Volunteers Needed – Fairfax County Watershed Cleanups, Apr. 27th

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Photo (c) by Barbara J. Saffir

Due to the weather and flooding this past Saturday, cleanups at four parks have been rescheduled to this coming Saturday, April 27. Over 100 volunteers are needed to finish up this year’s Fairfax County Watershed Cleanups with The Nature Conservancy and Fairfax County Park Authority.

If you can help at any of these parks, please let Maggie Hankerd know and she’ll send complete confirmation details.

April 27th from 9-11:30 a.m.
• Arrowbrook Park, Herndon
◦ 35 volunteers needed
◦ Meet at 13391 Sunrise Valley Drive, Herndon, VA

• Dulles Rock Hill Park, Herndon
◦ 35 volunteers needed
◦ Meet in the parking lot located at 2343 Dulles Station Blvd, Herndon, VA

• Merrybrook Run Stream Valley Park, Herndon
◦ 30 volunteers needed
◦ Meet at the trail entrance directly across from Lutie Lewis Coates Elementary School, 2480 River Birch Rd, Herndon, VA 20171

April 27th from 8-11 a.m.
• Royal Lake Park, Fairfax
◦ 6 volunteers needed
◦ Meet at Royal Lake Park near the Tennis Courts or meet at the Picnic Tables at Lakeside Park a little before 8 a.m. in order to sign-in, get trash bags, and receive further instructions. It is important to arrive on time so you don’t get left behind. Royal Lake Park is located at 5344 Gainsborough Dr., Fairfax, VA 22032.

Help develop a feasibility study for community choice renewable energy options

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The goal of this Thriving Earth Exchange project is to carry out a feasibility study for the creation of a Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) program to provide options for the residents and businesses of Arlington, outside the incumbent electric utility, to choose their rate plans and energy sources. Arlington was chosen due to its transformative Community Energy Plan, though Arlington is not an official partner of this effort. This project will be accomplished through a study on CCA options to explore how Arlington could procure, generate and competitively fund renewable energy projects and inform policymakers and ratepayers of opportunities for renewable energy generation. The options to use of solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal energy in buildings has become increasingly cost-effective over time and aids in energy resilience to peak load events at the macro level when coupled with advanced energy storage. This project will align with Arlington County’s commitment to climate action and stand in accordance with the goals outlined in the Paris Agreement, and may serve as a demonstration model for similarly-urbanized communities or those with comparable energy use patterns and volumes.

The team will work in hand with Virginia Clean Energy led by local residents Silvia Zinetti and Morris Meyer. Virginia Clean Energy is a new nonprofit fiscally sponsored by LEAN Energy US, a 501 (c)(3) organization based in California.

Silvia and Morris seek a scientific partner to help Virginia Clean Energy with:

  • data analysis, visualization, and interpretation for the implementation of a technical study to incorporate renewable energy into the electricity market with a CCA.
  • resulting price structures and GHG reduction scenarios of various energy combinations.
  • Preparation and development of the findings for local conferences and County board meetings.

The community is looking forward to working with an energy engineer or energy economist and enthusiastic graduate student assistants with an interdisciplinary mindset.

Apply

Help with Water Quality Field Day, May 30

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The Fairfax County Urban Forest Management Division is looking for volunteers to help out with a Water Quality Field Day. 175 Fort Belvoir 6th-grade students will come in small groups to various activities. Urban Forest Managment’s will be a game demonstrating how water moves through soil of various types.

Thursday, May 30
10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Contact Katharine Layton to volunteer: 703-324-1857 or [email protected]

Lake Barcroft Earth Day volunteers needed, April 28

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Earth Day weekend provides the opportunity to promote nature and the environment!

Hidden Oaks especially needs nature table hosts for Lake Barcroft Earth Day on Sunday April 28, 2:00pm – 5:00 pm at Lake Barcroft Beach 5.

Host the table for Hidden Oaks Nature Center with all training, materials and displays provided. Shorter hours are ok, if needed. In past years have shown tadpoles, benthic macroinvertebrates, toad, turtle, variety of backyard bugs. Flexible to volunteer’s interest. Always a warm reception. Outdoor free activity for all ages. Typically 200-300 attend. 

To volunteer, contact Suzanne Holland, Hidden Oaks, at [email protected] or call 703-941-1065.  Record service hours as E110: FCPA Nature Programs.

SpringFest Fairfax nature volunteers needed, April 27

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SpringFest Fairfax

Saturday, April 27, 10 am – 3pm

Sully Historic Site, Chantilly

Assist Hidden Oaks naturalists at backyard bugs nature table and distribute live ladybugs for release. Typically many hundreds attend this free outdoor Earth Day celebration for all ages. Training provided. Parking pass provided.  

To volunteer, contact Suzanne Holland, Hidden Oaks, at [email protected] or call 703-941-1065.  Fairfax Master Naturalists can record their service hours as E110: FCPA Nature Programs.

Flyer

Help out at Culmore Multicultural Day, April 27

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Hidden Oaks urgently needs nature table volunteers for Culmore Multicultural Day on Saturday April 27, 9:30am – 2:30 pm at Woodrow Wilson Library, Falls Church.

