The Northern Virginia native bird population has been steadily declining. A key factor in this decline is the substitution of nonnative for native plants.

Purple Finch

Almost all birds--even those that eat seeds as adults--feed caterpillars to their young. A brood of chickadees, for example, requires approximately 500 caterpillars per day. Those caterpillars, in turn, require their specific larval host plants to survive.

Plants defend their leaves with chemicals that make them taste bad to most insects, so a caterpillar must have an evolutionary history with a plant to have developed ways to digest it. But in Northern Virginia, plants that co-evolved with our insects are being eaten by deer or crowded out by plants that are introduced.

There is hope for the birds, though, because on our own properties, we can plant and protect the flora that form the basis of their habitat.

How can you help?

Plant NOVA natives--even a single white oak tree can produce tremendous benefit. A blueberry bush or patch of goldenrod can help a lot. For more information, including a guide to our native plants,visit the Plant NOVA Natives website.
Sign the pledge to plant NOVA natives. Share it with your friends.
Post a picture of yourself with your native plant on Twitter with the message #plantnovanatives.
Volunteer for the campaign by filling out the Plant NOVA Natives volunteer form. The campaign needs many teams of volunteers with a variety of skills--now's the time to get in on the ground floor!

We hope that by combining our talents and energies towards this common goal, we will see a major increase in the number of native plants in Northern Virginia within the next decade.

By Margaret E. Fisher

Flex Your Green Thumb with Composting and Organic Gardening

Susan Bonney, Norbert Pink, Molly O'Boyle, and BJ Frank

On May 13, two master gardeners spoke to the Great Falls Group about composting and organic gardening. First, B.J. Frank from the Fairfax County Master Gardeners Association talked about the benefits of composting.

Composting speeds up the natural decomposition of organic matter by creating the best conditions for the microbes that do the job. Five conditions are required for composting:

Air (speeds up decomposition)
Moisture
Rotation (speeds up the process)
Heat (a minimum of 131 degrees for three days will destroy weed seeds and plant pathogens)
Carbon ( "brown" materials) and nitrogen ("green" materials) in a 25:1 or 30:1 ratio

The smaller the material that goes in, the faster the decomposition.

Brown materials include dry leaves, sticks, paper, cardboard, dryer lint, hay, straw, tea bags, wood chips or pellets, other old or dead plant material, and nonglossy newspaper with vegetable-based ink. Green materials include fresh glass clippings, green leaves, moisture-containing plant material (recently cut or harvested), coffee grounds, kitchen scraps, fresh manure, hair, and fur.

Frank composts with kitchen scraps and wood pellets purchased from Home Depot. She puts leaves and grass clippings in her garden as mulch and nourishment.

To learn more, see the Virginia Cooperative Extension publication on composting.

Organic Gardening

Next, Fairfax County Master Gardner Molly O'Boyle defined the principles of sustainable gardening:

Do no harm,

Design with nature and culture,

Don't disturb the soil, and

Minimize use of water, fertilizers, and pesticides.

Organic gardeners say, "Take care of the soil, and plants will take care of themselves." Soil has a complex ecology, full of bacteria, fungi, and amoebas; therefore, soil organisms in properly tended gardens will provide almost all the fertilizer your plants need.

Try no-dig gardening. Digging up the soil disturbs its structure and beneficial organisms; changing soil texture is expensive and a lot of work. Instead, work to change soil structure, primarily by adding compost. Compost improves soil aeration and moisture-holding capacity, enriches soil biology, and provides nitrogen, phosphorous, and sulfur.

O'Boyle also discussed soil nutrition: nitrogen (good for shoots), phosphorous (good for fruits and flowers) and potassium (good for roots), and fruit and vegetable pH preferences.

Weed and Pest Control

All gardeners fight ever-present weeds and insects. Add these techniques to your arsenal:

Companion planting: Planting different crops close to each other. Plants that produce copious nectar and protein-rich pollen attract beneficial insects. Also, many plants repel insects while enhancing other plants, for example, marigolds, dill, coriander, and rosemary.
Succession planting: Planting two or more crops in succession or the same crop in either successive plantings or with different maturity dates.
Crop rotation: Deciding which crop to plan where from one year to the next. For a crop that leaches the soil of one kind of nutrient, plant a crop that returns that nutrient to the soil the next season. Crop rotation also controls pests and diseases that can become established in the soil.
Ground covers: A nontoxic form of weed control, ground covers include mulch and fabric row covers.
Natural insecticides: Spinosad is an insecticide developed from bacteria and is found in products like Captain Jack's Deadbug Brew.

