AIRE (Arlington Initative to Reduce Emissions) - Programs and Events of Interest
Learn how to make our community greener and cleaner. Scroll down for a list of lectures, workshops and other events that promote Fresh AIRE...
Green It Arlington Events (View Poster, about PDF file)
Green Living Expo
Saturday, March 20th. 10 AM – 4 PM.Come to the Green Expo to see interesting new products and learn new techniques for greening your life! See green suppliers, products from local and national businesses, exhibits and seminars from government agencies and nonprofits, and a free Going Green Guide for Apartment Renters! The Green Living Expo is family-friendly and free and open to the general public. Find out more on the web site, or call 703-228-6427. National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, 4301 Wilson Blvd. in Ballston
Raingardens for Homeowners
Saturday, March 27 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM. Rain gardens, also known as bioretention areas, are attractive landscape features that allow rain water and snow melt to infiltrate into the ground. A layer of mulch and plants intercept water running off street, driveways, and rooftops, slowing its flow and removing pollutants before the water reaches local streams and the Potomac River, a drinking water supply for the region. Includes an optional rain garden tour at the park.
Workshop fee is $20. Please call ahead to register at 703.642.5173. Find out more about this event on the web page. Green Spring Gardens Park, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, VA 22312-1428. Co-sponsored by Fairfax County Park Authority - Green Spring Gardens Park
Earth Hour
March 27, 8:30 PM. On Earth Hour hundreds of millions of people will come together to call for action on climate change by doing something quite simple—turning off their lights for one hour. The movement symbolizes that each of us can make a positive impact in this fight, protecting our future and that of future generations. Learn more and make your commitment today!Rain barrel workshop
April 8th, 7:30 - 9:00. Come to this workshop and make a rain barrel to collect rainwater to use in your yard and garden! Cost: $50 per barrel - two barrels per household limit. PRE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Click here to register, or see the full list of rain barrel workshops.
Williamsburg Middle School Cafeteria, 3600 N. Harrison St. Arlington, VA 22207.
Arlington Home Show & Expo – No and Low Cost ways to save money at home
Saturday, April 10th. 10 AM – 4 PM. Spending hundreds to save pennies makes little sense. Attend this event at Arlington’s Home Show & Expo to learn how to slash your utility bills and save money. This event will show you specific actions you can take that have a fast return on investment or cost nothing. More information on the Home Show & Expo.
Walter Reed Community Center, 2909 16th Street S., Arlington, VA 22204.
Potomac Watershed Cleanup
Saturday, April 10th. 9 AM – 12. Join thousands of people across the region as they head out to clean up our waterways in the Potomac Watershed Cleanup! You can pitch in to help at a site, or register to lead your own cleanup site. Check out the Arlington cleanup sites.
Arlington Reads Panel Discussion: Eating Local
Sunday, April 11, 3 p.m. A panel of area farmers and naturalists will look at simple ways to eats foods that are safer, healthier and geared to the bounty of each season. It’s all part of the sustainable, consumer-supported agriculture movement that has built a following in groceries and restaurants around Arlington.
Shirlington Branch Library, 4200 Campbell Ave.
Arlington Reads Film Screening: Fast Food Nation
Wednesday, April 14, 6:30 p.m. Based on the non-fiction book of the same name by Eric Schlosser, the film is a dramatic ensemble piece that looks at the health risks and environmental and social consequences of fast food.
Shirlington Branch Library, 4200 Campbell Ave.
Arlington Community Energy Town Hall
Saturday, April 17. Please join us at this interactive community dialogue. This event is part of a larger 16-month planning effort to create a roadmap for the way energy is created, transported, stored, and used by everyone in Arlington. Please visit the web link to learn more information about this meeting’s date, time, and location and about other Community Energy Plan events.
Arlington Reads Film Screening: Community of Gardners
Saturday, April 17, 2 p.m. A work-in-progress screening of “A Community of Gardeners,” produced by local filmmaker Cintia Cabib. The documentary explores the vital role of seven community gardens in Washington, D.C., not only as sources of fresh, nutritious food, but as outdoor classrooms, places of healing, centers of social interaction, and oases of beauty and calm in inner-city neighborhoods. The screening will be followed by a Q-and-A with Cabib.
Arlington Central Library Auditorium, 1015 N. Quincy St.
Earth Day’s 40th Anniversary
April 22, 2010. Every step, every action, every person makes a difference. April 22nd marks the 40th Anniversary of the global holiday, Earth Day; a day to raise awareness and take action to protect the earth. If you are looking for ideas or information about what you can do, check out the Earth Day Network website. From schools, volunteers, and events to news, reports, and networking, this site is your source for everything Earth!
