More Reasons to Come to Earth Day! Save the date: April 21 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., at Beach 5

More Reasons to Come to Earth Day on April 21!

By Betsy Washington, Environmental Committee Chairman 

 

 

Save the date: April 21 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., at Beach 5 (Rain Date: April 28). Bring the whole family to celebrate Earth Day in Lake Barcroft on Sunday April 21. We have several new and exciting programs lined up in addition to the twelve programs already highlighted in the March newsletter. Enjoy live bluegrass music, great food, and learn loads of tips on watershed friendly activities for all ages. In addition to our ever popular Eco-barge tours, live Raptor program and interactive watershed model and erosion table demonstrations, we have many new programs lined up. New highlights include:

  • Hillhouse Farm and Nursery will have a wonderful variety of native plants including flowering understory trees, shrubs, and perennials for sale.
  • Humane Society wildlife biologist, Dr. John Hadidian  will present a program on humane ways to deal with beavers and other wildlife, followed by a demonstration of techniques to protect your property from beavers.
  • Representatives from Energy Action Fairfax, a new Fairfax County program to help educate residents on steps to take to save energy at home, will be on hand to provide energy saving tips and answer questions. Lake Barcroft has been selected as one of only seven County communities for  this new pilot project. As part of this program, the County will connect neighbors with energy experts, provide home energy assessments and deliver how-to instruction. 
  • Photography exhibit including fascinating historic photos of the lake after Hurricane Agnes, photos from the WID archive, and  some fabulous wildlife and lake photos.
  • Learn to identify and safely remove noxious invasive plants. Join Kay Cooper and Fred Abbey in an invasive plant workshop and demonstration. Get recipes featuring a few of our invasive plants. 

 Here is the Schedule of our Earth Day events.

 Workshops and Events: 2:00 - 2:45 and from 4:30 - 6:00

  • Eco-Barge Tours - Join Kevin Howe and George McLennan for a delightful tour of the lake and learn about our watershed. 
  • Shop for stunning native plants at the Hillhouse Farm and Nursery sale. Owner Janet Davis will help you select the perfect plants for your garden.
  • Enjoy a fabulous children's program with former Green Spring's Children's program coordinator, Cindy Gimbel
  • 2:00 - 2:30 - Interactive Demonstrations of the Watershed model with Watershed Engineer Jeff Moeller 
  • Get the dirt! See stream erosion in action. Take part in the amazing Stream Erosion Table with Geologist Stephanie Perez
  • Master Gardeners have the answers to all your gardening questions!
  • Betsy Washington and other designers will be on hand at the RPA garden to help you make your property more watershed friendly and design tips to turn it into a beautiful oasis. 
  • Energy Action Fairfax will demonstrate techniques on saving energy in your own home.
  • Enjoy an extraordinary Photography Exhibit curated by resident photographer, Larry Golfer with Tom Donlan.
  • Student Art Show - Those 18 and younger are invited to bring and hang their art work on our Art Line for all to enjoy. Prepare to be amazed by the creativity of our talented Lake Barcroft youth. Make a work of art or collage in our hands on workshop with Art Teacher, Mert Cook.
  • Join Davis Grant at the WID tent and see their new Watershed Map and learn about all that they do for the lake.
  • Snack Table with cookies and drinks
  • Buy a raffle ticket to win Eco-prizes, such as your own Lake Barcroft Eco-cruise, special plants and trees, or a work of art by some of Lake Barcroft artists. 

Programs for All to Enjoy: 2:45 - 4:30  

  • 2:45 - 3:00: Learn about attracting wildlife to your own garden from the innovative Northern Virginia Audubon at Home program leaders 
  • 3:00 - 4:00 Don't miss Kent Knowles, Director of the Raptor Conservancy of VA and his live Raptor Program! You definitely don't want to miss this.
  • 4:00 - 4:20 Join Humane Society wildlife biologist, John Hadidian, to learn about humane ways to deal with beavers and other Lake Barcroft wildlife  

 More Events - 4:30 - 6:00 only

  • Enjoy dinner with grilled hotdogs, hamburgers and drinks prepared and sold by the J.E.B. Stuart High School Crew Team.
  • Enjoy live Bluegrass music with Matt Slocum and his band
  • Learn how to protect your property from beavers and other wildlife questions with a demonstration by Dr. John Hadidian and David Feld
  • Sign your garden up to become a wildlife oasis and get more tips at the Audubon at Home station
  • Energy Action Fairfax will demonstrate techniques on saving energy in your own home.
  • Interactive Watershed Model and Erosion Table demonstrations continue at 4:30.
  • Don't Miss the Raffle Drawing for great prizes!

Additional Resources:
Watershed Friendly Spring Lawn Care Tips (pdf)
List of Resources for Stormwater (pdf)
Garden Certification (pdf)