| June 2018 Watershed Calendar |
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Saturday June 2nd
Multiple locations
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Saturday, June 2nd - Saturday, June 9th
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Monday, June 4th
5:30pm-8:00pm
Centerville, VA
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Wednesday, June 6th
10am
Alexandria, VA
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Saturday, June 9th, 9:30am- 11:30am
Springfield, VA
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| Pond Fest
Saturday, June 9th
6:30pm-8:30pm
Springfield, VA
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| Rain Barrel Workshop
Saturday, June 9th
10:00am-Noon
Arlington, VA
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Sunday June 10th
1:00pm-5:00pm
Selected properties in Fairfax and Falls Church
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Salt Management Strategy Meeting
Wednesday June 13th
10:00am
Fairfax, VA
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Thursday, June 14th
5:30pm-8:00pm
Herndon, VA
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| Fathers Day Cruise
Sunday, June 17th
2:00pm
Springfield, VA
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Friday, June 22nd
7:00pm-9:00pm
Reston,VA
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Wednesday, June 27th
Springfield. VA
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Saturday, June 30th
6:00 - 7:00pm
Chantilly, VA
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Summer is officially here! Celebrate by volunteering outside, learning more about the surrounding environment, cleaning up waterways and having fun! Read below to see what is going on this month.
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June Stream Monitoring Events
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Date: Saturday, June 2nd, 10am
Location: Woodbridge, VA
Date: Monday, June 4th, 5:30pm
Location: Centreville, VA
Date: Saturday, June 9th, 9:30am
Location: Lake Accotink Park, Springfield
Date: Thursday, June 14th, 5:30pm
Location: Herndon, VA
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Stream Monitoring News
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Volunteers: Join the Clean Water Challenge!
The Izaak Walton Leage of America, the national organization that oversees the Fairfax County Stream Monitoring Program, hopes to monitor 100,000 adiitional stream sites nationwide by 2022. This effort--The Clean Water Challenge--wil not succeed without massive volunteer buy in. If you are a new stream monitoring volunteer, consider taking the certification test and adopting your own stream site. If you are already certified, think about adding a new stream site to your existing one. Information about the Clean Water Challenge is available on the Izaak Walton League's website. To learn more about becomming a ceritifed monitor, contact Dan Schwartz.
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Courtesy of Friends of the Occoquan River
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Watershed Cleanup Events
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30th Annual Clean the Bay Day
Dates: Saturday, June 2nd, 9:00 am- noon
Locations: Multiple locations
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 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 152,000 volunteers, who have removed approximately 6.4 million pounds of debris from nearly 7,390 miles of shoreline in Virginia! Find more informaiton including how to register here. Volunteers Needed to Adopt Local Parks Locations: Reston, Herndon and Great Falls areas The Fairfax Park Authority's Area 6 Management is looking for volunteers to adopt several parks that are suffering from excessive litter. Affected parks include -Merrybrook Stream Valley, Herndon area -Dulles Rock Hill, Herndon Area -Scott's Run Nature Preserve, Great Falls/McLean area -South Lakes Park, Reston -Sugarland Run, Reston/Herndon area -Little Difficult Run, Reston/Herndon area A great opportunity for individuals or groups. Please contact Wayne Brissey for more information.
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Other Water Quality News
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Five-Year Review of the 2012 Recreational Water Quality Criteria
On May 4, 2018, EPA published its five-year review of the 2012 Recreational Water Quality Criteria as required by BEACH Act amendments to the Clean Water Act (2000). The review includes a detailed assessment of the state of the science and advances made since 2010 that support the Recreational Water Quality Criteria and enhance its implementation. On the basis of the review described in the review report, the EPA has decided not to revise the 2012 Recreational Water Criteria during this review cycle. The Agency believes, however, that further research and analysis as identified in the report will contribute to the EPA's future review of the 2012 RWQC. More information on the
review.
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NVSWCD Initiatives and Program Updates
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Example of sustainable garden in Fairfax,VA |
Sustainable Garden Tour
A
sustainable garden open house! On June 10th tour homes, shools and churches in the Fairfax-Falls Church area to see rain gardens, native plants, rain barrels, wildlife habitat, edible gardens, composting and more. Get inspired and bring some ideas back to your landscpe! Enjoy each garden at your own pace. Visit as many or as few as you like. No RSVP is required. Free and open to all!
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Storm Drain Education
Volunteering to lead a storm drain labeling project is a fun way to give back to the community and help protect our natural world. Each project focuses on a neighborhood, informing people who live there about the dangers of dumping anything into a storm drain. Storm drain labeling is an effective, low-cost method of educating residents about water quality problems in our streams, lakes, rivers and the Bay. NVSWCD is currently recruiting volunteers to lead storm drain labeling projects. Find more
information online.