Arlington Reads Author Talk: Novella Carpenter, Farm City: The Education of An Urban Farmer
Thursday, April 29, 7 p.m. Novella Carpenter has restaged the American agrarian dream in an abandoned Oakland, California lot, raising fruits, vegetables, bees and even pigs and goats in a neighborhood known as “GhostTown.” Her critically acclaimed “Farm City”—featured on “best book lists” from Oprah to the New York Times—spreads the gospel of home-grown food and the empowerment it brings.
Arlington Central Library Auditorium, 1015 N. Quincy St.
Virginia Invasive Plant Removal Day
Saturday, May 1, 2010. Invasive plants are threatening habitats worldwide, from tropical ecosystems to polar regions. Join us for the second annual statewide removal day sponsored by Virginia Master Naturalists and the Virginia Native Plant Society. Please visit the website to find projects in your area and encourage your friends to search for projects they can participate in. The website will be continually updated.
Arlington Reads: A Conversation with Wendell Berry
Tuesday, May 4, 7 p.m. In a rare public appearance, literary legend, essayist, poet and Kentucky farmer Wendell Berry discusses his life’s work and vision of people honoring and reconnecting with the soil. It was Berry who declared “eating is an agricultural act,” inspiring today’s movement toward safer, healthier, locally produced meals and sustainable living. Berry’s classic novel “The Memory of Old Jack” is this year’s Arlington Reads featured title.
Arlington Central Library Auditorium, 1015 N. Quincy St.
Designing a Rain Garden
Friday, May 7th. 9 AM – 4 PM.This technical workshop for landscape designers, contractors and other Northern Virginia environmental professionals will provide in-depth training in rain garden design and implementation. Learn how to select and assess your site and size and design both residential rain gardens and bioretention facilities (BMPs). Tips on construction, installation, planting and maintenance will be provided! A hands-on exercise and tour of the on-site rain garden will be included.
The Stone House, Merrimac Farm Wildlife Area. Nokesville, Virginia (Prince William County). Workshop fee: $30. Registration/Questions: Carol.Heiser@dgif.virginia.gov or 804-367-6989.
National Bike to Work Day
Friday, May 21. Join thousands of area commuters for a celebration of bicycling as a clean, fun and healthy way to get to work! Meet up with your neighbors at one of 27 pit stops all over the region. Find out more or register for the event.
Clean the Bay Day
Saturday, June 5, 2010. Half of Virginia is drained by Chesapeake Bay rivers, and two-thirds of the state’s population lives within the Bay watershed. For most Virginians, the Bay is as close as the nearest creek or stream. Join thousands of Virginians in helping to clean-up our waterways. For more info or to register to volunteer at a site near you. Arlington’s Remove Invasive Plants (RiP) Program and Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment (ACE) will be hosting a site in Arlington.
Other Local Events
Designing a Rain Garden
Friday, May 7th. 9 AM – 4 PM. This technical workshop for landscape designers, contractors and other Northern Virginia environmental professionals will provide in-depth training in rain garden design and implementation. Learn how to select and assess your site and size and design both residential rain gardens and bioretention facilities (BMPs). Tips on construction, installation, planting and maintenance will be provided! A hands-on exercise and tour of the on-site rain garden will be included.
The Stone House, Merrimac Farm Wildlife Area. Nokesville, Virginia (Prince William County)
Fee. Registration/Questions: Carol.Heiser@dgif.virginia.gov or 804-367-6989.
Nature Center Events
Various Dates and Times. Arlington's Nature Centers offer a full range of educational programs on natural and cultural history topics. We specialize in captivating, hands-on learning that leaves a lasting impression. Organized groups can request a naturalist-led program by contacting the desired location. Arlington County manages both Gulf Branch and Long Branch Nature Centers. The Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority manages Potomac Overlook Nature Center.
Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment (ACE) Events
Various Dates and Times. Help make Arlington a cleaner and greener place!
House of Sweden Events
Various Dates and Times. Check out the Embassy of Sweden's Living Green program!
Sierra Club Events
Various Dates and Times. Check out the Sierra Club's Local Outings on the True Cost of Food/ True Cost of Homes Campaigns!
National Building Museum Program Series
For the Greener Good: Conversations That Will Change the World
Various Dates and Times. This public series affirms the National Building Museum's commitment to environmental sustainability. It calls on experts from diverse backgrounds to investigate links between environmental sustainability and design, public health, energy policy, bioscience, infrastructure, education, and even popular culture. The series features topics ranging from nuclear power to consumerism and urban slums to carbon storage. Participants will discuss ideas, experiences, and potential solutions in a public exchange at the Museum. Check out upcoming programs.
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