NATURE, HISTORY AND HORTICULTURE IN FAIRFAX COUNTY
VOLUME 7, NO. 4 FALL 2007
Hidden Oaks Nature Center Puts LID on Parking By Carol Ochs, FCPA Volunteer A bigger parking lot is one of the last things you’d think of as good stewardship of the land.
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ince the days of Joni Mitchell’s “they paved paradise and put up a parking lot,” those dull slabs of asphalt have been more environmental blight than boon. But that’s not the case at Hidden Oaks Nature Center. The site’s new “green” parking lot is a lesson in environmental stewardship, public safety and public education. Hidden Oaks is using Low Impact Development (LID) techniques to expand visitor parking. LID means using permeable pavers that allow water to pass through and constructing an angled driveway and parking area that will send rainwater into a bio-retention basin, or rain garden. Michael McDonnell, the manager at Hidden Oaks Nature Center, says the parking lot project has “been in the hopper for ten years and we’re lucky that it’s happening when a great LID opportunity came along.” In addition, the Park Authority Board is focusing on environmental stewardship practices. Safety was the first consideration. Hidden Oaks had a relatively tight circular drive and four parking spaces that were adequate when the nature center opened in 1969 and catered mostly to walk-in visitors from the surrounding Annandale neighborhood. Safety concerns arose when it became apparent fire trucks and emergency vehicles would have difficulty negotiating the tight space. Over time, as the center became a hub for moms with mini-vans and strollers, students aboard school buses and adults attending evening meetings, the need for more parking grew.
Members of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and the Park Board join Park Authority staffers and Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerald Connolly (center, blue shirt) at the groundbreaking for the Hidden Oaks LID parking lot.
The four-space parking lot is being expanded to 20 spaces. All new spaces around the circle will be covered in permeable pavers except for the accessible parking area, where a solid, level surface is necessary. The porous bricks will allow rainwater to soak into layers of ground and gravel, rather than run off into the county’s storm drains.
WHAT’S INSIDE . . . Events ........................... 2 Park Foundation ............ 3 Accreditation ................ 4
The driveway and the parking spaces inside the circle will be covered in conventional impermeable paving material. That paved area will be angled so that rainwater runs into a rain garden in the center of the driveway circle.
Cross County Trail (CCT) ..5
Progress comes at a price
Awards ......................... 9
About two dozen trees, mainly those in the circle and at the edge of the current parking lot, were removed. Suzanne Holland, assistant manager at continued on page 10
School in a Park ............ 6 Nature Center Discovery .. 7 Composting .................. 8 Quilt Show .................. 11 Rentals ....................... 12
p Fairfax County Park Authority • Fairfax, VA 22035 • 703-324-8695 • FAX 703-324-3996 • TTY 703-803-3354 • www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/resources
EVENTS
NATURE CENTERS AND HISTORIC SITES BURKE LAKE PARK 7315 Ox Road, Fairfax Station Call 703-323-6600 COLVIN RUN MILL 10017 Colvin Run Road, Great Falls Call 703-759-2771 ELLANOR C. LAWRENCE PARK 5040 Walney Road, Chantilly Call 703-631-0013 FRYING PAN PARK 2709 West Ox Road, Herndon Call 703-437-9101 GREEN SPRING GARDENS 4603 Green Spring Rd., Alexandria Call 703-642-5173 HIDDEN OAKS NATURE CENTER 7701 Royce Street, Annandale Call 703-941-1065 HIDDEN POND NATURE CENTER 8511 Greeley Blvd., Springfield Call 703-451-9588 HUNTLEY MEADOWS PARK 3701 Lockheed Blvd., Alexandria Call 703-768-2525 LAKE ACCOTINK PARK 7500 Accotink Park Rd., Springfield Call 703-569-3464 LAKE FAIRFAX PARK 1400 Lake Fairfax Drive, Reston Call 703-471-5414 RIVERBEND PARK 8700 Potomac Hills Street, Great Falls Call 703-759-9018 SULLY HISTORIC SITE 3601 Sully Road, Chantilly Call 703-437-1794 HISTORIC PROPERTIES RENTAL SERVICES www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/weddings.htm Call 703-938-8835
Need directions or more information? VISIT www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks
FALL IN THE PARKS Tagging Monarch Butterflies Sunday, September 30, (5 yrs. & up), 12:30-1:45pm, Hidden Oaks Nature Center, 703-941-1065. Learn to identify monarch butterflies, discover their fascinating life cycle and how they migrate to Mexico. Assist a naturalist in tagging live monarchs and release them as they begin their journey southwest. Make a symbolic monarch to “migrate” to a child who lives in the Mexican communities surrounding the butterfly reserves. Reservations and advanced payment required. $5/person
Fear-less Fest
David Ochs Don Sweeney, FCPA Jatinder Kaur Innovative Projects, Inc.
