October 2019
Watershed Calendar
Dear ,

In this month's watershed calendar, be sure to check out upcoming events where you can visit NVSWCD staff, apply to the Youth Conservation Leadership Initiative program and submit an entry to the Conservation Poster Contest (both close soon on Oct. 4!!), and learn more about how you can help #SaveCleanWater!  

Ashley Palmer
Conservation Education Specialist
ashley.palmer@fairfaxcounty.gov
703-324-1423
Stream Monitoring Events
Powells Creek Stream Monitoring Session
When : Saturday, October 5, 10:00am-12:30pm
Where : Montclair VA
Parking location : Along 15601 Northgate Dr. Montclair, VA 22025
Join Buck Arvin and the Merrimac Master Naturalist Team in monitoring the Powell’s Creek in the Montclair area. Residents are welcome to come support the data collection of this stream and learn more about the water quality in their local stream.
For directions and more information RSVP to Buck Arvin .

Airport Creek Stream Monitoring Session
When : Sunday, October 6, 11:00am-1:30pm
Where : Woodbridge VA
Parking Location:  parking is just past Mojave Lane on Springwoods Drive (look for the Water Quality Event sign). Join Janis Cook at this adopted site in the Lake Ridge area for water quality monitoring experience. For more information and RSVP, please contact  Janis Cook.

Reston Association Stream Monitoring Workshop
When : Saturday, October 19, 1:30-4:30pm
Where : Reston VA
What better way to enjoy the changing seasons than to get your feet wet in one of Reston’s streams? RA welcomes new volunteers to assist with stream monitoring at several locations. Get involved with a small team to collect data and identify insects with the goal of assessing the health of Reston’s streams. Not only do you get to learn about streams, it also provides an opportunity to make new friends! Learn more and register .

Reston Association Stream Monitoring Workshop
When : Saturday, November 16, 11:00am-2:00pm
Where : Reston VA
What better way to enjoy the changing seasons than to get your feet wet in one of Reston’s streams? RA welcomes new volunteers to assist with stream monitoring at several locations. Get involved with a small team to collect data and identify insects with the goal of assessing the health of Reston’s streams. Not only do you get to learn about streams, it also provides an opportunity to make new friends! Learn more and register .
Fall Stream Cleanup Events
Join Stream Cleanups throughout September and October with Clean Virginia Waterways! Check out the website for local cleanups!
Join Stream Cleanups this fall with the Alice Ferguson Foundation Trash Free Potomac! Check out the website for local cleanups!
Accotink Creek Stream Cleanup
When : Saturday, October 5, 9:00-11:00am
Where : Fairfax VA
Join Friends of Accotink Creek (FOAC) and Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions (FACS) in making Accotink Creek a cleaner and healthier place for fish, frogs, and people. Register here and contact Jackie with FACS for more information.

Belmont Bay Cleanup
When : Saturday, October 5, 9:00am-12:00pm
Where : Belmont Bay Marina, Woodbridge VA
Join the Belmont Bay Community for the fall cleanup. Volunteers will be out both on-land and on-water for a Big Belmont Bay Community cleanup Organized by the Belmont Bay Paddlers. This cleanup will stretch from the Route 1 and the Occoquan Bridge towards the Bay. For more information and to RSVP, please contact Myra Lau

Friends of the Occoquan Stream Cleanup
When : Saturday, October 5, 9:00am-12:00pm
Where : Several sites near Occoquan VA
Join the Friends of the Occoquan for their annual cleanup along the river! Cleanup the banks or - if you have a canoe or kayak - head into the water to get floating trash. Refreshments will be provided to all volunteers. A list of sites can be found here . You can make a difference! Help preserve one of our region’s most important natural resources: The Occoquan River! The trash problem is a serious one and we need your help! Rain or Shine! Refreshments will be provided. Please contact FOTO at 703-624-7124 if you can help us out! **Bring refillable water bottles for water drinking purposes.

