Girl Scout Junior Troop 3446 from Springfield helped clean up Huntley Meadows Park in Alexandria for the annual Fairfax County Parks cleanup day with The Nature Conservancy on April 7. Photo by Matt Kane/TNC
This spring, Fairfax County is holding events to help preserve the beauty of area park environments. One such event, the Lake Accotink Park Volunteer Watershed Cleanup, sponsored by the Park Authority and The Nature Conservancy, took place on April 7.
Many answered the call — 215 volunteers donated 450 hours of service and collected 150 bags of trash at an estimated weight of 2,000 lbs., from 9.5 miles of the Park and Accotink Creek. Unusual items found: plastic pink flamingo, 16-inch diameter corrugated plastic pipe, toilet, and a mongoose bike. Most common items found: plastic bottles and bags, and pieces of Styrofoam.
Several events are upcoming. Join volunteers at a park near you or on April 22, 9-11 a.m. for a Laurel Hill Park trash cleanup. 8780 Lorton Rd, Lorton.