Published quarterly by the Fairfax County Park Authority, 12055 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, VA 22035-1118.
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Douglas Owsley, Forensic Anthropologist, Smithsonian Institution of Natural History Saturday, October 20, 8:30am to 4:15pm at Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale Campus Tickets: $30, includes breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, exhibits, authors, trivia contest, prizes and parking. For more information and a brochure contact lghassoc@erols.com
Saturday, October 20, (4 yrs. & up with adult), 7-9pm, Hidden Oaks Nature Center, 703-941-1065. Join a costumed naturalist for a night hike along the trail and meet some misunderstood costumed creatures of the night who will explain why they have scary reputations. Dispel myths while enjoying an evening adventure with live animals, activities and crafts. Great activity for scouts. Rain date: 10/27. $5/child, $2/adult
Naturalist Corner Tuesday, November 6, (4 yrs. & up with adult), 1-4pm, Hidden Oaks Nature Center, 703-941-1065. Explore a discovery room of over a dozen activities and crafts. Discover the changes of the season on a fall scavenger hunt. Participate in Outdoor Eastern Woodland Indian games.
Virginia Indian Festival
Editor/Writer: Photos: Administration: Production:
400 Years of Fairfax County History The Third Annual Fairfax County History Conference
Saturday, September 8, (all ages), 10am-4pm, Riverbend Park. 703-759-9018. $8/person
Corporate Farm Olympics Thursday, September 27 at Frying Pan Farm Park. Information at www.fxparks.org/ corporatefarmolympics.html.
Volunteers cleaning up a watershed.
Watershed Cleanup Day Make a huge impact with just a little bit of your time. WATERSHED CLEANUP DAY is Saturday, October 20. Get involved from 9:30am to 11am. For information, contact a local park or nature center, or get in touch with Dan Schwartz of the Northern Virginia Soil & Water Conservation District at dan.schwartz@fairfaxcounty.gov or 703-324-1422. FCPA is partnering with the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup in Virginia for this fall’s cleanup. There’s information at www.oceanconservancy.org/icc.
Available at park sites and Fairfax County libraries. Visit ResOURces online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/resources c ResOURces is printed on recycled paper.
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There’s more at fairfaxcounty.gov/parks or see the “Nature” and “History” pages in the county publication Parktakes.
PA R K F O U N D AT I O N
Support for Under Foot By Nancy Russo, Fairfax County Park Foundation
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olunteers and donations help Fairfax County parks improve our citizens’ quality of life. Rutherford Civic Association (RCA) members are a good example of what residents and a community can do. They identified the need for distance markers and directional signs along the Long Branch Stream Valley Trail in their neighborhood. Then RCA members joined together to make a donation to fund the signs, which improve safety and help trail users find their way.
Grant funding from the Commonwealth of Virginia has made it possible to install a few dozen interpretive trail signs, but more are needed. Larger gifts to the Fairfax County Park Foundation will go toward benches along the trails or for bridges to make stream crossings more accessible to the elderly, children, people with strollers and dog walkers. Gifts to the Trail Fund can be made in honor of a loved one’s retirement, wedding or other special occasion.
“The neighborhood residents have been delighted with that trail,” said Association president Mary Ann Beck. However, “there were places where hikers didn’t know which way to go.”