Snakes, hawks, and owls (even an owl statue) can keep away garden pests. And ladybugs, lacewings, and praying mantis can keep harmful insects at bay.

Learn more from the speakers' presentations, available on the Fairfax County Master Gardeners Association website, under the Organic Gardening topic.

By Linda Brown

Get Solar Power for Less with SolarizeNOVA

Have you been frustrated by the snail's pace of Virginia's transition to renewable energy? So have a lot of other people, and SolarizeNOVA is doing something about it. This nonprofit group has found a way to help local homeowners realize serious savings on rooftop solar systems by pooling their buying power over a specific time period.

Sierra Club's Susan Stillman explained this opportunity to more than a dozen interested listeners at the Vienna Community Center on May 14. People can get started with a simple application, get a free assessment to see if solar will work on their home, and work with vetted, highly experienced installers. The program has negotiated affordable financing as well. She added that the site assessment is combined with a free home energy checkup from the Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP), one of the program's two sponsors. Several audience members chimed in with accounts of their own positive experiences with LEAP.

You can find SolarizeNOVA's discount pricing options on the SolarizeNOVA website. All installers offer each of the three levels of systems on the pricing page. As Susan pointed out, discounts are possible only because a group of people in the same area get their work done at about the same time, saving the installers time and travel costs. That's why, if you're interested--even if you're not yet sure--you need to submit your form to SolarizeNOVA by June 30, 2015, when the special offer expires.

An even more important deadline to remember: the 30 percent federal investment tax credit ends December 31, 2016. That means that in 2016, people are going to get on the wagon and the queue will fill up early. Susan stressed that to qualify for the tax credit in either 2015 or 2016, your system has to be installed and operational (an eight-week process) by year's end, so you won't want to delay.

SolarizeNOVA will have another informational meeting in Vienna on Tuesday, June 9, from 7:30 to 9 pm at the Vienna Town Hall, 127 Center Street S, Vienna. Online, you can learn more about the opportunity--or go ahead and apply--at the program's very informative website. You can phone LEAP at 703-517-7251, and Susan is delighted to answer questions at stillman.susan@gmail.com. Note that the program is also currently available in the Herndon, Falls Church, and Loudoun County areas, with the same June 30 deadline.

As Susan said, the best way to get solar into a community is for one person to do it--others in the neighborhood will follow their example. Maybe that person could be you!

By Peg Hausman

Improving Transportation Options on I-66

Despite widespread concerns, Virginia is moving forward with plans to expand I-66. The Sierra Club has joined with several community and environmental groups to form the I-66 Corridor Coalition. We are advocating for a transit-first approach that focuses on providing priority bus service and future rail extensions on dedicated lanes and improving pedestrian and bicycle connections.

I-66 community forum

In March, the Coalition organized a community forum on I-66 plans that was attended by more than 150 individuals, including several local and state elected leaders. We have also testified and written letters to the Secretary of Transportation and Commonwealth Transportation Board.

In May, the Secretary of Transportation announced that the project would include funding for transit capital and operating costs. In addition, the initial project designs include improved pedestrian and bicycle connections at many of the reconstructed bridges. These are steps forward for expanding clean transportation options in the I-66 corridor. Still, we remain concerned that the project's priorities are to move more cars rather than create a truly balanced transportation system.

I-66 community forum

The project is currently in the midst of federally mandated environmental review. Initial designs have been released, and citizens had the opportunity to comment at a series of public hearings in late May and early June. View the draft environmental documents at the VDOT Transform 66 website.

If you have questions or would like to get involved in our efforts to improve transit, walking, and bicycling options in the I-66 corridor, contact Douglas Stewart at douglasbstewart@gmail.com.

By Douglas Stewart

Rescue Reston

Rescue Reston is a grassroots organization opposing residential development of the 166-acre Reston National Golf Course. A certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program Golf Course, it lies on the south side of Reston.

The Great Falls Group has been supportive of Rescue Reston's efforts over the past two years and is concerned about a very mixed April 15 decision by the Board of Zoning Appeals. The ruling not only makes redeveloping the golf course easier, it also threatens the status of Fairfax County's three Planned Residential Community Districts (a special type of zoning that emphasizes green open space). The board's opinion is being appealed to the Fairfax County Circuit Court, and your support is needed to fund the litigation. Any amount will help! rescuereston.org/donate

By Connie Hartke, president, Rescue Reston

Great Falls Group Adopts a Highway

On Earth Day (April 22), the Great Falls Group (GFG) launched its Adopt-A-Highway project in Tysons Corner, along approximately 1.3 miles of Jones Branch Drive (location of the McLean Hilton). Securing the permit from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) took about a half year. The GFG is committed to cleaning up the highway four times a year. VDOT supplies trash bags, signs, and safety vests, and the group has gloves for volunteers.