Culmore Multicultural Day promotes Healthy Environment and Healthy Community.  Children’s activities, live music and folklore dancers are featured. See attached flyer.

Naturalists needed to host or assist at Hidden Oaks Nature Center table with live animals- your choice back yard bugs or amphibians, possibly a turtle. All training, materials and supplies provided. Ideal for multi-lingual volunteer. 

To volunteer, contact Suzanne Holland, Hidden Oaks, at [email protected] or call 703-941-1065.  

Record service hours as E110: FCPA Nature Programs.

Flyer

Caterpillars Count! A citizen science workshop for educators

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Looking for a new way to engage your students or visitors in hands-on science learning and contribute valuable information to local research about insects and birds? Become aCaterpillars Count! citizen scientist! Caterpillars and other insects live on the trees and plants all around us. They make up a critical part of many ecosystems and are an important food source for birds and other organisms.In this workshop, we’ll introduce you to Caterpillars Count!, a new citizen science project designed by biologists from the University of North Carolina, and show you how you can become a part of research linking birds to their insect food sources on trees. Learn how to conduct surveys of insects with your students/visitors, monitor changes in the abundance and type of insects present over time, and report your data using our free mobile app. We’ll also introduce sample learning activities and the Caterpillars Count! website, where you can explore the data collected by your group with others from around the state.

This workshop is open to and designed for both formal (grades 6-12) and non-formal educators. Each participant will receive a handbook of instructional materials and sample learning activities. Lunch provided.

Friday, May 3; 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Riverbend Park

Location: Riverbend Park, 8700 Potomac Hills St, Great Falls, VA 22066

Cost: FREE

Registration: We have limited space, so click here to apply now. Applications will be accepted until 4/30/19.

 

Questions about the workshop?

Contact Sarah Yelton, Caterpillars Count! Project Coordinator:[email protected]

Clean the Chesapeake Bay Day, June 1st

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Various locations
Saturday, 1 June 2019
9 am-12 pm

Each year, on the first Saturday of June, thousands of Virginians simultaneously descend on the rivers, streams, and beaches of the Chesapeake Bay watershed to remove harmful litter and debris. Thirty-one years strong, Clean the Bay Day is a true Virginian tradition and an annual opportunity for families, military installations, businesses, clubs, civic or church groups to give back to local waterways.

This short, three-hour annual event has a massive cumulative impact. Since 1989, Clean the Bay Day has engaged over 158,200 volunteers, who have removed approximately 6.64 million pounds of debris from nearly 7,750 miles of shoreline in Virginia!

Signing up for Clean the Bay Day is easy! Find a location convenient to you on our locations list or interactive map and register yourself or your group. Your information will be sent to the coordinator for that location, who will get back to you with details about your specific site. When you show up that day, just come prepared to help pick up litter and debris! All clean-up supplies will be provided.

Can’t make it on June 1st but want to help? Check out partners who are hosting their events earlier.

Earth Sangha spring open house & native plant sale

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When: Sunday May 5, 9:45 am – 2 pm

What: Earth Sangha is hosting their Spring Open House & Native Plant Sale on Sunday, May 5th from 10AM to 2 PM. They need student volunteers to help customers carry plants and move wheelbarrows, and experienced adult volunteers to tally orders and direct customers. Please email Katherine at [email protected] if you’re interested in volunteering.

Where: The Nursery is in Springfield, Virginia, in Franconia Park, which lies just south of the Beltway, and just east of the Beltway’s intersection with Routes 95 and 395.  Access is from Franconia Road (644). From Franconia, turn north on Thomas Drive, less than half a mile east of the 395/95 intersection. There is a traffic light at Thomas. From Thomas, turn right onto Meriwether Lane. Turn left onto Cloud Drive. Please park in the parking lot at the bottom of the entrance road, then walk down the dirt road along the community gardens. Our nursery lies beyond the community gardens. View the nursery’s location on Google Maps. (The Google pointer is set to Cloud Drive, not directly on our nursery, which has no street address. From Cloud Drive, follow the directions above.)

Contact: Katherine Isaacson ([email protected])

Earth Day: Marie Butler Leven Preserve Workday

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When: Saturday, April 20, 10 am-1 pm

What: Join Earth Sangha for an Earth Day planting at the Marie Butler Leven Preserve! We’ll be planting almost 1,000 native grasses and wildflowers in the front meadow. We’ll meet at the parking lot and walk into the park from there.  For MBLP events, sturdy shoes and long pants are recommended. We will provide gloves and all necessary tools. Please bring your own water. If you arrive late, call or text Matt on his cell at 703 859 2951.

Where: View the Preserve’s location on Google Maps. The Marie Butler Leven Preserve is in McLean, Virginia. The street address is 1501 Kirby Road. If you’re coming from the Beltway, exit on Route 66 East; from 66, take the first exit, to Leesburg Pike (Route 7); turn left on Leesburg Pike, then almost immediately after the underpass, turn right onto Idylwood Road. Just stay on Idylwood, which becomes Kirby Road after the intersection with Great Falls Street. Stay on Kirby; once you have passed the stop sign at Chesterbrook Road, the Preserve is about half a mile up on the right.

Contact: Matt Bright ([email protected] or 703-859-2951)