Reston Association Stream Cleanup
When: Saturday, October 19, 10:00am-12:00pm
Where: Reston VA
There are three potential worksites. RA will be hosting cleanups at Hunters Woods Village Center, Soapstone Drive and the Southgate Community Center. Help keep Reston looking beautiful by joining RA for the Fall Stream Cleanup! By simply clearing out litter from our watersheds, your contributions will have a significant impact on restoring Reston’s streams. Learn more and register here .
NVSWCD Events
2019 Conservation Poster Contest
Deadline: October 4, 2019
The Youth Poster Contest is a national competition. Students submit entries to their local Conservation District. Winning entries can be sent to state and even national competitions for judging and awards. The contest is open to the public, private or home school students, girl scout/boy scout troops, etc. Please note that both Girl and Boy Scouts that participate in the contest and submit valid entries at any level are eligible to receive the VASWCD Conservation Poster Patch. Entries must be submitted to the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District by October 4, 2019. Learn more and enter .
2019 Youth Conservation Leadership Institute Now Accepting Applications!
Deadline: October 4, 2019

YCLI offers high school students interested in environmental conservation and stewardship an opportunity to build leadership skills and connect with local mentors involved with environmental issues. Students choose projects that they are interested in to carryout in their community. 
 
As a participant in the Youth Conservation Leadership Institute, students will be required to complete a minimum of 20 hours of community service with a focus in the natural resources conservation field. Students are encouraged to focus work with the local Soil & Water Conservation District but any work that contributes to pollution prevention, natural resources conservation, and promotion of environmental literacy will be accepted. All projects must have a confirmed mentor which may be a local SWCD, government agency, community leader, or similar local organization.
 
YCLI is open to any Virginia high school (9 th -12 th grade)student committed to the entirety of the program including:
  • Completion of at least 20 community service hours to be approved by the VASWCD staff.
  • Submission of one interim and final report/presentation on the community work completed.
  • Attendance at the final recognition program to be held in Spring of 2020.
  • Read an assigned book on environmental leadership for a group discussion.

Learn more about the program here and send completed applications to Bonnie Mahl by October 4, 2019.
Community Events
HOAs and Condo Associations: Sustainable solutions to landscaping headaches
When : Friday, October 4 or Saturday, November 2, 9:30 am – 1 pm.
Where : Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale Campus, Annandale VA
(Choose one date to attend. The content will be identical.)
Are you involved in planning the landscaping for your HOA or Condo Association? Board members, landscape committees, property managers, and landscape maintenance companies are particularly encouraged to attend, but everyone is welcome. Come visit the NVSWCD table to learn more about the CAP/VCAP program, rain barrels, composting, storm drain labeling, and much more! See details and sign up here .

Hidden Oaks 50th Anniversary Celebration
When : Saturday, October 19, 11:00am-4:00pm
Where : Hidden Oaks Nature Center, Annandale VA
Visit for a day of fun, music and special activities in honor of Hidden Oaks Nature Center’s 50th anniversary! Opened in 1969 as the first nature center in Fairfax County, Hidden Oaks now serves over 30,000 visitors a year. Enjoy a Reptiles Alive presentation, music from the School of Rock honoring Woodstock’s 50th year and other children’s music groups, go on a Hidden Treasures of Hidden Oaks hunt, see demonstrations of Monarch butterfly tagging and release and enjoy the new playground and chainsaw tree art. Fun for all ages! Parking in Annandale Community Park except for special permit parking.  Learn more . Free.
Check out Fall Native Plant Sales!
How you can help #SaveCleanWater

For nearly 50 years, EPA has overseen the Clean Water Act, one of the strongest environmental protection laws ever passed. But now EPA wants to weaken the Clean Water Act so that many of the waterways in our communities would no longer be protected. They think that the smallest streams – the ones that carry water out of our neighborhoods after a heavy rainfall – just aren’t important.


It’s easy: Just find a small stream near you – one that doesn’t flow all year round – and send us a picture of it . We’ll use the photos to build a visual library of the streams you love. When EPA sees that, they’ll get the message: Americans won’t stand for this attack on clean water.

-Samantha Briggs
Clean Water Program Director
Izaak Walton League of America
A great resource for gardeners and an interesting listen!