The Earth Day cleanup produced five big bags of trash--mostly bottles, plastic car parts, and other litter. Bags were left for VDOT to pick up the following week.

The next clean-up is set for Saturday, June 13, from 10 am to noon. Lots of trees and sidewalks on both sides of the street make the project an easy, family affair, which helps burn calories. After the June 13 clean-up, VDOT will erect a sign with the Great Falls Group Sierra Club's name on it.

Contact Patricia Leslie at patricialeighleslie@yahoo.com or 202-316-0584 to participate.

Bring your family and help the Earth, the group, and you!

By Patricia Leslie

Great Falls Group Celebrates Earth Day

Earth Day, started in 1969 by Gaylord Nelson, a U. S. Senator from Wisconsin, is celebrated each year on April 22. It is the largest international environmental event, celebrated in 184 countries worldwide. More information can be found at the Earth Day website.

The Sierra Club Great Falls Group (GFG) participated in seven Earth Day events this year, which included county, city, company, and faith groups. These events exposed an estimated 500 people to the activities of the Sierra Club, and GFG received about 100 requests for more information on Sierra Club GFG events.

Vienna Green Expo. A free, juried showcase of local/regional earth-friendly exhibitors educating the public on how to achieve a green lifestyle. About 25 exhibitors participated in this event.

Companies. Companies sponsored events exclusively for their employees during their lunch hour so they could visit and talk to vendors. Oracle in Reston hosted only about 10 vendors due to space constraints, while the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) hosted about 20 vendors. USGS provided plastic caps to the vendors as prizes for event participants who correctly answered an environmental question. Participant could turn in the caps for a prize from USGS.

Faith Groups. Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions held a two-part event. In the afternoon, an Earth Day Symposium featured keynote speaker Thomas Lovejoy, Ph.D., United Nations Foundation and George Mason University professor on "A Wild Solution for Climate Change." Panel members included Sharon Bulova, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, and Stephen Nash, author of Virginia Climate Fever. This was followed by an evening benefit concert of numerous excellent and talented international performers with a wide variety of music and instruments. A movie screening of Beasts of the Southern Wild was held the evening before.

EarthDay@Loudoun. A family event held along the paths at Clyde's Willow Creek Farm in the Broadlands Community. About 90 exhibitors were present on a beautiful breezy day.

These events are a great way to meet people who are interested in improving our environment. Next year, we will again participate in various Earth Day events and would like to add Fairfax County SpringFest. If you would like to help us or invite us to an event not listed, please contact Norbert Pink at norbert.pink@virginia.sierraclub.org.

By Norbert Pink

Prince William Neighborhoods Wary of Power Line Placement

Grassroots rally and fundraiser

Citizens of Prince William County might soon know what Dominion Power has in mind for routing a power line to a massive Amazon data center in the Haymarket area, according to Corey Stewart, Prince William County Board of Supervisors chairman.

"It is my understanding that Dominion is going to come forward in mid-June regarding alignments for the power lines at the center of the controversy," Stewart said in a phone interview. He said a specific date has not yet been set.

Meanwhile, Charles Penn, Dominion's Northern Virginia media and community relations manager, said in an email he is "not sure where Mr. Stewart received his information, but as I indicated before, we are conducting our exhaustive routing analysis. As soon as we complete our analysis, we will meet with all concerned parties to go over the results of the routing analysis, prior to filing a SCC [State Corporation Commission] application. No firm filing date has been set at this time."

He said Dominion is "working in earnest" to find routes with the least impact on the surrounding communities.

Data Center Location

Pete Candland, Gainesville district supervisor, widely distributed a "statement of opposition" to the proposed location of the data center near Haymarket.

The data center location and the routing of electrical lines to power it are at the center of a dispute that has spawned a grassroots coalition of individuals, businesses, and organizations that is pushing back against Dominion Power and Amazon.

In a phone interview, Candland said, "I do not believe this is the proper place to have a data center, and I will do what I can to find a better place."

