The Clean Fairfax Blog
This Saturday, April 29, is Clean Fairfax’s Earth Day/Arbor Day Celebration from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Sully Historic Site in Chantilly, VA with environmentally-friendly exhibitors, vendors, entertainment, food trucks, and activities for families.
Why should I go to SpringFest or any “green” festival?
Every day is Earth Day at Clean Fairfax. Clean Fairfax is out in the community at Clean Ups, and Stream Monitorings, and looking for innovative ways to remind people to use their own grocery bags every single day of the year. And we are planning to celebrate Earth and Arbor Day a week later, in the form of SpringFest Fairfax.
This year, SpringFest Fairfax is on Saturday, April 29th and we are in our new location of Sully Historic Site, in Chantilly (just off 28)
Last year, over 3,000 children and adults attended this fun and educational celebration of our natural environment. This year we anticipate even more attendees and have added even more events.
The festival will include hands-on environmental workshops; games for all ages; Billy B; The Recycling Pirates Puppet Show; petting zoo; touch-a-truck; obstacle courses; wildlife shows; tree planting; live entertainment, plant sales, 16 food trucks, and more!
We will also be celebrating Fairfax County’s 275th Anniversary with a children’s poetry contest reading and the kick off to Fairfax County Farmers Market Season! We are excited to say that in the past SpringFest has been a Virginia Green event, one of a select few certified events in Northern Virginia, and we anticipate certification at our new location at Sully Historic Site.
A short speaking program with elected officials is scheduled between 12 and 12:30 pm. The full schedule of events, a map, and other information, can be found on the SpringFest Fairfax site.
SpringFest exhibitors and vendors are primarily non-profit organizations and county agencies as well as local small businesses working to keep Fairfax County clean, green, and healthy. Exhibitors and vendors will again pledge to be free from polystyrene, and we will have site-wide recycling of bottles, cans, and cardboard as well as Food Composting!
Volunteers are always needed to help work the event–it’s a great time to get your school hours in! Please register to volunteer by signing up here
SpringFest Fairfax is presented free to the public by Clean Fairfax in partnership with Fairfax County’s Park Authority.
Key sponsors of the event are Fairfax Water and Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services, Stohlman Subaru, Covanta, MOMs, Top Golf, and Delegate Ken Plum!
For the most up to date information about this Rain or Shine event, please follow us on Facebook at Clean Fairfax and SpringFest Fairfax
We all know that the ingredients in most fast food do not usually support a healthy diet. However, there are other reasons to eliminate—or at least limit—your fast food intake.
Spring brings lots of volunteer litter cleanups. What do we find? Amidst the high volume of non-reusable plastic bottles and the abundance of plastic bags, fast food wrappers and containers constitute a sizeable proportion of the trash that is picked up out of our streams and park lands here in Fairfax County.
In addition, new studies show that fast food packaging can leach potentially dangerous chemicals into the food:
But if you just can’t do without your “fix” of fast food, consider bringing your own reusable dish, cup, and cutlery to put food and drink into, if your fast food pla
ce will allow it. If it is not allowed, ask the fast food server to place burgers, sandwiches, etc. in a paper napkin and transfer the food into your own reusable container. Also, consider saving on plastic
and reducing trash output by skipping the straw and drink lid. If you can carry the items without a bag, ask for no bag.
Save your health—and the planet!
Every holiday offers an opportunity to consider the environmental impact of our consumer choices. From plastic eggs to heavily packaged chocolate bunnies, Easter has its share of traditions for which you may want to consider more sustainable options. Earth 911 offers some suggestions: http://tinyurl.com/kmstyya
President Tru
mp has signed an order denying the petition by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA) to ban chlorpyrifos (Lorsban), a pesticide that some say causes neurodevelopmental effects in children at exposure levels below EPA’s existing regulatory standard. The EPA claims that the “science addressing neurodevelopmental effects remains unresolved.” The next reevaluation of the safety of this product is not scheduled until 2022.
Not willing to take the risk? According to the Virginia Cooperative Extension, when it comes to local produce, this will allow peanut growers in our area to continue to use this insecticide. The Environmental Working Group suggests that if you want to avoid feeding your family produce that may contain chlorpyrifos residue even after it has been thoroughly washed, choose organic versions for these fruits and vegetables:
Unfortunately, chloropyrifos is not the only potentially toxic pesticide in use. There are a number of organophosphates, chemicals that are specifically designed to damage an enzyme in the body called acetylcholinesterase, that are responsible for 70% of pesticide use in the United States, according to PANNA.
The argument for consuming organic produce is compelling. Consider buying organics and seeking out fresh LOCAL produce at area Farmers Markets. You can just ask the farmer what is used to manage pests and make an informed consumer choice.
For more information about Fairfax County Farmers Markets and organic produce check out https://ourstoriesandperspectives.com/2016/07/27/fairfax-county-farmers-markets/. A listing of all area Farmers Markets can be found at www.cleanfairfax.org — Programs.
I noted in my 1/11/17 blog (We are Closer to the Ocean Than You Think— http://wp.me/pBXWQ-WC ) that while we are a few hours away from the nearest beach in Northern Virginia, our streams and rivers here in the Potomac Watershed all go to the Chesapeake Bay. Now our Bay is in jeopardy!
