Printer
TextGet Engaged in Your Community and Help the Environment at the Same Time
Artistic Rain Barrel Program
Are you a conservation-minded artist? Do you know one? The Northern
Virginia Rain Barrel Program is looking for volunteers to turn rain
barrels into works of art! The barrels will be displayed along with
artist information at prominent local businesses and community centers.
For more details or to apply, please contact Lily Whitesell at
Lily.Whitesell@FairfaxCounty.gov or 703-324-1423.
Remove Invasive Plants from Fairfax County Parks
Invasive plants such as English Ivy, Japanese Stilt Grass and
Mile-a-Minute overgrow natural areas, kill off native vegetation and
deprive wildlife of food and habitat. Fight back against these invaders
by teaming with Fairfax County’s Invasive Management Area (IMA) program.
IMA volunteers work with trained site leaders to identify and pull out
harmful invasive plants. Seven workdays in November are planned at
various sites throughout the county, including workdays at Lake Accotink,
in the Accotink Stream Valley Park, at Americana Park and in the Pohick
Stream Valley. Will you come out and help? Volunteers should be at least
12 years old. The IMA workday calendar can be found online at:
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/resOURces/ima/ima-calendar.htm
Stream Monitoring Workshop: Accotink Creek
Help monitor one of the largest streams in the County on Sunday,
November 14 from 12 to 3 p.m. For directions or to RSVP, please contact
Dan Schwartz at dan.schwartz@fairfaxcounty.gov.
Workshops are open to any interested volunteer regardless of past
experience. Usually a quarter to one half of the volunteers at each
workshop are first-timers. If someone wants to become more involved, they
can become a “certified” monitor. To become certified, volunteers should
come to three to four workshops to familiarize themselves with the
sampling protocols and take a certification test to identify preserved
macroinvertebrate samples. All workshops are outside and volunteers
should dress for the weather.
Build Your Own Composter
The Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District will be
putting on a “build your own” composter workshop that will allow
participants to create a tumbler style composter out of a plastic pickle
barrel. A time and date has not yet been set, but participation will be
limited. If you would like to be notified of workshop updates and RSVP
information, please contact Dan Schwartz at
dan.schwartz@fairfaxcounty.gov.
Show Your Tree Appreciation
Have a particularly big tree in your neighborhood? How about a tree that
has historic significance or was planted in memory of someone? Maybe you
think your favorite tree deserves some recognition?
The Fairfax County Tree Commission has launched the Celebrated Trees of
Fairfax County program, giving you that chance. Trees can be recognized
in one of four categories:
Big - a tree that is large for its species
Historic - a tree associated with an historic event, person, landmark or
institution
Commemorative - a tree or group of trees planted as a memorial of an
event or person
Favorite - a tree with special significance to a person or group
Eligible trees receive an honoray designation as a Celebrated Tree of
Fairfax County and will be included (with photos) in a database on the
County’s website. As a future project, the Tree Commission plans to
produce a book that will include pictures and narratives of each
Celebrated Tree. For more information please visit:
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpwes/trees/celebratedtrees.htm
Nomination forms can be filled out and submitted electronically to
treemail@fairfaxcounty.gov.
Website Survey 