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Board of Directors Meeting
The next meeting of the Board of Directors of the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District will be on Tuesday, February 28, 2012 at 9:30 a.m., in room 941 of the Herrity Building, 12055 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, VA 22035. For minutes from the previous three fiscal years, please see: NVSWCD Board Meeting Minutes.
Green Fire Environmental Film Screening on the Life and Work of Aldo Leopold
Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time is the first full-length, high definition documentary film ever made about the legendary conservationist Aldo Leopold. It shares highlights from Leopold's life and extraordinary career, explaining how he shaped conservation in the twentieth century and still inspires people today. Although probably best known as the author of the conservation classic A Sand County Almanac, Leopold is also renowned for his work as an educator, philosopher, forester, ecologist, and wilderness advocate.
Join us for a special screening of Green Fire in the Herrity Building of the Government Center, rooms 106/107 on Thursday, February 9 from 11:30 - 12:50, primarily for Fairfax County employees, but all are welcome. (Non-County employees are encouraged to attend one of the evening screenings in the area! See below for other dates.) The screening will be followed by a discussion with the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust.
(For County Employees: The directors of DPWES, DPZ and FCPA have approved attendance by interested staff, recognizing that the first hour will be a lunchtime event, and approving an additional half hour as a work-related training opportunity.)
Brought to you by the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust, the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District, Fairfax County Park Authority, and Fairfax Employees for Environmental Excellence.
Other Dates:
March 15, 7 pm, GMU-Fairfax, Johnson Center Cinema, Free Parking: Lot K
Guest Speaker: Dr. Stanley Temple, Professor Emeritus and Senior Fellow at the Aldo Leopold Foundation
RSVP at www.nvct.org
Co-sponsors: GMU's Sustainability Program, FCPA IMA Program, Fairfax Tree Stewards, Fairfax Master Naturalists, NVSWCD, Arlington Regional Master Naturalists, Virginia Native Plant Society, Master Gardeners
March 16, 7 pm, Walker Nature Center, Reston
Guest Speaker: Dr. Stanley Temple, Professor Emeritus and Senior Fellow at the Aldo Leopold Foundation
RSVP: naturecenter@reston.org, or call: 703-476-9689, x5, by March 13th (space will be limited)
Co-sponsors: Reston Association, Sustainable Reston, Ecological Society of America Free Parking
March 29, 7 pm, Arlington Central Library
RSVP at www.nvct.org
Metro accessible and free parking located next to library
Co-sponsors: Arlington Central Library, Arlington County, Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment, Potomac Overlook Regional Park, Arlington Regional Master Naturalists, DC Badger Alumni Association
Reforest Fairfax Tree Gifting Program
When you want to say thank you, consider a gift that will last a lifetime: the gift of trees. Through Reforest Fairfax, a new partnership between Fairfax County Restoration Project and Fairfax ReLeaf, five native trees will be planted for each gift you give, and a beautiful card and certificate will be sent to your recipient.
By giving trees, you will be helping to ensure a beautiful and healthy place to live and work long into the future. Trees clean our air and water, protect our streams, prevent soil erosion, lower city temperatures, and boost property values. When you give the gift of trees, you're not just saying thank you; you're helping to plant our future. To learn more or to give a gift, visit Reforest Fairfax.
Biennial Report: What's Been Happening at NVSWCD?
The NVSWCD Biennial Report is available for online viewing! Get the latest on what we've been up to, from technical assistance to outreach and education. See: Biennial Report (PDF).
Green Breakfast
- Green Breakfasts are held on the second Saturday of every other month. The next Green Breakfast is scheduled for March 10 at Brion's Grille in Fairfax, from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m.
- Brion's Grille: 10621 Braddock Rd., Fairfax, VA 22032 -- located in the University Shopping Mall (Braddock Road and Route 123) across the street from the Roanoke River Road entrance to George Mason University.
- Cost: $10.00 for the Buffet, which includes tax and tip. Cash is preferred.
- Note: You may bring fliers about your organization's events and activities. There will be time for announcements. (If anyone wants to come and just have coffee, please email or call the Conservation District at 703-324-1460, TTY 711)
Permaculture Design Certification Course
Do you want to live in a more sustainable way? Are you looking for a comprehensive ethical system you can use to live more sustainably? Do you want to learn some practical strategies and techniques you can use now in your daily life? Have you heard the term permaculture and want to learn more about it?
