Our native trees, ferns and wildflowers are under attack by invasive exotic plants like English Ivy, Japanese Honeysuckle and Bamboo. These fast-growing, invasive plants escape from people's yards and seriously threaten local ecosystems, taking away vital food and habitat from already stressed wildlife populations. Please spend a couple hours in our parkland protecting our forests every fourth Saturday of each month from March through November.
Time: 10 a.m.-noon.
Adults and children ages 10 and up are welcome. With young volunteers, adult chaperons are encouraged. Please wear long sleeves and long pants if you are allergic to poison ivy. RA will provide tools, gloves, snacks and water. To volunteer, contact Ha Brock, RA community outreach specialist at habrock@reston.org or by phone at 703-435-7986.
Click here to read about environmental opportunities on the RA website.
Stop the English Ivy
Saturday, Oct. 22
We will return to the restoration site inside the Old Trail Drive horseshoe to remove the English Ivy. It creates a monoculture and prevents native plants from thriving. Please help restore the area. Meet at the tot-lot. You can access that natural area from a pathway on the inside of Old Trail Drive between 2368 and 2354 Old Trail Drive. There is poison ivy at this site.
Support Biodiversity
Saturday, Nov. 19
Help protect the trees at Wainwright natural area by removing the English Ivy. English Ivy is a threat to the health of trees by crowding the roots and suffocating the bark. It can break branches and kill a tree. Meet near the corner of Wainwright and North Shore Drives. Look for the RA truck. There is poison ivy at this site.
Volunteer for Fall Stream Cleanup
Take part in International Coastal Cleanup Day.
Do you want to make a lasting contribution to improving the health of our local streams? Tons of trash ends up in the Potomac and Chesapeake Bay. Not only is this litter an eyesore, it threatens the health of the bay. You can make a difference in two ways.
Date: Oct. 22
Time: 9 a.m.- Noon
Age: All ages welcome
Locations
- Snakeden Branch (upper): Meet at Hunters Woods Village Center.
- Snakeden Branch (middle): Meet at Soapstone Road.
- Nature House: Meet at the Pavilion.
- Colvin Run: Meet at Tall Oaks Pool.
- Stevenage Road: Meet at Reston North Park.
Volunteer for Site Leader for Fall Stream Cleanup
Hours: 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Responsibilities
- Pick up supplies at RA Central Services Facility.
- Meet and register volunteers.
- Present a short safety speech, provided by RA.
- Hand out supplies.
- Ensure volunteers work safely and responsibly.
- Return supplies and tally sheets at the end of project.
- Must have a cell phone.
Help Monitor Streams
Ages: Must be 16 years old or older.
Fall Session: Oct. 1-Nov. 30.
Become a volunteer stream monitor and help RA assess the health of our streams at several sites. If you are willing to learn, can work with a partner, enjoy data collection, wildlife identification and are interested in the health of Reston's streams, this is the job for you. Volunteering consists of four monitoring sessions of three to four hours each for a total of 12-16 hours per year. Training and practice are required and a two-year commitment is encouraged. For more information join the volunteer monitors' e-mail notification list by sending an e-mail to Brian Petty, Watershed Specialist at bpetty@reston.org with "Add me to the Stream Monitors list" in the message.
Halloween Volunteers Needed
Oct. 28-Oct. 29, rain or shine.
Volunteer hours: 4:30-9:30 p.m
Walker Nature Education Center, 11450 Glade Drive.
Note: There will be a mandatory volunteer orientation at the Nature Center on Friday, Oct. 24 from 6-7 p.m.
Click here for more information or contact Ha Brock, RA community outreach specialist II, at habrock@reston.org or call 703-435-7986. Volunteers must be pre-registered to help with this event.
