Watch the Green Grow!

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Share the good work you do on your property to benefit our natural areas. Use the Watch the Green Grow mapping application to record environmentally friendly practices in your yard. Upload pictures to show your progress. Each positive report triggers a green spot on a county map. The green areas grow with each beneficial action. The map provides a powerful picture of environmental stewardship in our community. Tell your neighbors or HOA about Watch the Green Grow. WTGG is an FCPA program that focuses on outreach to HOAs and community associations. Contact [email protected] for more information.

Bringing Peregrine Falcons Back to Virginia’s Mountains, Mar. 1st

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Mount Vernon Government Center
2511 Parkers Lane, Alexandria VA
(Near U.S. 1 and a mile from The George Washington Memorial Parkway)
Sunday, 1 March 2020
2 pm
Free, open to the public

National Park Service biologist, Rolf Gubler, will give a talk about the Peregrine Falcon restoration project at Shenandoah National Park.

A team brings at-risk Peregrine Falcon chicks from bridge nest sites in eastern Virginia to Virginia’s mountains, once part of their historic range. They hope the birds will imprint on the park’s cliffs and return as breeding adults. This project boosts mountain peregrine populations and aids in the survival of bridge nest peregrine chicks where fledging is often difficult due to insufficient updrafts.

Peregrine Falcons were used for hunting or falconry as early as 2000 B.C. in China and Egypt and in World War II, both the British/U.S. and the German armies had a falcon corps to intercept their opponent’s homing pigeons. Peregrines are found in rural and urban environments and on every continent except Antarctica.

Winter Birds with Larry Meade, Mar. 5th

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National Wildlife Federation
11100 Wildlife Center Drive, Reston, VA 20190
Thursday, 5 March 2020
7-9 pm
Field trip: Saturday, 7 March 2020, TBD
Cost: $30 ASNV member/$40 non-member

March can offer spectacular birding, marking a transition between winter and spring. Many of our winter birds, such as waterfowl and sparrows, are still around, but they are joined by early migrants returning to breeding territories. In this workshop, the presenter will discuss birds that occur here at this time of year, with a special focus on species that are migrating into our region and their arrival dates. An ancillary field trip offers a chance to encounter many of these birds in their natural settings.

Larry Meade, Audubon Society of Northern Virginia Education Committee and President of Northern Virginia Bird Club, will lead.

Register here.

Drawing Winter Weeds, Nature Journaling, Feb.6th

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Hidden Oaks Nature Center
7701 Royce St., Annandale VA
Thursday, 6 February 2020
7-9 pm
Cost: $15

Some flowers, ferns and grasses persist in winter as dried stalks and provide food for wildlife. Learn about local winter weeds and try drawing some from our collection. Ink pens work especially well with this subject. See a brief demonstration, then try it yourself using our collection of dried plants. A suggested list of supplies will be sent upon registration.
Code F3B.F818

To sign up use this address: www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/hidden-oaks/classes or google Hidden Oaks Nature Center and click on the programs section, or call 703-222-4664.

102nd NVSWCD Green Breakfast, Jan. 11th

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Brion’s Grille
10621 Braddock Rd, Fairfax, VA 22032
Saturday, 11 January 2020
Breakfast begins at 8:30 am, $10 at the door, cash preferred
No prior registration required

Getting Winter Ready – An Update on the Northern Virginia Salt Management Strategy
Sarah Sivers, Water Quality Planning Team Lead with the Virginia DEQ-Northern Regional Office

It’s been two years since the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality began the stakeholder process to develop a salt management strategy and address the elevated chloride levels in Fairfax County streams. Since then, DEQ along with a stakeholder group have prepared a draft list of recommendations. Join the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District for a warm breakfast and hear from Water Quality Planning Team Lead, Sarah Sivers, who will provide background on how all of this began, the status of the program, and draft strategies and recommendations.

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 Northern Virginia Soil and Water at [email protected].

EQAC Public Hearing Jan. 8th, provide your input

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Fairfax County Government Center
Conference Room 2 & 3
12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax VA
Wednesday, 8 January 2020
7:30 pm

The Fairfax County Environmental Quality Advisory Council (EQAC) is appointed by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to advise on environmental matters. The public is encouraged to attend EQAC’s public hearing to share views on the state of the environment and to identify environmental issues of concern applicable to Fairfax County. While the timing of the public hearing tends to coincide with the publication of EQAC’s Annual Report on the Environment, the public hearing is not intended to focus on the Annual Report. Instead, the purpose of the hearing is to solicit your views and concerns regarding environmental issues. EQAC welcomes written and/or verbal testimony. Please limit verbal testimony to three minutes per speaker. Get more details here.