Our meadows are thriving with more to come
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Friends, our native meadows are thriving - thanks to you! Celebrate National Trails Day this weekend while Making History Bloom. And hang out with the critters and count native plants at the landfills all summer!

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Celebrate National Trails Day on NOVA’s most beloved trail!

Join us this Saturday, June 7 at 10am for a nature and history walk on the W&OD Trail. We’ll learn about why it’s such an important wildlife corridor and talk about our next native meadow. We'll also hear about the history of the Village of Wiehle and Reston. (Did you know that Virginia Gentleman whiskey began on a farm there?) If it's raining, please bring an umbrella. Quiet, rainy mornings are a great time to observe more wildlife! 

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Making Trash Bloom

Want to be a community scientist and learn more about Making Trash Bloom? Volunteer for a Plant Count to identify what is blooming at two of our landfill meadows. We have four survey dates this summer; click the links to register:

Shenandoah County Landfill: July 12 and August 23

Rappahannock County Landfill: July 26 and August 16

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Did you know that being a Sustainability Matters member means exclusive perks all year long? You’ll get access to unique, members-only experiences like tree ID walks with experts, private house parties with fellow enthusiasts, and surprise events you won’t want to miss.

Ready to connect, learn, and have fun, while making a real impact? Join today and keep an eye out for your special invite to our next members-only event this June.

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We won Project for Awesome!

We’re thrilled to announce that for the fourth year in a row, we won a grant from the Project for Awesome! YOUR votes earned us a spot among the 30 most-voted-for nonprofits in the competition, earning us a grant of more than $38,000. We couldn’t have done it without you!

If you missed our emails about the project back in February, here's our entry video featuring our work replacing invasive species with native meadows on the W&OD Trail in Northern Virginia.

A huge thanks to everyone who voted and shared our video with others. Thanks also to the staff at TDC Marketing for volunteering, yet again, their time and skills to create an amazing video!

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Our meadows are thriving – thanks to your support!

In its second year of growth, the Winchester Meadow is spectacular! If you’ve not had a chance to see it yet, it’s worth a trip to this wonderful historic city

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Over an acre of native grasses and flowers are beginning to bloom, and wildlife – from birds to bees to groundhogs – are eating the food we’ve planted for them and making homes for their babies in their native habitat. Just a year and half ago, this area was a barren, rocky field of turf grass. Then we showed up and helped the city staff seed the native meadow. 

Sari’s vision, supported by so many in the community, including city leaders, has become reality! What a wonderful transformation and testament to the importance of our collective mission!

Meanwhile in Vienna, we’re in the challenging first year of growth on the W&OD Trail. Affectionately known as the LOVE meadow, volunteers seeded a quarter acre last February after an epic session to clear a dumpster-full of invasive plants. 

The first year of a meadow is always tough and needs extra care from our wonderful meadow-maker volunteers. We’ve done multiple sessions to clear the invasives that want to take over. There’s nothing more gratifying than pulling out a mass of Mile-A-Minute and revealing the native shoots below. We’d love to have more of you join us in this satisfying work – and we know the wildlife will be grateful!

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ICYMI May

Veggie Scrap Burgers A simple, sustainable, and delicious way to cut your food waste! 

Ceiling Fan Direction Make sure your ceiling fans are set up for success this summer. 

Coffee Ground Insect Repellent You don’t need to rely on DEET to stay mosquito free!

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