Thousands of people enjoy the more than 250 miles of trails in our parks each week, and stream valleys like the one used by RCA members are important ecological corridors that filter pollutants from storm water runoff. You can help keep the trails clean, safe and enjoyable by contributing time or money.
Beck, who is also an Invasive Management Area volunteer for the Park Authority, said she contacted Fairfax County Park Foundation Executive Director Bob Brennan, and they joined Fairfax County Park Authority Trails Coordinator Jenny Pate last summer for a walk along the trail. They identified sites where signs were needed, then funded the signs from an association treasury that’s built on voluntary, annual $10 donations. Other donations to the Fairfax County Park Foundation’s Trail Fund have funded thousands of trail maps that help users safely navigate the woods along the streams, show trail entrances and cross streets, indicate types of trail surface, and mark bridges or fair weather crossings.
Beck said, “We do love our parks,” and her civic association acted on those words. http://www.fxparks.org/ http://www.rutherfordcommunity.com/
One of the distance markers donated by the Rutherford Civic Association.
To contribute to the Trail Fund send checks to: Fairfax County Park Foundation 12055 Government Center Parkway Suite 404 Fairfax, VA 22035 with memo “Trail Fund.” The Fairfax County Park Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and all contributions to the Foundation are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
Many trail maps are online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/trailsframe.htm Fall 2007
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STEWARDSHIP/LEADERSHIP
Park Authority Hikes Toward National Accreditation by Bethany Timmes, FCPA Accreditation Project Coordinator
CAPRA TEAM: Accreditation steering committee. Standing: Cindy Walsh, Michael McDonnell, Judy Pedersen, Ed Richardson, Lori Bassford, Tawny Hammond, Dan Sutherland. Seated: Bethany Timmes, Patty Paczan, Jenny Pate, Linda Crone, Shashi Dua, Andi Dorlester
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CCREDITATION. A big word that means people who know what they’re talking about believe you know what you’re doing. Universities are accredited to assure students and the public their education offerings are high quality. Last September, the Fairfax County Park Authority began taking steps toward becoming an accredited park and recreation agency. Out of 3,000 park and recreation agencies nationwide, 66 have earned this distinction from the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA, www.nrpa.org/). Accreditation is one way to assure Fairfax County residents that their Park Authority is an efficient and effective steward of county resources. Accreditation is not entirely new to the Park Authority. Several FCPA sites meet the standards and best practices of the museum profession in all their operations, from interpretative programming to financial practices to stewardship of the collections. Sully Historic Site, Colvin Run Mill and Green Spring Gardens — all managed by the Resource Management Division (RMD) — are accredited by the American Association of Museums. Colvin Run Mill Historic Site Manager Mike Henry has been through accreditation before. “The accreditation process is ultimately a guided journey of self-discovery,” he said. “The scrutiny of the self-examination during the application process is where the greatest 4
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value lies. It requires us all to re-examine not only the ‘whats’ and ‘wheres’ of our jobs, but also the bigger questions of ‘how’ and ‘why’.” Accreditation is a “seal of approval” for the museum profession and a commitment to excellence. RMD Collections Manager Jeanne Niccolls says that “perhaps its greatest value is that the process gives the institution an opportunity to review its accomplishments and see what challenges and opportunities lie ahead, always seeking to improve its operations.” In order to be accredited by CAPRA, an agency must meet 155 standards spanning the varied fields of Parks and Recreation (maintenance, planning, resource management and safety, to name just a few). A standard is a statement of desirable practice set forth by experienced and recognized professionals and developed for national accreditation. The agency has to show documentation that it complies with each of the standards. The Park Authority plans to meet those 155 standards in timely fashion and will learn from CAPRA if it becomes an accredited park and recreation agency in October 2008.
Want information about the accreditation effort? Contact bethany.timmes@fairfaxcounty.gov or call 703-324-8593.