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2017 Youth Photo Winner
Chris Ganoe's "The Smallest Things"
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Build-Your-Own Rain Barrel Workshop
On June 9th, come to Arlington's Fairlington Community Center and turn a recycled pepper barrel into a lean, green, rainwater harvesting machine! The workshop includes all tools, materials and guidance needed to create your own rain barrel. Take it home and install it on your downspout to take advantage of all the recent rain! $55 per barrel, please
register in advance.
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One Tree Planted, Another 10 Million to Go as Pa. Initiative Begins
National, state, and local partners gathered on a Lancaster County farm on April 24 for the announcement of one of Pennsylvania's most ambitious, collaborative, and challenging efforts to restore and protect its rivers and streams - the planting of 10 million trees by the end of 2025. Read more here.
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Bay Ag Conservation Programs Await Details of Pending Farm Bill
Congress has started to debate how to direct hundreds of billions of dollars to implement
the nation's farm and nutrition policies in the coming years, and the outcome could have a major impact on Chesapeake Bay cleanup goals. That's because the massive legislation being crafted, known as the Farm Bill, is also the biggest source of funding to help farmers throughout the Bay watershed reduce nutrient and sediment runoff from their operations. Congress revises and passes the Farm Bill every five years - more or less - which directs federal policy and funding for agricultural issues ranging from food stamps to crop subsidies and conservation practices.Read more
here.
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Volunteer to Mark Native Species for Sale at Local Nurseries
One of the core efforts of the Plant NOVA Natives campaign is to make it simple for gardeners to buy native plant species at their local nursery. Greenstreet Gardens, Meadows Farm Nurseries and Merrifield Garden Center have kindly agreed to let volunteers mark the native species they sell with a Plant NOVA Natives sticker, so it is clearer to the general public what plants are native. More volunteers are needed for this campaign. To help, please contact
[email protected].
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Teacher's Professional Development Chesapeake Summer Courses
Join the Chesapeake Bay Foundation for a five-day summer professional learning adventure on the Bay or one of its tributaries. More than 30 courses are offered that will explore the mountains of Virginia, the rivers of Pennsylvania, the islands of the Bay, and many places in between. Learn how to integrate the environment into your classroom and to help your students achieve environmental literacy success. More information online.
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Reston Bioblitz 
Date: Saturday, June 2nd, 2018
Location: Natural areas throughout Reston
A bioblitz is a quick but intense biotic survey completed within a 24 hour period. It provides a snap shot in time of what plants and wildlife are found in a certain place. Reston's 2018 bioblitz is looking for volunteers, scientists, and naturalists to participate, whether you're a Reston residents or not. Please find more
information online or contact Patricia Greenberg for more information:
[email protected],
703-435-6552.
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Prince William County Stream Monitoring Session
Date: Saturday, June 2nd, 10:00am - 1:00pm
Location: Along 15601 Northgate Dr. Montclair, VA 22025
Join Buck Arvin and the Merrimac Master Naturalist Team in monitoring Powells Creek in the Montclair neighborhood of Woodbridge. Please RSVP to Buck Arvin.
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Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week
Date: Saturday, June 2nd 2018 - Saturday, June 9th 2018
In 2016, the Chesapeake Bay Commission championed the notion of designating the second week of June as Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week. Legislation establishing the special week was enacted in Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. The designation encourages all Virginians "to commemorate Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week with events, activities, and educational programs designed to raise awareness of the importance of the Chesapeake Bay to the Commonwealth, the region, and the United States." Please visit the
Alliance for the Bay website for details and a listing of the awareness week events.
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| Cub Run Stream Monitoring Workshop: Centreville
Date: Monday, June 4th, 5:30pm-8:00pm
Location: Cub Run Stream Valley Park, Centreville
Help monitor beautiful Cub Run along a popular hiking path just a bit upstream of where it empties into Bull Run. For directions and to RSVP, please contact
Dan Schwartz.
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Birth of a Wetland
Date: Wednesday, June 6th, 10am
Learn how geology, human land use and wildlife created Huntley Meadows Park's central wetland. A naturalist-led walk to the wetlands follows the talk. Binoculars are recommended. The program from 10 a.m. to noon costs $9 per person. Find
more information online or call
703-768-2525.
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Friends of Accotink Creek: Stream Monitoring
Date: Saturday, June 9th, 9:30am- 11:30am
Location: Lake Accotink, 7500 Accotink Park Road Springfield, VA, 22150
Join Friends of Lake Accotink Park and Friends of Accotink Creek for a rewarding and fun time for adults and children who enjoy helping our parks and environment by identifying and counting stream critters to document the health of the stream.
It's fun for the whole family to learn what's in the water by seeing and counting stream critters. The critter count is ever-changing, but we have made some exciting finds, including small crayfish.
For more information online.
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Pond Fest
Date: Saturday, June 9th, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Explore the Pohick Stream Valley at Hidden Pond Nature Center with a twilight pond and stream study, a swamp walk, fishing and a campfire. Celebrate with the whole family the variety of life our watershed has to offer. $8 per person. Find
more information online
, or call 703-451-9588.