President Trump plans to completely eliminate funding for the Chesapeake Bay Program, a regional partnership (Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York and the District of Columbia) that has improved water quality in the Bay over the years. In 2014, the partners signed the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, which established specific goals, outcomes, management strategies, and work plans to guide the restoration of the Bay, its tributaries and the lands around them. The EPA has used the $73 million a year program—of which Virginia got $9.3 million last year—for such projects as the upgrading of deteriorating sewer facilities and the building of fences and dams to capture sedimentation and farm runoff.
According to the State of the Bay 2016 report from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to “saving the Bay through education, advocacy, litigation, and restoration,” there has been a modest reduction in water pollution and increased abundance of blue crabs, oysters and other fisheries in the last few years. The Foundation attributes the improvement in part to the Chesapeake Bay TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) plan, the largest cleanup plan ever developed by the EPA. This plan sets limits on nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment pollution to meet water quality standards in the Bay and its tidal rivers.
However the Chesapeake Bay Foundation still gives the Bay a rating of only C- as there continue to be problems with overall health of the Bay. The Chesapeake Bay Program website agrees: “The Bay’s health has slowly improved in some areas. However, the ecosystem remains in poor condition. The Bay continues to have polluted water, degraded habitats, and low populations of many fish and shellfish species.”
This is no time to be backing off protection for the Chesapeake Bay! 
We are just past President Trump’s first fifty days. While the press has focused mostly on the President’s appointees for government positions, immigration issues
, and health insurance, changes that affect the environment seem to have taken a back seat.
Earth 911 has done an excellent job keeping us on top of this administration’s impact on environmental issues so far:
Whatever your political bent, the environment is something that affects us all! Stay informed and inform others. Take action on the issues that concern you.
Happy Spring! Start planning your non-invasive plantings now….
Like litter, invasive plants negatively impact the environment. Invasive plants, particularly ground cover like ivy and clematis, often have very little root structure and therefore when they cover large areas, fail to prevent erosion. Sediment then gets into our streams and creates poor water quality which impacts wildlife
Also, as their name suggests, invasive plants tend to “take over” areas. Invasive plants cause declines in native plants, including trees. They also can reduce both food and shelter for native animals, contributing to a decline in biodiversity. In fact, invasive plants are cited as a factor in Endangered Species Act listings!
Consider joining a local effort to remove invasive plants through Fairfax County’s Invasive Management Area (IMA) Volunteer Program: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/resource-management/ima/
Convinced that natives are the way to go? Here are some upcoming native plant sales in the Northern Virginia area: http://vnps.org/spring-2017-plant-sales/
While we her
e at Clean Fairfax have been promoting the use of both reusable tote bags for grocery shopping as well as the use of reusable produce bags (see blog postings February 7, 2017; Jan 30, 2017; and, September 20, 2017) there is a way to take sustainable shopping to the next level: Consider shopping in stores where bulk items are available— and bringing your own containers.
The article at the website below outlines some excellent ways to shop “litterless” in the bulk aisle. While the link to the stores that sell bulk and allow customer containers does not mention any in northern VA, in fact, all area MOM’s Organic Markets do encourage customers to bring their own containers, but recommend that they get the containers weighed at the cashier prior to filling them. Also, Clean Fairfax is currently working with several Whole Foods in Fairfax County to develop a system that makes it possible for customers to bring in their own containers.
Check with your local food store to make sure it does allow you to bring your own container for bulk items. If not, consider advocating for it to do so!
http://www.litterless.co/journal/howtobulkaisle
As we head towards Spring, this is an excellent time to consider composting: The warmer weather tends to break down organic materials more quickly, and you don’t need to brave the cold to get to an outdoor bin. Also, if you start now, you should end up with some excellent quality soil for your summer garden!
Why bother? Composting reduces the amount of garbage you create and therefore the amount of landfill space filled, or in the case of Fairfax County, the amount of ash waste produced by incineration. By not purchasing compost or fertilizer for your garden, composting not only saves you money, but it also saves fossil fuels since many commercial methods of producing compost and fertilizer use machinery that runs on oil/gas. Composting also saves your garbage disposal from overworking. And you are creating rich soil to add back to the earth!
What can be composted in a residential setting? Just about any non-meat food scraps or organic yard waste. Here are some exceptions from Eartheasy, Solutions for Sustainable Living: perennial weeds (they can be spread with the compost) or diseased plants; pet manures if you will use the compost on food crops; banana peels, peach peels and orange rinds since these may contain pesticide residue; and, black walnut leaves (leaves create a chemical toxic to many plants called juglone, and though it breaks down fairly quickly in compost, may not be work the risk).
How do you get the materia
ls to compost? If you have an outdoor area available to you, there are several options. You can purchase a composting tumbler or a bin. Purchased composters will be accompanied by directions. If you build your own bin, or fence an area to be your compost pile, or just start a pile, you will need to stir it up periodically and keep it moist.
Rodale’s Organic Life suggests the following for starting a compost pile more scientifically:
Start by spreading a layer that is several inches thick of coarse, dry brown stuff, like straw or cornstalks or leaves, where you want to build the pile. 2. Top that with several inches of green stuff. Continue layering green stuff and brown stuff with a little soil mixed in until the pile is 3 feet high. For more info, go to www.rodalesorganiclife.com/garden/how-compost
What is the apartment-dweller with no access to outdoor space to do? Fortunately, there are some excellent technologies that make composting possible even for people living in apartments. http://earth911.com/home-garden/bokashi-composting/?utm_source=New+Earth911+List+-+2015&utm_campaign=877c6ea77f-Tuesday+Emails+2.13.17&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5e8b4dc609-877c6ea77f-167852373
Early March is a great time to “get back to the earth”—literally!
