Friends, together we had an amazing September!

Building community through conservation!

As the saying goes, many hands make light work. On a beautiful September afternoon, over 40 volunteers cleared so many invasive plants that we filled a 30-foot dumpster, making way for a future native meadow along the historic W&OD Trail in Vienna, Virginia. A visit from a baby turtle and a baby snake reminded us all of our mission to make a better home for local wildlife. Afterwards, at a nearby brewery, we loved getting to know our wonderful volunteers and watching new friendships form! 

Please save the afternoon of Sunday, February 8th, 2025, when we’ll host a seeding party at this site - more details to come. And consider a pollinator costume for Halloween this year, so you can wear your wings and antennae this winter! 

Making Trash Bloom 

Thanks to our dedicated volunteers who came out to the Making Trash Bloom meadows at the Rappahannock County Landfill to count and identify native plants. We were able to collect valuable data on the plots we planted two years ago. Your enthusiasm and dedication are helping us transform landfills into thriving habitats for our native pollinators! Despite the rain, we still had a blast discovering all the wonderful plant species found in our native meadows.

If you want to get notified about future opportunities to collect data at our Making Trash Bloom sites, email Taylor at 
taylor@sustainabilitymatters.earth.

Bringing Recycling to Shenandoah County Festivals!

We had so much fun on September 28th in Shenandoah County at WoodsTACO and Tater Fest, where we collected recycling and talked with festival attendees about the ins and outs of recycling in the county. Thank you to all our volunteers who dedicated time to talking with community members and helping divert trash from the landfill! 

A special thank you to Route 11 Potato Chips for sponsoring Sustainability Matters in our recycling efforts and for being a fabulous supporter of our mission, and to the Shenandoah County Landfill for providing us with informational pamphlets and sets of home recycling bins won by two lucky attendees!

Fall Seed Gathering on 10/19

Come join us for a special seed gathering event with Ali & Jeff Carithers, the charismatic hosts of our Native Virginia Now video series! Explore their stunning wildflower meadows, and learn how to identify, collect, and preserve native perennial seeds. Plus, you’ll get to take home some seeds for your own collection. It’s the perfect day of nature, learning, and inspiration!

Attendance at the seed gathering is limited to Sustainability Matters members and volunteers, and registration is required. Volunteers and members will receive the registration link via email at the end of September. If you’re not already a member, there’s still time to join!

Saturday, October 19 1-3pm
You will receive location information upon registering.

Sari Carp Honored with North Star Award this Friday

We’re pleased to share that the Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley is honoring our late co-founder, Sari Carp, with the North Star Award. This award recognizes someone who’s passed away and who contributed significantly to conservation efforts in the Shenandoah Valley. 

Join us on Friday, October 18, at 10am, at the Friendly City Food Co-Op in Harrisonburg for a recognition event. The Co-Op (one of our amazing partners!) is also being honored as the 2024 Valley Treasure for their work to protect the valley’s natural resources and cultural heritage. Hear about Sari Carp’s and Friendly City Food Co-Op’s contributions to the Shenandoah Valley, and stick around afterwards for tea and coffee. If you want to join us, please RSVP below so the Alliance knows how many people to expect. See you on Friday!

Call for Volunteers in Shenandoah County

Woodstock is planting trees! The town is looking for volunteers to help plant more than 30 trees in the coming months. If you’d like to help with this project, or get notified about future volunteer opportunities in Shenandoah County, email Kara at kara@sustainabilitymatters.earth. 

ICYMI Socials

Are Pumpkins Sustainable?
Learn the true environmental impact of pumpkin carving and how you can minimize it. 

Leave the Leaves
Fallen foliage enriches soil health and provides crucial food and habitat for native wildlife. Oh, it also means less yard work.😉

The Truth About Plastic Clothing
Discover the environmental and health related drawbacks of synthetic clothing (plus some eco-friendly alternatives).