshman or graduating high school seniors who are or
will be enrolled in conservation related studies in college. The Northern
Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District will receive and judge
applications from Fairfax students and send one application on for
consideration by the state. Applications are due by March 21. More
details and the application itself are available online.
Rain Barrel Program Now Accepting RSVPs
The popular Northern Virginia build-your-own rain barrel program is
now accepting RSVPs for its spring 2011 workshops. The workshop dates and
locations are posted online.
Stream Monitoring Session: Accotink Creek
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Time: 9:30am - 11:30am
Location: Lake Accotink Park
Come out and help the Friends of the Accotink monitor their favorite
stream as it passes through popular Lake Accotink Park. To RSVP and get
directions, please check out the online calendar of events at
www.accotink.org.
Rain Barrel Wash and Build Day
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Time: 9am - 1pm
Location: Falls Church Property Yard, 7100 Gordon’s Rd, Falls Church, VA
22043
Come out and help wash barrels to get them ready for the spring and summer rain barrel workshops. Dress in clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty. If you are interested in buying a discounted rain barrel, bring $45 cash or check and bring it home that day. Please RSVP to rainbarrel@fairfaxcounty.gov
Lake Barton Dredging Project Begins, Six Month Construction Schedule Expected
A construction kickoff meeting with Lake Services (http://www.lakeservices.com) was held on the Lake Barton dredging project in mid-February. A bathymetric survey, which tells the contractor exactly where the current sediment is deposited, is largely finished and the site has been prepared for dredging. 35,000 cubic yards of sediment will be removed from the Lake over the next six months.
The barge has now arrived at the site and is working its way into the Phase 1 grading area near Burke Centre Parkway. The contractor has already hauled away a few loads of dredge material and should be in full production by the end of the first week of March.
The picture shows an excavator stationed on the shore that takes material from a loaded barge and fills the trucks. A similar long-arm excavator sits on another barge out on the lake excavating sediment from the lake bottom. Fairfax County staff overseeing the project include:
Spillway Rehabilitation:
Stormwater – Dipmani Kumar, Project Manager; Construction Management
Division Mike Knizner, Project Manager and Joseph Adzovie, Sr.
Engineering Inspector
Dredging:
Stormwater – Matt Meyers, Project Manager; Construction Management
Division: Mannan Qureshi, Project Manager and Joseph Adzovie
Things to do During a Power Outage
On occasion, Dominion Virginia Power and its customers are faced with widespread power outages due to things like severe weather, equipment failure or serious accidents. Under these rare circumstances, Dominion asks its customers to follow certain guidelines in order to remain safe and to help Dominion effectively restore power as soon as possible.
If your electric service is interrupted:
- Call Dominion at 1-866-DOM-HELP (1-866-366-4357) to report an outage. Do not rely on your neighbors to report your outage. Your immediate neighbors may receive electricity from a different circuit than the one feeding your home. The more outage reports Dominion receives, the better they can pinpoint the location and cause of the outage.
- You may also report an outage online at http://www.dom.com/dominion-virginia-power/index.jsp (make sure your account information is up to date).
- When reporting your outage, whether via phone or online, be sure to enter the phone number where you can best be reached in case Dominion needs to contact you for more information or to provide an update.
- After reporting your outage, you can locate and track restoration of specific outage locations in your area on the Dominion website’s Interactive Outage Map.
- You can access the map at http://outagemap.dom.com/DomComFlexOutageViewer/index.html.
- Stay away from fallen wires and debris. Treat all fallen wires as if they are energized.
- Turn off all unnecessary appliances, but leave one light on so you will know when your power is restored.
For an in-depth look at Dominion’s storm restoration process watch the following video: http://www.dom.com/storm-center/how-we-restore-power.jsp.
Website Survey 