STEWARDSHIP/HIKING
Cross County Trail Receives National Designation
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he Fairfax County Park Authority’s Cross County Trail (CCT) is now a National Recreation Trail. Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne made the announcement during National Trails Day activities on June 1. The designation recognizes the trail as part of America’s national system of trails. FCPA Trails Coordinator Jenny Pate said the designation confirms the trail’s “importance as a recreation resource” in Fairfax County. “It’s really exciting to join such great trails as the Washington and Old Dominion Trail and the Virginia Creeper Trail as one of 30 NRTs in the state of Virginia,” she said. The 41-mile hiking, biking and horseback trail is viewed as a “common ground that provides a pathway of connectivity for all residents.” The CCT ranges over a variety of landscapes as it winds through Fairfax County from Great Falls National Park on the Potomac River in the north to Laurel Hill and the Occoquan River in the south. “We are actively pursuing a partnership that will connect the Cross County trail with the Potomac National Heritage Scenic Trail, creating a 105-mile continuous loop through some of the best natural habitat Fairfax County and Northern Virginia have to offer,” said Gerald E. Connolly, Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. The Cross County Trail near the mouth of Difficult Run at the Potomac River.
HIT THE TRAILS. Walk, jog, bike or ride. And if you’re riding in a stroller,
TOP REASONS TO USE THE CROSS COUNTY TRAIL 夝 Traveling the CCT is a beautiful way to see the variety of stream valleys in Fairfax County.
make sure Mom and Dad know where they’re going. Tell them that maps of some of the 200-plus miles of trails in Fairfax County are online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/trailsframe.htm. The maps show access points, stream crossings, trail descriptions and distances.
夝 Access both the Vienna Metro and the Franconia/ Springfield Metro from connectors to the trail. 夝 Access the Washington and Old Dominion Trail from the CCT. 夝 It’s an excellent exercise venue away from the noise of city traffic. 夝 Run with your child or your leashed pet, ride a bike or a horse, skate or skip.
Signs along the CCT
夝 Find a wide array of wildlife and flora. 夝 You will almost always see a deer, hear a bird or recognize a favorite flower in bloom. 夝 It’s the perfect place to meet other trail enthusiasts and discover opportunities to volunteer. 夝 It’s fun, and it makes you feel good! 夝 It’s close. 夝 It’s free.
Learn about the Cross County trail at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/cct Learn about National Recreation Trails at www.americantrails.org/nationalrecreationtrails Fall 2007
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VOLUNTEERS
SCHOOL IN THE PARKS By Tory Cabrera, FCPA Volunteer
Family visiting Sully
Students in Civil War program
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THOUSANDS OF SCHOOL CHILDREN
he air is rich with the aroma of fallen leaves and, now and then, a whiff of wood smoke. It’s a clear, crisp October morning at Sully Historic Site. As I walk toward the 18th century house in my reproduction Federal period costume, I can see another teaching docent similarly dressed entering the kitchen. I can almost believe it really is 1794 rather than the 21st century. In the distance I hear shrieks and laughter of 40 excited elementary school children waiting to begin their adventure into the past. A costumed volunteer helps them explore the mysteries of 18th century open hearth cooking, observe Tory Cabrera inside Sully Historic Site. the production and use of 18th century textiles, glimpse the lives of enslaved Africans who lived at Sully in 1794, or learn what it was like to attend school in the mid-1800s. There’s a brief tour of the house, hands-on activities and a craft that produces a remembrance to take home. The children observe and experience aspects of 18th and 19th century daily life and can compare it to their own lives. All local public and private schools, as well as home school groups, are welcome to take part in park programs like these. Reservations are taken beginning in August, and a packet of background information is sent to teachers in advance. We’ve learned that the children get much more out of the experience if they know a little about Sully before they arrive. The greatest reward I see from this volunteer effort is when a child brings his or her whole family back for a regular tour to share the experience. Family participation can truly cement in young minds the history lessons Sully has to teach. More information is available online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/sully Resource Management Division nature centers and historic sites host hundreds of opportunities for Fairfax County students to immerse themselves in science and social studies. TORY CABRERA is a volunteer in programs at Sully Historic Site. Her experience is typical of what happens at other RMD sites. 6
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take part in hundreds of Fairfax County Park Authority programs at Resource Management Division sites. Here’s a partial list of events that took place just in the past month of May: 夝 Colvin Run Mill hosted 940 people in 47 programs. 夝 There were 38 school and four scout programs at Riverbend. 夝 875 people met animals from Frying Pan Farm Park through six outreach programs. 夝 Kidwell Farm interpretive staff taught 55 school programs for 1,468 children. 夝 Hidden Oaks assistant Manager Suzanne Holland was part of a program entitled, “Connecting Children with Nature” that was presented to an audience of 40 preschool teachers and administrators. 夝 34 elementary school teachers attended training at Huntley Meadows to learn about programs for their students, and 78 school groups visited the park. 夝 Students from West Springfield and Falls Church High Schools and Flint Hill School worked with the Cultural Resource Management and Protection Section through internships for extra credit and to produce theses in Advanced Placement Courses. Over three-fourths of Resource Management Division staffers are volunteers. We invite you to take note of how many articles in this issue of ResOURces are about or authored by volunteers.
