What’s in your water? Fairfax County Well Water Clinic

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Virginia Cooperative Extension

12011 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax

Monday, 17 September 2018

7 -9 pm

Do you know what’s in your drinking water? While public water supplies are tested daily for contaminants, most private water supplies, like wells and springs, are rarely tested. It is recommended that well owners test their water at least annually for bacteria and nitrates. Learn more about the quality of your water and how to care for your water system at the Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) Fairfax County Well Water Clinic. At this brief informational meeting, you will pick up sample kits and get instructions on how to collect your sample. For more information, please contact VCE at 703-324-5369 or visit the website for more information.

NoVA PRISM Restoration Events in Arlington and Falls Church

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NoVA PRISM is a collaborative effort by several NGOs, governmental entities, volunteer groups, and Dominion Energy to manage invasive species in the Northern Virginia region. Arlington County is the grant administrator. NoVA PRISM has been developing pilot projects in Northern Virginia on or near the W&OD Trail, and two of them, Isaac Crossman Park in Falls Church and Bluemont Park in Arlington, will involve planting native species this September and October. Organizers will need the assistance of volunteers to complete these planting efforts.
Here are the details for the pilot projects:

Isaac Crossman Park

535 North Van Buren Street, Fall Church VA

Saturday, 22 September and Saturday, 20 October 2018

9 am – 12 noon

Contact: Alex Sanders, [email protected], (703) 772-7032. Details: At the Van Buren Street entrance, follow the gravel path until you find the booth. For GPS direction purposes, the closest street address to the park is 501 Van Buren Street. Participants will plant grasses, herbaceous species and shrubs in an ongoing effort to restore a riparian forest habitat.

Bluemont Park

601 N Manchester St, Arlington, VA

Saturday, 27 October 2018

9 am – 12 noon

Contact: Alex Sanders, [email protected], (703) 772-7032.  Participants will plant meadow grasses and herbaceous species.

Volunteers should wear clothing appropriate for the weather.  Please bring water, any personal items that you might need, and lots of energy!

FMN Quarterly Meeting-Forest Bathing!

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Hidden Oaks Nature Center

7701 Royce Street, Annandale, VA

Monday, 17 September 2018

7:30-9:00 pm

FMN Chapter Meetings are informative, fun, good for networking, and count for 1 hour of continuing education credit! Come reconnect with friends and fellow naturalists.  They are open to the public.

Clare Kelley will be leading a Forest Bathing session outdoors.  We will not be washing trees, but learning how time spent in nature can benefit our mood and immunity.

Volunteer for an Animal PJ Party Program

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Hidden Oaks Nature Center

7701 Royce Street, Annandale, VA

Saturday, September 8, 2018

6:30-8:15 pm

Assist with a nature program for children and their parents.  Program includes hearing animal bedtime stories, meeting live animals, and wishing goodnight to the center’s live animals.  To volunteer or for more information, contact Suzanne Holland at  [email protected] or 703-941-1065.

Master Naturalists, record your service hours as E110: FCPA Nature Programs.  Include the number of participants in the Contacts field.

Happy Farm Happy Barn Manure Management Workshop

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Frying Pan Farm Park

2709 West Ox Road, Herndon, VA  20171

Wednesday, 5 September 2018

6:30-8:30 pm

Come hear subject matter experts talk about horse farm waste management options, the do’s and don’t’s of waste management, composting techniques, benefits of “recycling” manure waste in pastures, and the available financial assistance to build a waste composting/storage facility right on your horse-keeping site. Presented by Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District‘s Senior Conservation Specialist, Willie Woode. Light dinner provided and registration is required. Visit the event website to learn more and register. Free event.

Green Breakfast presents green initiatives in schools

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Brion’s Grille – 10621 Braddock Rd, Fairfax, VA 22032

Saturday, 8 September 2018

Breakfast begins at 8:30 am, $10 at the door, cash preferred

The Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District (NVSWCD) presents its 94th Green Breakfast!  Meet Dr. Scott Brabrand,  Superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools.

Fairfax County Public Schools’ slogan is engage, inspire, thrive. Come for a discussion on the green initiatives taking place in Pre-K-12 indoor and outdoor classrooms with Fairfax County Public Schools’ Superintendent Dr. Scott Brabrand, who was appointed by the Fairfax County School Board in July 2017.

Dr. Brabrand began his career in FCPS as a social studies teacher in 1994, a career changer who was inspired by doing volunteer work in the schools. In addition, he has served as the Assistant Principal at Herndon High School and as an Associate Principal at Lake Braddock Secondary School before being named principal at Fairfax High School in 2005. He also served as a Cluster Assistant Superintendent in Fairfax County and more recently spent five years as Superintendent of Lynchburg City Schools. He is a graduate of Georgetown University, George Washington University, and received his doctorate in educational administration as part of Virginia Tech’s Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Program.

Breakfast includes an all-you-can eat hot buffet with fresh fruit and coffee, tea, orange juice or water. No prior registration required. If you have any questions, please contact the NVSWCD at [email protected].

Owl Moon program, September 22nd, registration open now

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Gunston Hall Visitor Center

10709 Gunston Road, Lorton VA 22079

Saturday, 22 September 2018

7 pm

Friends of Mason Neck State Park present their annual Owl Moon event.  Secret Garden Birds and Bees will present a program on Winter Owls.  You’ll learn about the short-eared owls, long-eared owls, saw-whet owls and snowy owls that make the Virginia, Maryland and DC area their homes for the winter.  The stars of the show will be several rescue owls that live here year-round, which you can photograph and view up close.

Owl Moon is open to members of the Friends of Mason Neck State Park and their families, and registration is required.  Members can register at Register for Owl Moon.  There will be a short annual meeting and refreshments will be served.  If you aren’t a member, you can join for as little as $20 for a full year, and bring up to 4 other family members to Owl Moon as well as other Friends events.  You can become a member at Join the Friends of Mason Neck State Park and then register for the event.

Will mice be served as refreshments?