Both Stewart and Candland said confidentiality agreements prevent them from identifying who owns the data center. However, various media outlets, citing county documents and elected officials, have reported that the land in question is owned by Amazon subsidiary Vadata, Inc.

Sharing information at rally

"We don't want to discourage data centers in any way," stated Stewart, "but we do want to make sure that infrastructure necessary to support them is in place."

Candland agreed, but also said he would do what he can to oppose a rezoning application for 118 acres adjacent to the Vadata site for a new senior housing development if it could offer a location for the new data center.

"I told the applicant that they needed to exclude a data center from their application," Candland said. "They would amend their application and proffer that a data center would be excluded."

Opposition to the proposed data center site also came from Virginia Del. Bob Marshall and Sen. Richard Black, who represent areas impacted. In a joint letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos last January, Marshall and Black urged Bezos not to build the data center at its planned location unless the power lines are buried. Dominion has noted that burying the power lines adds considerable time and expense to the project. Marshall and Black also suggested Innovation Park in Manassas as an alternate site.

Stewart, who disapproved of the Marshall and Black letter, said he is not concerned about the data center itself. "We want more data centers," said Stewart. "We are concerned about the letter's adverse effects on the county's economic development. The focus should be on the alignment of the power line. The county is trying to keep that high-voltage line out of the neighborhoods."

Citizen Opposition

The Coalition to Protect Prince William County (http://protectpwc.org), a grassroots group of some 2,000 individuals, businesses, and organizations, came to be because of what members see as a lack of transparency about the Dominion/Amazon affair.

Elena Schlossberg, executive director, says the group is in "a state of suspended animation" waiting for Dominion to provide information about which route it intends to use for a 230kV line to a yet-to-be-built substation to provide power to the data center.

Of key concern to the coalition is Dominion's application to the SCC, the regulatory agency that will approve or deny the proposed route.

Schlossberg said coalition members have met with SCC staffers "who were really great" and who she believes understand how very engaged residents are in Prince William County regarding this project.

On May 9th a rally and fundraiser were held in Haymarket to provide information to residents and continue the momentum of the coalition's efforts.

GFG's Norbert Pink (right) with Va. Del. Tim Hugo and Coalition President
Elena Schlossberg

Norbert Pink, chair of the Sierra Club Great Falls Group, attended this event to meet the activists and learn more. "This is another complex and difficult issue, and we may need to take a position on it," Pink said.

If any Sierra Club members would like to get involved and learn more about this issue, they may contact Pink at norbert.pink@virginia.sierraclub.org.

Data centers have enormous potential to contribute to the county's economy and tax base. Loudoun County to the north has the world's largest concentration of data centers, with more than 60 covering more than 6 million square feet.

Buddy Rizer, Loudon's economic development director, said in a phone interview that 70 percent of the world's Internet traffic passes through Loudoun County, and that the data centers generate "north of $70 million a year" in tax revenue.

Schlossberg says coalition members understand that the growth of data centers is a reality, stressing that members want an open, transparent process.

"That is why what has happened here in Haymarket has to see the light of day, or it will repeat itself," she said.

By Gary Hook

350 Loudoun

350 Loudoun was first formed in May 2013, after the world premiere of Bill McKibben's film

Do the Math. We developed the following mission statement:

350.org 350 Loudoun, a local chapter of 350.org, is dedicated to building an awareness of human-induced climate change among the residents and businesses of Loudoun County. Through education, outreach, and civic action, 350 Loudoun aims to promote a sound understanding of human-induced climate change and its impacts on our economy, national security, environment, public health, and local community. We also work with our elected officials to create

a strong public policy response to climate change.

We are involved in many activities, so there is something for everyone's different strengths and interests. Recent activities include:

Monthly outreach films: Cowspiracy, GasLand 2.
Collaborative projects with other groups, such as Sustainable Loudoun, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, the Sterling Foundation, Sunset Hills Vineyard, Corcoran Brewing Company, GoFossilFree.
- Arts, Brews, and Climate Change Earth Day event. Featuring local music, local art, and guest speakers on climate change and climate solutions.
- Divest the Virginia Retirement System campaign
- First Annual Loudoun Solar Home Tour (Second Annual Loudoun Solar Home Tour currently being planned)
Activism:
- Dominion Power Shareholder's Meeting Protest in Richmond
- Great March for Climate Action, last leg to Washington, D.C.
- People's Climate March in NYC, September 2014
- Polar Plunge fundraiser for Chesapeake Climate Action Network
- Letters to the Editor
Local issues
- Leesburg Compressor Station expansion by Dominion Transmission
- Art Expression. 350 members, friends, and the Loudoun Art Community created the first installation of the Loudoun Sustainability Quilt
- Environment & Climate Change Survey for candidates seeking political office
Exhibiting, tabling, marching in Loudoun fairs, parades, and farmers' markets

Next public outreach event:

Saturday, June 13, 1-3 pm

Climate Reality Project Presentation

Bill Brockhouse, presenter trained by Al Gore

Ashburn Library, Meeting Room B, 43316 Hay Rd., Ashburn, VA. Free.

