We hope you enjoy this issue of Saving Nearby Nature from the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust . Let us know if you have any questions or suggestions.
     Saving Nearby Nature                              May 2016
Earth Day was "Earth Month" for the Trust! This event was at Springfest.Fairfax, but we spoke to more than 1,000 people and had displays at eight different events across the region. We shared land conservation information at events in Arlington, Fairfax, Alexandria, Prince William, and at Fort A.P. Hill in Caroline County. Kids and grownups alike played the "Naturalist Game," matching pictures of leaves and animals to names, and picked up a seed paper cards to plant herbs.
More than half of NVCT's conservation easements contain RPAs
How RPAs benefit our communities  
 
The  Chespeake Bay Preservation Act, known as the Bay Act, was designed to improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries by requiring best management practices. Resource Protection Areas (RPAs) are one of the most important aspects of the Bay Act. They're the 100-foot vegetated buffers designated along all perennial streams, rivers, and other waterways in the Chesapeake watershed. These riparian buffers protect water quality, filter pollutants out of stormwater runoff, reduce the volume of stormwater runoff, prevent erosion, and perform other important biological and ecological functions. Any land disturbance within an RPA (even removal of invasives!) requires approval from the local government that administers the Bay Act.
Virginia Conservation Assistance Program Now Available!

Stormwater runoff is the leading cause of water quality problems in Virginia. Does your property have problem areas like erosion or poor drainage? Would you like to convert your grass lawn to a native meadow, install a rain garden, or install a green roof?

Your Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) may be able to help fund the project through a brand new program, the Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP). It is an urban cost-share program with financial reimbursements to non-agricultural property owners installing eligible Best Management Practices, such as retention areas and vegetated waterways. Click here for the brochure.

Up until now, VCAP has been a pilot program only in limited districts, but the program is being implemented across the state. Click to see what's available in your area. The Tri-County/City SWCD offers VCAP in King George, Spotsylvania, and Stafford counties, and Fredericksburg. Loudoun and   Prince William SWCDs haven't officially rolled out the program yet but are accepting applications. The Northern Virginia SWCD offers assistance to HOAs in Fairfax County and will be expanding the program to individual homeowners in the next few months. Arlington County is not covered by a SWCD but offers a   similar program. The cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, and Fairfax are not covered by a SWCD.
Calendar                                           Experience nearby nature
Remove invasives at Fairfax County horticultural park June 4th
Join in a cleanup at the John and Margaret White  
Gardens, a hidden gem in Fairfax County, on Saturday, June 4, 9 a.m. to noon. All ages 14 and above are welcome
 
Bring gloves, water, sunscreen and insect repellent, and wear long pants, sturdy shoes and consider long sleeves. Please mark any garden tools you bring with you.

Directions to White Gardens: Access is at the end Princess Anne Lane (Falls Church), just off Holloman Rd. At the end of the paved road, continue on the dirt maintenance access and park along the road. Official address is 3301 Hawthorne Lane, but that won't work for GPS directions! We'll be working rain or shine--unless it is storming or in excess of 100 degrees.
 
Please reply to Daniel Saltzberg, dsaltzberg@nvct.org, 703-354-5093. Check the website for additional information and a release form. 
Taking care of your land
The Zika-carrying mosquito is not the only concern
Mosquito control is of great concern this year! 
Two-plus weeks of rainy weather means that it's time for pest and mosquito control. Remember that mosquitoes require as little as one tablespoon of water to lay eggs. They can successfully breed in any area or container that has shallow standing water for more than three days. The number-one source of mosquito bites in our area is the Asian Tiger mosquito, a container breeder. Click here for helpful hints about problem areas around your home. And be cautious about using pesticides because these sprays can have harmful effects on the bees population and on water quality.
Gardens going wild 
Our friends at the Virginia Native Plant Society declare this the "wildflower of the year"--the Downy Rattlesnake Plantain, goodyera-pubescens. Gardeners should not collect the plant in the wild and should be certain that all native plants purchased for home gardens have been nursery-propagated, not wild-collected. Click here or on the photo to link to VNPS. 
Do you have a monarch butterfly waystation?
NVCT would like to know more about your experience if you have a monarch butterfly waystation, particularly on conserved land.
And congratulations to Fairfax County for building a
new Pollinator Meadow at the Government Center, a project connected to the recent stream restoration. Click for information from Monarch Watch about monarch habitats. 
Here's what our cleanup accomplished last month



NVCT and community volunteers cleaned up the stream in Annandale Community Park on April 2,  and pulled out about 1,000 pounds of bulk trash, 9 tires, 20 bags of trash, and 11 bags of recyclable trash. We appreciate that Mason District Supervisor Supervisor Penny Gross stopped by to see the hard work.
Please contact us with any questions about the Trust and our work
703-354-5093  |  4022-A Hummer Rd. Annandale, VA 22003  | email info@nvct.org