V O L U N T E E R S / C U LT U R A L R E S O U R C E S
Hidden Oaks Nature Center Reveals Prehistoric Past
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n a hot June day, FCPA interns Aimee Wells and Kate Grandfield and Park Authority archaeologist Bob Wharton literally dug into history and cultural resources at Hidden Oaks Nature Center. In preparation for construction of a rain garden and widened parking circle, Cultural Resources Management and Protection (CRMP) sent a crew to Hidden Oaks. Their job would be to determine if there was anything historically significant that could be impacted by the construction. It meant digging with a shovel. The team opened onefoot square holes approximately every five feet and screened the dirt through quarterinch mesh to look for artifacts. The first day of digging produced nothing of note except for an abundance of poison ivy. On day two, however, Wells and Grandfield scratched up something significant. In one of the screens lay two very small, but perfectly faceted, quartz crystals, artifacts that pointed to the possibility of an American Indian occupation in the area. Resident American Indian expert Mike Johnson joined the crew as the interns dug more holes near the site of their find. Though these digs proved fruitless for artifacts, they were a precursor to other discoveries. The two senior archaeologists suggested that the interns might like to learn how to do a reconnaissance survey of the park to determine if there might be previously undiscovered sites of archaeological interest.
by Aimee Wells, FCPA Intern
A pair of Fairfax County Park Authority interns got a remarkable introduction to their internships this summer.
FCPA intern Kate Grandfield searching for history.
Using a topographic map and a combined 60 years of archaeological experience, Johnson and Wharton led Grandfield and Wells on a walking survey of the 52-acre park. Along the way the two archaeologists offered tips and hints about how to “read” the landscape for clues of earlier occupation, as well as methods of interpreting the remains of stone tool making, which the group found in four separate locations. “Since learning the tricks that Bob and Mike taught me, I’m finding it difficult to tear The information gathered by the interns was submitted to the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. The CRMP team hopes to do a more in-depth archaeological survey of the site.
my eyes from the ground, sure that I will find clues to the past wherever I am,” Wells said. Grandfield added, “We really weren’t expecting to find anything, which made the discovery even more exciting. With the incredible number of artifacts that we found, even from just a walking survey, it felt just as much like finding hidden treasure as if I was in Indiana Jones.” Hidden Oaks Nature Center Naturalist Janis Jeffers noted that the find will help the site challenge school children to think about how life might have been for eastern woodland Indians who hunted in this area at the time that Jamestown was colonized 400 years ago. “Now we will be able to stretch their imaginations back even farther, perhaps 10,000 years to when American Indians lived right where we are walking,” she said. “In the middle of all of Annandale’s urbanization, we have uncovered a precious glimpse into the past. That’s exciting!” Author AIMEE WELLS recently graduated Magna Cum Laude from George Mason University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology. She served as an intern with the Cultural Resource Management and Protection Section this summer and plans to begin graduate school next year. KATE GRANDFIELD is a junior at Goucher College in Maryland majoring in philosophy and history.
CORPS AT THE CORE OF STEWARDSHIP: A Park Partnership
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n-house we call them I-C-Cs. They’re the nine members of this summer’s Invasive Conservation Corps intern program who spent up to ten weeks with the Park Authority. The program provides labor to remove non-native, aggressive invasive plants while providing field experience to aspiring wildlife biologists.