Monthly meetings

1st Wednesday of each month at 7 pm

Rust Library, 380 Old Waterford Rd NW, Leesburg, VA

Connect with us: Like us on Facebook, 350 Loudoun; check out our website: 350 Loudoun.org.

By Natalie Pien

Great Falls Group Awards Sierra Club Calendars

The Great Falls Group (GFG) gives away Sierra Club calendars during the year to organizations and individuals for their volunteer contributions to improving the environment. This includes Sierra Club members, municipal officials, program speakers, environmental activists, etc. Here are some examples from this year. If you have any suggestions for next year please contact Norbert Pink at norbert.pink@virginia.sierraclub.org.

Fairfax County Officials

Patricia Leslie, GFG Executive Committee member, presents calendars to Fairfax County Supervisor Linda Q. Smyth for her staff's support of the cleanup of Scott's Run Stream Valley Park near Tysons Corner. About 20 people participated, collecting about 10 bags of trash.

Mark Thomas, Senior Staff Aide to Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova, is presented with a calendar by GFG member Ross Shearer in appreciation for his support of the Great Falls and Mt. Vernon Groups. Thomas coordinates periodic environmental meetings between the Chairman's office and local Sierra Club volunteers.

Norbert Pink and Ross Shearer recognize Garrick Augustus, Fairfax County facilities manager, for his excellence in reducing county facilities' energy costs and for influencing others in county government to pay attention to efficiency and waste. Augustus is recognized here as a local government "Sustainability Champion."

Program Speakers

Norbert Pink presents speaker Dusty Horwitt, J.D., senior counsel, Partnership for Policy Integrity of Earth Works, with a calendar for his many presentations to Northern Virginians on the dangers of high-volume hydraulic fracking, for being a ready source of advice and information, and for moderating discussions after the screening of the film Gasland 2.

Susan Bonney presents speaker Jay Ford, executive director of Virginia Eastern Shorekeeper, with a calendar for his presentation Oil Exploration off Virginia's Coast: Potential Economic and Environmental Threats. Ford's presentation explained the risks of offshore drilling to the 1,700 miles of coastline on Virginia's Eastern Shore.

Environmental Activists

Norbert Pink presents a calendar to Jennifer Pradas, Invasive Management Area site leader, for her dedication in improving Borge Street Park in Vienna. Jennifer has spent many hours in removing invasive plants and coordinating community members in changing a park covered over with invasive plants into a more usable native environment for the community.

Norbert Pink presents a calendar to Connie Hartke, president of Rescue Reston, for her efforts to preserve the Certitifed Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program Golf Course from residential development.

By Norbert Pink

Featured Summer Hike

Mary's Rock in Shenandoah National Park (SNP): The hike begins just south of the Thornton Gap entrance to the park, but if you drive a little past the entrance on 211, you can park where the old Panorama Visitors Center used to be without paying to enter the park.

Using Hike #1 on the SNP Mary's Rock Trail Map, you'll have a 3.7-mile round trip out-and-back hike. From the summit of the rock, you get great views of the northern section of SNP and Page Valley.

Get out and explore, enjoy, and protect the planet!

Get Outdoors with the Sierra Club

Sierra Club Potomac Region Outings (SCPRO) is a special activities group of the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter. It organizes hikes and events year-round for the general public on behalf of the Sierra Club's chapter in Washington, DC, and the Maryland and Virginia Chapters' Washington-suburb groups. Volunteer leaders conduct the events, many of which include conservation, educational, or historical elements. For information about SCPRO and its upcoming events, visit the SCPRO Events website. To obtain a free calendar subscription, inquire about becoming a SCPRO outings leader, or get answers to other questions, write to info@sierrapotomac.org.

Great Falls Group Executive Committee

The monthly meeting of The Great Falls Group (GFG) Executive Committee is open to all Sierra Club members. Contact Norbert Pink for meeting times and location. If you would like to help the group, please volunteer by contacting one of the following leaders or Norbert Pink.

