9-11 a.m. Celebrate BIRDS and WETLANDS at DYKE MARSH WILDLIFE PRESERVE (GW Pkwy)
9 a.m. Raptors Close Up. Talk with their handlers from the Raptor Conservancy of Virginia. Learn about raptors in our area, their habitat and characteristics. Bring your camera and enjoy magnificent native hawks, owls and falcons. (From main entrance, follow signs to raptor station.)
10 a.m. Wetlands Walk led by Park Ranger Emily Zivot. Meet at the raptor station.
9-11 a.m. Participate in National Junior Ranger Day with exploration kits and wetland wildlife games.
Enter a drawing for a FREE rain barrel!
11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Celebrate TREES at HUNTLEY MEADOWS PARK (3701 Lockheed Blvd)
11 a.m. Celebrated Trees of Fairfax County. Tree Commissioner Eleanor Quigley tells you how to nominate your favorite tree (Visitors’ Center parking lot).
11:15-noon Champion Swamp Chestnut Oaks. Tree Commissioner Jim McGlone leads guided walk to these towering giants.
Noon-1 p.m. Tree Selection, Planting, and Care. Fairfax County urban forester Jessie Strother demonstrates what you need to know (Visitors’ Center parking lot).
- FREE tree seedling to plant at home or school, courtesy of Belfort Furniture and the Virginia Department of Forestry.
- Enter a drawing for a FREE rain barrel!
- Snacks.
1 p.m. Drawing for free rain barrels (Visitors’ Center parking lot).
2-5 p.m. ECO-TOUR.
DIRECTIONS
Download tour map from websites below. Or, drop in at sites that interest you. Letters identify stops on the tour, starting at Huntley Meadows (A).
TAKE STEPS on a more earth-friendly path. On this self-led tour, learn about challenges, visit neighbors, see steps they have taken, and get tips.
Challenges ahead
2-2:45 p.m. 6303 Richmond Hwy (B) Meet Martin Tillett on north side of Walmart parking lot at Kings Crossing for a tour of the unique ecological features of Quander Brook. See stormwater runoff effects on this once-beautiful, historic stream.
Eco-friendly landscaping
3-3:45 p.m. 7713 Tauxemont Rd (C) Learn to landscape for birds from Cliff Fairweather, Audubon-at-Home. Tour the Berniers’ native plant garden. BONUS: sign up for a FREE beakgrass plant. This native grass for shady areas is food for wild turkeys like those spotted in Tauxemont.
4-5 p.m. 8707 Stockton Pkwy (D) Tour the native plant garden with Betsy Martin and learn about creating bird and butterfly habitat with water-wise native plants. Reduce stormwater runoff with a rain garden, rain barrels.
Eco-Friendly energy use
2-5 p.m. 2622 Stirrup Lane (E) Reduce energy use with residential rooftop solar panels, explained by Beate Whitesell and Patrick Fogarty.
Stewardship for youngsters
2-5 p.m. Stratford Landing School, 8484 Riverside Rd (F) Drop by the Discovery Garden (courtyard, south side of school). Explore four square gardens, five senses garden, and colonial garden with Eleanor Whitaker.
2-5 p.m. Hollin Meadows School, 2310 Nordok Place (G) Discover wildlife habitat garden, woodland habitat garden, form and texture garden, and literary garden with Shawn Akard.
HEAVY RAIN CANCELS EARTH DAY EVENTS.
For updated program and eco-tour map, check these websites:
www.friendsoflittlehuntingcreek.org
Mount Vernon Earth Day Sponsors:
Mount Vernon Council of Citizens Associations
Audubon Society of Northern Virginia
Fairfax County Tree Commission
Fairfax County Urban Forest Management Division
Fairfax County Wetlands Board
Friends of Dyke Marsh
Friends of Huntley Meadows Park
Friends of Little Hunting Creek
HomeFirst Realty/Wilkinson Property Management
Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District
National Park Service/George Washington Memorial Parkway www.nps/gwmp
Virginia Department of Forestry