Interns at Americana Park in Annandale: Kristen Culp, Jenn Truong, Leah Abuza, Alyssa Treat, Charles Edwards, Inga Conti-Jerpe, Sarah Kozicki. Photo by Mary Hoffman-Craddock
The crew removed knotweed at Scotts Run, pulled mile-a-minute entangling bat boxes, took out bamboo at Green Spring (where they were rewarded with popsicles and tours), and removed invasive plants and debris from Riverbend, Huntley Meadows, Nottoway and Ellanor C. Lawrence Parks. They also helped fence in the Frying Pan Farm Park goats used to eat invasives. One intern wrote the article on compost that appears in this issue.
University of Virginia graduate Jenn Truong worked this summer as the leader of the Invasive Conservation Corps. Photo by Mary Hoffman-Craddock
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H O R T I C U LT U R E
Make Compost, Not Trash IF TURNING COMPOST sounds cumbersome, try this method from Parktakes editor Daphne Hutchinson. Cut the bottom out of a five gallon bucket that has a lid. Dig a hole along your garden large enough to hold the bucket. Put the yard waste and scraps into the hole. The lid protects against animals. Once it is full, pull the bucket out, leaving the scraps behind, cover the hole with dirt and don’t disturb it for a year. Presto, compost, no turning or watering necessary.
By Leah Abuza, FCPA Invasive Conservation Corps Intern
It’s a simple act of nature. You don’t need special equipment. Let compost happen in your yard!
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ompost and instant coffee. Both are easy to make. In fact, the coffee grounds can go right into the compost. However, like the best coffee, the best compost is not made instantly. It’s not hard. It’s just takes time, and you don’t need expensive equipment. With composting: 䡲 Your yard becomes healthier and more resistant to disease and drought. 䡲 You need fewer expensive fertilizers and pesticides.
WHAT IS COMPOSTABLE? “YES” • • • • • •
fruits and vegetables grass clippings shrub and tree waste coffee grounds paper leaves
• tea bags • corn husks • a few shovels of garden soil
“NO” • • • •
䡲 You increase microbial and earthworm populations. There are many easy ways to create a compost pile. It can be as simple as throwing stuff into a garbage can, punching holes in the can, and rolling the can over once in a while. You can make a free-standing pile on top of branches or a crate. If you build a compost box out of wood or chicken wire, leave one side open for easy access and leave spaces between planks for aeration. The compost pile should be at least three feet long on each side, but no more than five. Smaller, there’s not enough heat. Larger, there’s not enough air. Pick a well-drained area, but add water, if needed, so the mix feels like a squeezed sponge. If it smells bad, it’s probably too wet. The more often you oxygenate your pile by
human and pet feces meat bones chemically treated wood products • diseased plants
turning it (anywhere from weekly to twice a year) the quicker the process will go. Compost piles can include yard waste and kitchen scraps, such as fruit and vegetable parts, crushed eggshells (excellent source of calcium that tomatoes need) and coffee grounds. Don’t use meat, bones, dairy products, oils, processed foods, chemically-treated wood products or pet feces. FCPA Administrative Assistant Janet Rahman, a master at recycling, adds horse and cow manure to her compost. She points out that “the earthworms that live in your compost help the ground in so many ways. They aerate the ground, leave behind wonder (allowable) feces, and indicate that your compost is curing correctly.” Be patient. Making compost can take anywhere from six to 24 months. It’s ready when it is black, crumbly and sweet smelling. Although, at first, compost may not smell as good as coffee, it will keep your yard perky and healthy. Author LEAH ABUZA graduated with honors from Eckerd College with a degree in Environmental Studies. She worked this summer as a member of the Invasive Conservation Corps and, after her FCPA internship, heads to Cape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts to work on water quality issues
Learn about compost and yard care from Virginia Tech, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, and composting for kids from Texas A&M University: www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/envirohort/426-703/426-703.html , www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/turf/430-402/430-402.html, and www.deq.state.va.us/waste/compost.html http://sustainable.tamu.edu/slidesets/kidscompost/cover.html
Fall is the crucial time for lawn care. Learn about what to do now at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/nvswcd/newsletter/falllawncare.htm 8
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LEADERSHIP
ONTHANK AWARD: Thank Goodness for Mona
ResOURces Honored ResOURces has won two platinum awards, the highest level of recognition, in the Hermes Creative Awards administered by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals. The publication was honored this year in the competition’s newsletter category. Honors also came in the writing category for the cover story in the Winter 2007 issue, “My Three Little Pigs” by Frying Pan Farm Park Manager Todd Brown.