Two December workshops provided an introduction to permaculture, some useful strategies and techniques for applying permaculture in everyday life, and resources for learning more about permaculture. A full Permaculture Design Certification Course will be offered at George Mason University over Spring Break. For more information, please contact Jenny Upton at jupton2@gmu.edu
Soil Survey Adopted and Available Online
An effort that began in 2003 with a 5 year re-mapping of Fairfax County soils has finally come to a close. In June 2011, the updated soil survey was adopted by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and is now the official soil survey. Access it on the county's digital map viewer.
Build Your Own Composter Workshop
You sir! And you ma’am! Step right up, don’t be shy! What would you say if I were to tell you, right here and right now, that you could turn regular household kitchen and yard waste into......gold? Skeptical? You should be, but I’m here to attest to you that where the ancient alchemists failed, we have succeeded! We have created a way to turn what was once considered rubbish into valuable, prized organic humus: the veritable black gold of gardener lore! And how do we accomplish this amazing transformation? Well, I’m glad you asked. We harness the power of millions of natural microbes and put them to work inside each of our tumbler style composters. Our composters are made of the same durable, recycled pickle and olive barrels featured in our popular build-your-own rain barrel workshops. Tried and true! Each barrel is mounted on a recycled wooden frame and assembled with care and precision (by you!) so as to rotate around its central axis. This rotation allows the contents inside to tumble and mix hands-free, thus creating the perfect microbial buffet. The composter maintains your future gardener’s gold aerated via holes drilled throughout (also by you!). There’s no need to manually mix your compost pile anymore, allowing you to save time, money and avoid the dreaded “compost hand!”
If you are interested in participating or volunteering, please send your contact information to Dan Schwartz (703-324-1422, TTY 711).
Fairfax County Envirothon Team Wins Regional Competition
The Conservation District is fortunate to work with many talented young people. Each year, we work with students across Fairfax County to develop environmental knowledge through the Envirothon program. Teams of five students compete, digging into their knowledge of soils, aquatics, forestry, wildlife, estuaries, and a special topic, which this year was focused around the Chesapeake Bay total maximum daily load. The top two teams from Fairfax County went on to the Area II regional competition. We are proud to announce that the Hidden Pond Nature Center group, representing NVSWCD, took first place at Area II regionals. They then moved on to the state level competition on May 22- 23 at Camp Hanover in Mechanicsville, Virginia, where they placed second out of the top 17 teams in the state! Congratulations!
Get News and Updates: Green Breakfasts, Watershed Calendar, Conservation Currents
We encourage you to stay informed about the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District's opportunities and programs! To subscribe, please contact us via our online form and specify which of the following updates you would like to receive:
- The Watershed Calendar, sent monthly by Dan Schwartz, features stream monitoring and other volunteer events across Northern Virginia,
- The Green Breakfast emails are sent by Nicholas Kokales to advise about upcoming Green Breakfast events, and
- Conservation Currents, the NVSWCD newsletter, is emailed by Lily Whitesell to individuals who prefer to receive an electronic copy. You can also subscribe to receive print copies of Conservation Currents!
Residential Rain Gardens: Design, Construction and Maintenance
A new guide will help you create a rain garden at your home! Rain gardens are depressions that temporarily fill with water when it rains. Runoff from your home, driveway and yard can be directed to a rain garden to solve drainage issues and protect our streams and the Chesapeake Bay.
Rain Garden Design and Construction: A Northern Virginia Homeowner's Guide is a step-by-step manual for creating home rain gardens. The guide includes tips on materials, a worksheet to help you design and size your garden and a plant list. The guide is a joint publication of the Fairfax County Park Authority and the Northern Virginia Soil & Water Conservation District. Download your rain garden guide today!
Environmental Volunteer Opportunities
Are you looking to give back to your community, get involved in a fun volunteer activity, or simply get a few service hours in this year? The Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District can help. Volunteers can:
Lawn Care Operators Work for Clean Water
The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) works with lawn care companies to encourage watershed-friendly lawn maintenance in the Commonwealth. Lawn care companies voluntarily enter into a water quality agreement with the agency. They agree to train their employees to use lawn care products responsibly, follow appropriate lawn fertilization practices and provide environmentally sound advice to customers. In return, DCR maintains a list of watershed-friendly lawn care operators that is available to the public. This spring, consider choosing a watershed-friendly lawn care company or, if you take care of your own lawn care, consult the DCR publication "Tips on Keeping Your Lawn Green...And the Chesapeake Bay Clean" to try home lawn care - the watershed-friendly way!
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