Officers:

Chair	Norbert Pink	703-264-7445	norbert.pink@virginia.sierraclub.org
Vice Chair	Susan Weltz	703-242-2789	s.weltz@yahoo.com
Treasurer	Joe Apple	703-242-2789	Joe.Apple@comcast.net
Secretary	Patricia Leslie Peg Hausman	202-316-0584 703-242-0981	patricialeighleslie@yahoo.com peghausman@gmail.com

Committee Chairs:

Chapter Delegate	Joe Apple	703-860-1254	Joe.Apple@comcast.net
Conservation	Volunteer needed
Membership	Norbert Pink	703-264-7445	norbertsierra@aol.com
Fracking	Linda Burchfiel		linda@lburchfiel.com
Public Affairs	Volunteer needed
Political	Linda Burchfiel		linda@lburchfiel.com
Programs	Susan Weltz	703-242-2789	sweltz@yahoo.com
Social	Susan Bonney	703-821-5587	sbonney001@aol.com
Transportation	Douglas Stewart	703-385-7564	douglas_stewart@verizon.com

Committee Support:

Website & Listserv	Linda Stevens	lnjstvns@aol.com
eNewsletter	Linda Brown	sc.greatfallsgroup@gmail.com

Calendar

Friday, June 12, 7:30 pm

Movie: Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret

Unity of Fairfax

2854 Hunter Mill Road, Oakton

Follow the shocking, yet humorous journey of an aspiring environmentalist as he daringly seeks to find the real solution to the most pressing environmental issues and the true path to sustainability.

A free viewing of this full-length award-winning film (85 minutes). You will never look at a cow the same again. Bring your friends.

Organic refreshments will be provided after the film.

This movie expresses criticism that the environmental groups have not been doing more in speaking out against agribusiness, especially cattle raising, and what it is contributing to pollution of the environment. If there is interest in this issue, the Great Falls Group would like to form a group to address the concerns. Please contact Norbert at norbert.pink@virginia.sierraclub.org for more information.

Sponsors: Unity of Fairfax, the Universal Unitarian Congregation of Fairfax, Sierra Club Great Falls Group, and other environmental groups.

Saturday, June 13, 10 am to noon

Adopt-a-Highway Cleanup

Jones Branch Drive, Tysons Corner

RSVP: Patricia Leslie, patricialeighleslie@yahoo.com, 202-316-0584

Sponsor:

Sierra Club Great Falls Group

Saturday, June 13, 1 to 3 pm

Climate Reality Presentation + Impact on Virginia

Ashburn Library, Meeting Room B, 43316 Hay Road, Ashburn

Learn the latest developments about climate change from a local presenter trained by Al Gore's Climate Reality Project. The presentation will include additional slides relevant to Virginia. A discussion will follow the presentation. Bring a friend and family.

Contact: Natalie Pien at natcpien@verizon.net or 703-963-3573

Saturday, June 13, 6 pm

Potluck Gathering

Private home, 3001 Rectortown Road, Rectortown

An outdoor pot-luck gathering in northern Fauquier County is planned for Sierra Club members. The purpose is for western Great Falls Group members to get acquainted and discuss local environmental issues, but any Sierra Club member is welcome. Bring your issues list, a dish to share, bottle of wine, etc.

Contact: Todd Goins at toddgoinsmasonry@gmail.com

Sponsor: Sierra Club Great Falls Group

Sunday, June 14, 1 to 5 pm

Watershed Friendly Garden Tour

Greater Tysons Area (Falls Church, Vienna, and McLean)

Fairfax County's Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District (NVSWCD) invites the public to the 2015 Watershed Friendly Garden Tour, which will feature rain gardens, pervious parking areas, native plant landscaping, rain barrels, backyard wildlife habitat, composting, and more. According to NVSWCD, local residents will open their gardens and share their experiences--landscaping with natural resources in mind. This year's tour will feature homes and schools in the greater Tysons area: Falls Church, Vienna, and McLean. The tour is free and open to all. Visit as many or as few sites as you like.

More information: Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District's website.

The Cascade is published by the Great Falls Group of the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club. We reserve the right to edit all submissions, both editorial and advertisements. The views expressed are those of the authors and may not be those of the Sierra Club. Email articles, photos, questions, or comments to sc.greatfallsgroup@gmail.com.

Visit the Great Falls Group website.

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Linda Brown, Editor
Sierra Club Great Falls Group, Virginia