Gary Johnson, FCPA Acting Deputy Director Cindy Messinger, Mona Enquist-Johnson, FCPA Acting Director Tim White, Resource Management Division Acting Director Cindy Walsh
Stewardship Recognition for two RMD Sites
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he highest honor Fairfax County bestows upon its employees has been presented to the Park Authority’s Mona Enquist-Johnson. The Onthank Award, established by the Board of Supervisors in 1966, recognizes accomplishments of outstanding worth in advancing and improving public service in the Fairfax County government and school system. As the Resource Management Division’s (RMD) Manager of Volunteer, Interpretation and Program Services, Mona has made significant stewardship contributions to the Park Authority, and the wit she displays in her presentations is well-known throughout the agency. Over the past 26 years she has: 䡲 helped science and history teachers use the parks as classrooms as they meet Standards of Learning (SOL) requirements 䡲 developed a watershed field experience program for middle schoolers 䡲 helped institute and promote 458 scouting badge programs and services for more than 8,000 scouts just last year 䡲 gained certification from the National Association for Interpretation as an interpretive trainer 䡲 started an in-house program that has led to 18 staffers becoming certified interpreters 䡲 produced a stewardship primer for Park Authority staff 䡲 developed a stewardship education program for the orientation that new Park Authority employees attend. RMD is very proud of Mona and grateful for her service and contributions to the county parks and to her fellow Park Authority employees.
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he Great Falls Citizens Association marked Independence Day by recognizing their champion trees that were identified in the community’s Heritage Tree Census. Two of those trees are at Resource Management Division sites in Riverbend Park and Great Falls Grange Park. In a letter to the Park Authority, Dranesville District Legislative Aide Casey Hanes said, “The Great Falls community is quite proud of these specimens.” Historic Properties Rental Services Manager Karen Lindquist, who oversees the Grange, says she’s very happy for the honor in a park that has suffered a lot of tree loss because of heavy use. Fall 2007
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Hidden Oaks Nature Center continued from page 1 BIO-RETENTION DETAIL
Hidden Oaks Manager Mike McDonnell
Hidden Oaks Nature Center, says, “We are losing trees.” She tries to “think of it as cracking eggs for omelets.” The center of the parking area is “going to be replanted with native plants and it will be now a sunny area, which is something we aren’t used to here under the trees.” Plans call for the addition of such plants as downy serviceberry, red maple, winterberry holly and arrowwood viburnum. In addition, Holland says, “we’re going to extend our butterfly garden and do a lot of growth and change programs. It will be a nice boon to our interpretation, and we’ll be able to use that area to not only teach about water conservation but backyard habitat.” Resource Stewardship Branch Manager Michael Rierson estimates that using LID practices added about $25,000 to the cost of the $220,000 project. “We do not have a lot of hard data to compare LID vs. non-LID practices,” but he says early analysis indicates that using LID practices now adds about 33% to the cost of components that are changed to fit LID practices. He says, “it’s a wise investment in light of the environmental benefits.” The project is being funded by the 2004 Park Bond and supports the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors’ 20-year Environmental Agenda. Groundbreaking ceremonies were held June 2, and work by the Arthur Construction Company of Dulles, VA is slated to be finished this fall.
PERM PAVERS
McDonnell notes that at Hidden Oaks, “we were hoping that with an interpretive format we could better educate the public about what the future looks like for parking lots.” The new parking area could spur individuals and developers to consider green alternatives when it’s time to redo driveways, sidewalks and parking lots.
