Celebrate World Environment Day with us!

Celebrate World Environment Day with us on Wednesday, June 5! We’ll be hosting an evening walk and bike ride in Herndon, Virginia along the W&OD Trail to learn about why native plants are so important to our native wildlife – and all of us!

Nick Newberry, Fairfax native and expert on our region’s native plants and wildlife, will lead the educational bike ride. We’ll stop at points to learn about invasive species, such as autumn olive, and what we can do about them, as well as admire the beautiful native plants and wildlife we encounter along the way.

Taylor Bates, our new environmental educator, will lead the slower-paced walk, along with several native plant experts. We welcome people of all ages and abilities to join us. Please invite your neighbors and friends!

Registration is required, so we know how many people to plan for. Please dress appropriately to be outdoors and bring your water bottle. The bike ride will be roughly 2 miles round trip and the walk will be 1/4 mile. We will start promptly at 5:30.

Meet our new environmental educator, Taylor Bates!

Taylor Bates spent her childhood writing and playing beneath an American Beech tree and watching birds and bugs the way other kids watched TV. So naturally, she grew into an adult who has led kayak tours through mangrove forests (Rhizophora mangle), facilitated science-themed puppet shows, and performed surgery on sharks. Taylor found her calling in conservation through volunteering with environmental nonprofits, which led her to spend three years as the research manager of a conservation organization near South Africa’s Kruger National Park. There, she developed projects to mitigate human-wildlife interactions, ran community-driven research efforts, and played cat and mouse with leopards (Panthera pardus). (Taylor was usually the mouse.) After returning home, she earned a master’s degree in environmental education. Drawn to our goal of “seriously making sustainability fun,” Taylor is excited to share her global experiences and passion for the environment to grow new generations of sustainability advocates.

As new Virginia residents, Taylor, her husband, and their ball-obsessed dog Cooper love exploring new places. Next time you see Taylor at one of our events, she’d love to hear your recommendation for the next state park she should visit!

The EPA visits the Winchester Meadow!

Earlier this week, we were honored to host a visit from Adam Ortiz, our regional Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator. The EPA is a major funder of our Rewilding Winchester project. Adam and his staff met with us and Winchester’s Parks and Recreation staff to tour our newly seeded meadow in Jim Barnett Park. Read all about the visit here.

ICYMI Social

Lemon Peel Salt Don’t let those lemon peels go to waste! Instead, use them to make a delicious seasoning for your summer cooking. 

Recycling Center Ever wonder what happens to your recycling after you toss it in the bin? See for yourself with our behind the scenes tour of a materials reclamation facility (MRF). 

Biodegradable Plastic Learn about the newly developed plastic that breaks down when exposed to the environment. 

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