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Rain Barrel Workshop
Date: Saturday, June 9th, 10:00am - Noon
Location:
Fairlington Community Center, 3308 S. Stafford St, Arlington, VA
Turn a recycled plastic food barrel into a 55-gallon rainwater harvesting rain barrel! Workshop cost is $55 and includes all necessary instructions and tools. Take your finished barrel home, strap it to your downspout, and start harvesting rainwater! Please register in advance.
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2018 Sustainable Garden Tour
Date: Sunday, June 10th, 2018, 1:00 - 5:00pm
Location: Selected properties in Fairfax and Falls Church
The Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District's
2018 Sustainable Garden Tour
lets local residents open their gardens and share their experiences landscaping with nature in mind. This year's tour features homes, schools, and churches in the Fairfax-Falls Church area. See rain gardens, native plants, rain barrels, wildlife habitat, edible gardens, composting and more. Enjoy each garden at your own pace. Visit as many or as few as you like. No RSVP is required. Free and open to all!
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Salt Management Strategy Stakeholder's Meeting
Date: Wednesday, June 13th, 2018, 10:00am
Location: Northern Virginia Regional Commission, 3040 Williams Dr, Ste 200, Fairfax, VA 22031
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality is convening meetings with stakeholders to create a Salt Management Strategy to reduce the amount of chloride in our local waterways due to winter salt application on roadways and sidewalks. Accotink Creek in Fairfax County and City is officially impaired due to its high chloride content. These meeting will refine an approach to reduce chloride levels in Accotink to the target concentration and expand these actions to the greater Northern Virginia area. More information can be found online.
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Herndon Stream Monitoring Workshop: Horsepen Run
Date: Thursday, June 14th 5:30pm-8:00pm
Location: Horsepen Run Stream Valley Park, Herndon,VA
Help monitor beautiful horsepen run just east of the Dulles Airport property. For directions and to RSVP, please contact
Dan Schwartz.
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Father's Day Cruise
Date: Sunday, June 17th, 2:00pm
Location:
Lake Accotink, 7500 Accotink Park Road, Springfield, VA, 22150
Treat Dad to a special day with the family aboard a 32-foot pontoon tour boat at Lake Accotink Park. Spot soaring eagles and sunbathing turtles while slowly cruising for 30 minutes around the lake. All pre-registered passengers receive a beverage and treat on board. Arrive 20 minutes before your cruise time to check in at the ticket building. Cruises depart at 2, 3 and 5 p.m. The cost is $6 per person. Registrants will be notified if cruises are canceled due to adverse boating conditions, such as inclement weather or high wind. Find more information online, or call 703-569-3464.
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Environmental Film: A Plastic Ocean
Date: Friday, June 22nd, 7:00pm-9:00pm
Location: Walker Nature Center, 11450 Glade Dr., Reston
This film brings to light the consequences of a disposable lifestyle. We thought we could use plastic once and throw it away with negligible impact to humans and animals. That turns out to be untrue. Follow a team of adventurers, researchers and ocean ambassadors on a global mission to uncover the truth about what is lurking beneath the surface of the ocean. Registration recommended by 6/22. Copresented by Friends of Reston,
more information online
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Amphibians After Dark
Date: Wednesday, June 27th, 8:00pm-9:00pm
Location:
Lake Accotink, 7500 Accotink Park Road, Springfield, VA, 22150
Assist park naturalists with a calling amphibian survey at Lake Accotink Park. Learn how to identify frogs and toads by their calls as we explore pools and ponds from 8 to 9 p.m. The cost is $6 per person. Children must be accompanied by a registered adult. Regitstration
information online, or call
703-569-3464.
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Stream Life
Date: Saturday, June 30th, 6:00pm-7:00pm
Freshwater ecosystems are full of fascinating creatures. Come to Ellanor C. Lawrence Park and search for stoneflies, hellgrammites, water pennies and crayfish. Explore Big Rocky Run with a naturalist, use dip nets and kick nets to catch and release these creatures and learn about their role in the environment. Learn stream monitoring techniques and the impacts humans have on these fragile ecosystems. $6 per person. Wear shoes that can get wet. Meet at the pond. Further
information online, or call
703-631-0013.
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Stream Monitoring Workshop: River Towers
Date: Saturday, July 7th 9am - Noon
Location: River Towers Condominiums, Alexandria, VA
Participate in one of few "muddy bottom" stream monitoring experiences as we gauge the health of a small tributary of Dyke Marsh. Co-sponsored by the Friends of Dyke Marsh. Space is limited. For directions and to RSVP, please contact
Dan Schwartz.
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Kayak Tour- Wildlife of the Potomac
Date: Saturday, July, 7th, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Watch for deer foraging on the islands and osprey and bald eagles searching for fish as we paddle through this wildlife-rich section of the Potomac River at Riverbend Park. This is not a whitewater tour. No previous experience is required. Kayaks are provided; one person per kayak. Find more information as well as how to register
here.
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12055 Government Center Parkway, Suite 905
Fairfax, VA 22035
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Copyright © 2018. All Rights Reserved.
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