Suzanne Holland, assistant manager at Hidden Oaks Nature Center, says the green LID parking lot project offers many benefits: 夝 Increased parking lot safety 夝 Additional, more convenient parking 夝 Less rainwater runoff 夝 Filtering of water pollutants 夝 Replenished groundwater 夝 Use as an interpretive tool
There’s more information about Low Impact Development at these web sites: www.epa.gov/owow/nps/lid/ or www.mass.gov/envir/lid/ 10
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Learn more about Hidden Oaks Nature Center: www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/ hiddenoaks/
C U LT U R A L R E S O U R C E S
Stitches of Friendship
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magine the warmth and tranquility of cuddling under a quilt. Capture that feeling at Sully Historic Site’s 34th Annual Quilt Show and Sale, featuring quilts from the Quaker community. There will be books, patterns, fabrics, antique linens, textile arts, appraisals, stained glass and jewelry, and you’ll have a chance to tour Sully, the 1794 home of Richard Bland Lee, northern Virginia’s first congressman. Make it a family affair, and let the children try their hand at quilting.
The Sully Quilt Show can be a family affair.
SULLY HISTORIC SITE’S 34TH ANNUAL QUILT SHOW AND SALE
Look for the new Museum Collections brochure at park sites. There’s information in it about notable Park Authority collections, exhibits, research opportunities, donations and stewardship. Pick one up from the brochure display the next time you’re at a park.
Sunday, September 9 10am to 4:30pm ADMISSION: $8/adults, $7/seniors, $5/children. INFORMATION: 703-437-1794. DIRECTIONS: www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/Sully Sully Historic Site is at 3601 Sully Road in Chantilly on Route 28, one-quarter mile north of Route 50 and four miles south of the Dulles Toll Road.
ECLP Marks Silver Anniversary
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llanor C. Lawrence Park celebrated its 25th anniversary on Saturday, May 19. The 660-acre island of green in fast-growing Chantilly continues to provide visitors a unique place to experience nature and learn about the site’s history. The Fairfax County Park Authority has owned the park land since 1971, when it was deeded by Ellanor’s husband, David Lawrence, to honor her memory. The site includes the Walney Visitor Center, Cabell’s Mill and Walney Pond.
REPRINT ARTICLES Promote stewardship by reprinting ResOURces articles in your homeowner or civic association newsletter. Go to ResOURces Online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/ resources/printpub.htm to pull articles for your communications. Include “Reprinted courtesy of the Fairfax County Park Authority” with the article.
ECLP is at 5040 Walney Road in Chantilly. For information, call 703-631-0013 or visit http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/ecl/ Fall 2007
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MAIL TO: Resources/RMD, Suite 936 12055 Government Center Parkway • Fairfax, VA 22035-1118 or: subscribe through our website at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/resources Clark House
What’s RMD? RMD stands for Resource Management Division. It’s part of the Fairfax County Park Authority. RMD connects people to natural, historic and horticultural resources. We’re online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/ parks/resources/.
SOMETHING SIMPLE YOU CAN DO TO BE A GOOD STEWARD: Buy cleaning products that are friendly to the environment.
HISTORIC PROPERTIES RENTAL SERVICES Rustic, privileged, historic and unique. The Resource Management Division of the Fairfax County Park Authority has historic properties available for weddings, corporate and social gatherings. Rent one for your next soiree. Call 703-938-8835 or see the sites on the Web at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/weddings.htm • Cabell’s Mill in Centreville
• Great Falls Grange in Great Falls
• Clark House in Falls Church
• Hunter House in Vienna
• Dranesville Tavern in Dranesville
• Old Schoolhouse in Great Falls
• Stone Mansion in Alexandria
12055 Government Center Parkway Fairfax, Virginia 22035-1118
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EQUAL ACCESS/SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS
The Fairfax County Park Authority is committed to equal access in all programs and services. Special accommodations will be provided upon request. Please call the ADA/Access coordinator at 703-324-8563, at least 10 working days in advance of the date services are needed. ADA/Access Coordinator 703-324-8563 • TTY 703-803-3354 www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/ada.htm
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