RIP Volunteer John Huennekens and a Long Branch elementary school volunteer pull up English ivy at Bluemont Junction. Volunteers meet at Bluemont Junction to remove invasive plants every second Saturday.

Help keep Arlington County parks beautiful! Events below include regularly scheduled invasive removals as well and special lectures, workshops, and other opportunities. Join hundreds of other volunteers to help control invasive plants and clear trash in your local park. Come to one of the volunteer events below to help out!

REGULARLY SCHEDULED EVENTS IN 2009

Second Saturdays @ Lacey Woods
1200 N George Mason Dr., Arlington, VA 22205
June 13, July 11, Aug 8, Sept 12, Oct 10, Nov 14, Dec 12
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Work up a sweat as we get rid of unwanted plant invaders. We meet every Second Saturday of the month to gear up and head out to remove some of these intruders from the park land. If you have your own garden gloves and tools, please bring them along. Some tools will be provided. Be sure to come dressed for work, wear long pants, long sleeves, and perhaps a hat. You may also want to bring along a reusable water bottle. Meet at the N. Frederick St. & 11th St. N. entrance. Nora, the event leader, will be wearing an orange vest. Pre-registration is not required but suggested. Register at jtruong@vt.edu or 703-228-7636.

Third Saturdays @ Tuckahoe Park
2400 North Sycamore Street, Arlington, VA 22213
June 20, July 18, Aug 15, Sept 19, Oct 17, Nov 21, Dec 19
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

We meet every Third Saturday of the month to rescue our park from alien plant invaders. Help protect the trees and wildlife habitats of Tuckahoe. If you have your own garden gloves and tools, please bring them along. Some tools will be provided. Be sure to come dressed for work, wear long pants, long sleeves, and perhaps a hat. You may also want to bring along a reusable water bottle. Meet in the circle in front of Tuckahoe Elementary. The park site leader Mary will meet you there to give an orientation and tour of the work already done by Tuckahoe Elementary Students before we head out to work. You can park along Sycamore Street or in the school parking lot. Pre-registration is not required but appreciated. Register at jtruong@vt.edu or 703-228-7636.

Second Sundays @ Gulf Branch Nature Center
3608 Military Road, Arlington, VA 22205
June 14, July 12, Aug 9, Sept 13, Oct 11, Nov 8, Dec 13
12:00 PM – 2:30 PM

Take Action - Adopt an Area! For adults and teens. Spend more time outside while helping improve the environment. Become a trained volunteer who keeps a special patch of the park free of noxious invasive plants. Join others a time or two, then step up to a small area of your own to maintain. Your reward? Witnessing the return of healthy trees, wildflowers and wildlife to your area. Training held the Second Sunday of each month. Drop in and join anytime between 12:00 and 2:30PM. If you have your own garden gloves and tools, please bring them along. Some tools will be provided. Be sure to come dressed for work, wear long pants, long sleeves, and perhaps a hat. You may also want to bring along a reusable water bottle. For more information: 703-228-3403. Registration is not required but appreciated.

Third Sundays @ Long Branch Nature Center
625 S Carlin Springs Road, Arlington, VA 22204
June 21, July 19, Aug 16, Sept 20, Oct 18, Nov 15, Dec 20
2:00 PM – 5:00 PM

For ages 9 to adult. Not all plants are good for the environment. Invasive plants crowd native ones out for space and light and some can even grow a "mile-a-minute"! Kids will learn what these troublesome beasts look like and can help rescue the park from these alien invaders! Information: 703-228-6535. Free. Meet at Long Branch Nature Center. No registration required.

RIP SPONSORED SPECIAL EVENTS

Make A Difference Day. Saturday, October 24th. This is the most encompassing national day of helping others -- a celebration of neighbors helping neighbors. Everyone can participate in this annual event. Visit the website to find a volunteer project near you: www.usaweekend.com/diffday. For the following projects in Arlington, please call 703-228-7636 to register and get details:

• Lacey Woods Park. 10am-12pm with a nature walk from 12pm-1pm.
• Lucky Run Park. 9am-12pm. Limited space available
• Benjamin Banneker Park. 10am-12pm. This site is metro accessible.

Thinking Globally: Gaia Theory & Green Economics. Nov. 1, 2:00pm. Arlington Central Library. Join Martin Ogle, Chief Naturalist of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, to explore principles of Earth System Science / Gaia Theory and how they apply to the development of a green economy. Mr. Ogle will set a global and scientific framework for approaching green economics and give examples from around the world of companies led by principles and metaphors of Earth as a living system.

Getting Local: Green Economics in Arlington & Beyond (Panel and Audience Discussion). Nov. 15, 2:00pm. Arlington Central Library. Although scientific principles will underpin a green economy’s development, how it evolves in Arlington and the Washington, D.C. area will be largely determined by how ideas are circulated and discussed. Accordingly, this program will feature discussion between panelists from science, business, government, education and other disciplines. As the title implies, public participation will be welcome.Panelists include: Jay Fisette (Arlington County Board); Scott Sklar (renewable energy expert); Dale Roberts (owner of the Java Shack coffee shop in Arlington); Annette Osso (President, Virginia Sustainable Building Network) and James Barrett (economist).

Park Cleanup. Sunday, December 6, 1:00 - 3:00 pm. Join Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment and the Remove Invasive Plant Program volunteers to clean up our park by removing trash and invasive plants. Please bring gloves and small hand tools if you have any and dress for the weather. Meet at Long Branch Nature Center (625 S Carlin Springs Rd). Registration is appreciated by contacting volunteer@arlingtonenvironment.org or 703-228-6406.

Workshop: The Art of Alienweeds. Sunday, 02/21/2010, 02:00 PM - 05:00 PM. Adults and teens.
Join Washington Post artist Patterson Clark for an introduction to using invasive plants as an abundant source for art materials. The workshop will include a weed walk, which will identify various plant tissues that can be isolated and made into paper, inks, pens, brushes, printing blocks and cordage. The class will harvest bamboo culms and learn how to make a simple reed pen for dipping in ink. An indoor presentation will focus on several processes used to extract a bounty from exotic weeds. Participants will need to bring their own sharp pocket knife. Meet at Long Branch Nature Center, 625 S. Carlin Springs Road, Arlington, VA 22204. Call 703-228-6535 for more information. Free.