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George Mason University Forager’s Forest, October 11th

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Photo by: Ayman Rashid/Creative Services/George Mason University -Fruits of labor

Friday, October 11, 2024
4:00 PM – 6:30 PM

Anyone interested in volunteering should register for shifts on the University Sustainability volunteer portal (you will need to create an account, but it’s easy): https://gmufacilities.knack.com/sustainability-volunteer#my-events/

Project Description
Help sustain a new food forest on Mason campus! The stewardship activities will focus on the Foragers’ Forest and nearby riparian forest at George Mason University’s Fairfax campus. This includes weeding, mulching, planting, etc. in the Foragers’ Forest; and invasive plant removal in the riparian forest.

The Foragers’ Forest is a 100% locally native food forest that was installed in 2023 by Mason students and faculty. The space can best be described as part food forest, part rewilding experiment as it incorporates the Miyawaki method of reforestation. The Foragers’ Forest is adjacent to a recently restored stream and riparian buffer forest.

Important Information for Volunteers
Volunteers should wear pants, long sleeves, and closed toed shoes, and bring water. You may bring your own gardening gloves and loppers/pruners if you have them. We’ll provide gloves and tools if you don’t have them.

Volunteers will meet at one of the Forager’s Forest groves. The groves are located directly across the street from the Aquia Building (4461 Aquia Creek Lane, Fairfax, VA 22030) in the large lawn area. If you have trouble finding he location, call Sarah at 832-917-4024.

The best nearby parking option is the Mason Pond parking deck. Please note this is paid parking and we’re not able to cover parking costs. We will cancel the shift in the event of dangerous weather during the shift (e.g., thunderstorms, tornadoes, hail, extreme heat, etc). We’ll try to notify you as soon as possible if we’re cancelling for weather. 

A Unique Stewardship Opportunity and You Can Bring Your Mt Bike for a Great Ride Afterwards, June 1st

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Photo: Meadowood Special Recreation Management Area, public domain
Saturday, June  1, 2024
9am – 12pm
Meadowood Special Recreation Management Area,
10110 Gunston Rd Lorton, VA 22079
Free to the public!
Contact BLM:  [email protected] or 703-339-8009

Please join the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and MORE (Mid-Atlantic Off Road Enthusiasts), Inc. for their annual National Trails Day (June 1) at Meadowood Special Recreation Management Area. Please park at Meadowood Gateway Parking Lot (next to Gunston Elementary School) for trail work and stewardship efforts to improve the mountain bike trail systems on public land. This year volunteers will be working on the following mountain bike trails: South Branch Loop and Yardsale Trail. This event is free and open to all ages. Please dress appropriately for the weather, and bring water and snacks. They will be handing out hand tools and gloves. Bring your bike to test the trails afterwards! Please spread this volunteer event to your friends, family, and co-workers! Hope to see you all there!

2018 Annual Report from Fairfax Chapter of Virginia Master Naturalists

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Each year, our chapter submits a record of what our members have accomplished to the Virginia Master Naturalists home office in Charlottesville, VA. This year, we recorded 12,569 hours across 137  citizen science, education, and stewardship service projects, in addition to chapter administration.

As Past President Michael Reinemer recounts, numbers alone convey neither the dedication of our volunteers nor the outcomes of their work. Those results of these hours, so generously given, include bird counts and surveys, maintenance of bluebird houses and trails; installation and monitoring of nest structures for Purple Martins; stream monitoring; outreach to school children; education on native plants; citizen science efforts to collect data on wildlife populations, native plants, pollinators, and other natural resources; work with partners such as Earth Sangha, Northern Virginia Soil and Water, Fairfax County Parks; and many more.

The report itself is available in its entirety.