WHEN: July 11, 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm, $55

WHERE:  Fairlington Community Center, 3308 South Stafford Street, Arlington, VA 22206

Join us to build your own rain barrel. Capture runoff for the garden and possibly gain a discount on the Stormwater Utility fee. Pre-registration is required. The $55 fee covers the barrel and supplies. You will learn how to install and maintain your rain barrel. 

Register here

WHEN: July 13, 10:00 am - 11:00 am

WHERE: Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library - Outdoors, 4701 Seminary Road, Alexandria, VA 22304

Start your Saturday doing good for your community. Join the Burke Branch walking and litter pickup club. The Burke Branch Library has formed a walking group of "trash trekkers" who meet to get some exercise while helping clean our environment. Working together, we will pick up litter in the areas around the Library each month. So grab your walking shoes and help us keep our streets — and the beings who live here — healthy.

Register here

WHEN: July 13, 2 pm – 4 pm

WHERE: Woodlawn Park, 1325 N Buchanan St, Arlington, VA 22205

Meet at the benches on the west side of the park between N. 13th and N. 14th St. Look for the green "Volunteers at Work" sign, and sign in on the clipboard.

Join community volunteers to preserve and restore the natural areas of this beautiful park where Lubber Run Stream begins.  No experience necessary. These events help our local, native ecosystem to regrow and support our trees and other plants, pollinators, birds, fireflies, and bats. We use "assisted natural regeneration" by removing non-native invasive plants and allowing the forest, meadows, and streamside habitat to regrow. We protect newly emerging trees with deer caging, and use rope fencing to designate areas for regrowth. In limited circumstances we perform additional native plantings of plants that are no longer present in the ecosystem.

Register here

More events

WHEN: July 15, 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

WHERE: Kate Waller Barrett Branch Library - Second Floor, 717 Queen St, Alexandria, VA 22314

Rick Galliher, president of the Virginia Bottle Bill Organization, will give a presentation on how a bottle deposit system works and the benefits to both communities and wildlife. Rick Galliher owned the Chantilly franchise of 1-800-GOT-JUNK? for 18 years. His career taught him a lot about how waste is handled in Northern Virginia, especially how hard it is to recycle our common household items. Rick is a board member of the Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions (FACS) and their Solid Waste Team Lead, a member of the Virginia DEQ’s Waste Diversion and Recycling Task Force, and a member of the Virginia Recycling Association.

Register here

WHEN: July 21, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm, Kayak: $45, BYOB: $15

WHERE: Daingerfield Island Marina,1 Marina Dr, Alexandria, VA 22033

Join Potomac Riverkeeper Network on an all-women’s paddle in support of clean water!  This paddle will launch from Daingerfield Island Marina and head up Four Mile Run, a scenic urban tributary of the Potomac River located just south of Arlington. Daingerfield Island is just north of Old Town Alexandria, right off the George Washington Parkway and the Mount Vernon Trail.

Spend your morning enjoying an easy out and back flat-water paddle up four-mile run – perfect for soaking up some sunshine, admiring the scenery with views of the DC skyline, meeting other clean water enthusiasts from the area, and celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act!

Register here

WHEN: July 24, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm

WHERE: virtual

This course will cover federal sustainable and net-zero emissions building goals and requirements, the path to reduce scope 1 and 2 emissions, and net-zero building’s life cycle costs. Upon completion of this course, attendees will be able to:

• Identify the federal mandates and drivers behind net-zero buildings
• Recognize how to utilize best practices for planning and designing net-zero buildings
• Identify case studies from the national labs on achieving net-zero efforts.

Register here

WHEN: July 26, 10:00 am – 11:30 am, Free

WHERE: virtual

Learn about the INSECT HEROES in your garden, who work tirelessly throughout their lives to create the serene beauty of the garden you enjoy every day. INSECTS?! Are you sure? All you have to do is invite the “right” kinds of insects to your garden and most insect problems will be solved. Extension Master Gardener Beth Buffington will help you find the best ways to encourage these beneficial insects that will control many of the perennial pests in our gardens without the use of pesticide. Really it is that easy!

Register here

WHEN: July 27, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm

WHERE:  Kate Waller Barrett Branch Library - Second Floor, 717 Queen St, Alexandria, VA 22314
 

Do you want to know why it is important to incorporate more native plants into your garden? Do you want to learn how to do this in a practical and affordable way? Are there gardening practices that you can include in your fall clean up routine that will help facilitate a healthy local ecosystem?

This talk will touch on the following topics:

• Why is it important to help protect biodiversity in our own backyards?
• How does incorporating more native plants protect local ecosystems?
• Are all non-native plants jeopardizing the local ecosystem?
• Do I have to revamp my entire garden in order to sustain local wildlife?
• How should I approach fall clean up to encourage a healthy local ecosystem?
• Where can I find more information?

Register here

WHEN: Every month, dates vary

WHERE: In every jurisdiction – virtual and in-person

Have you ever attended a meeting of your local environmental commission? Meetings are public and it can be a great way to learn about what is going on in your community. Commissions often consider issues of concern and welcome public comment. Click on the links below to find out more about your local commissions. Meeting schedules are provided on the linked websites. The agenda for an upcoming meeting is usually posted several days in advance of the meeting.  

Alexandria Environmental Policy Commission

Arlington Climate Change, Energy and Environment Commission

Arlington Energy Committee

Arlington Forestry and Natural Resources Commission

Falls Church Environmental Sustainability Council

The MeetUp group for Sierra Club Potomac Region Outings (SCPRO) is a special activities section of the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter. The group organizes hikes and other events in Virginia, DC and Maryland. No Sierra Club membership is necessary to participate. SCPRO welcomes all people on a variety of outdoor adventures, nature walks, conservation outings, and exploration of our natural and regional history. Join SCPRO MeetUp here

WHEN: Every month, dates vary

WHERE: In every jurisdiction – virtual and in-person
 

Have you ever attended a meeting of your local environmental commission? Meetings are public and it can be a great way to learn about what is going on in your community. Commissions often consider issues of concern and welcome public comment. Click on the links below to find out more about your local commissions. Meeting schedules are provided on the linked websites. The agenda for an upcoming meeting is usually posted several days in advance of the meeting.  

Alexandria Environmental Policy Commission

Arlington Climate Change, Energy and Environment Commission

Arlington Energy Committee

Arlington Forestry and Natural Resources Commission

Falls Church Environmental Sustainability Council

The MeetUp group for Sierra Club Potomac Region Outings (SCPRO) is a special activities section of the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter. The group organizes hikes and other events in Virginia, DC and Maryland. No Sierra Club membership is necessary to participate. SCPRO welcomes all people on a variety of outdoor adventures, nature walks, conservation outings, and exploration of our natural and regional history. Join SCPRO MeetUp here