Happenings Around the Blue Ridge – April 20, 2023
LCPS Regional Science & Engineering Fair Awards 2023
Friends of the Blue Ridge Mountains was founded in 2007 to preserve, enhance, and celebrate the treasured historic, cultural, and ecological features of the Blue Ridge in our region.
One of the goals of Friends of the Blue Ridge Mountains’ is to encourage local students – who represent the next generation of stewards for the Blue Ridge – to become more knowledgeable about the importance of mountains and more involved in protecting the Blue Ridge and its ecosystem.
It is with the intent of rewarding students who have done significant research, primarily in the area of environmental science, that we participate in the LCPS Regional Science & Engineering Fair . . . and are pleased to announce the following awards:
Our first place award, in the amount of $250 went to Evalynn Bogusz & Keerthi Selvam for their comparison
of eDNA metabarcoding and Virginia Save Our Streams kick-seine sampling methods for stream health analysis.
Our second place award, in the amount of $150 went to Taranpreet Basati for her investigation of double biological filters to reduce pollutants in fertilizer runoff.
And for the first time this year, we have 2 third place awards in the amount of $100 given to Megan Davies & Alden Zerkle for their work on how surrounding land use affects the water quality of the Broad Run River and Prescott Noll for his analysis of microplastic content along the Appalachian Trail in Loudoun County.
Congratulations to all of our winners! Click here to see the abstracts of the projects.
Spring Native Plant Sale at Morven Park
April 22 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Morven Park – Main Visitor Lot at Moven Park
17195 Southern Planter Ln
Leesburg, VA 20176
Native plants add beauty and interest to your garden year round and provide important habitat for wildlife. The Native Plant Sale is the place to buy spring-blooming flowers, vines, trees, shrubs and ferns from four local native plant nurseries: Hill House Farm & Nursery, Nature By Design, Seven Bends Nursery and Watermark Woods. The Sale takes place at the visitor parking lot (access via main entrance on Old Waterford Road) and will be staffed by volunteers knowledgeable about native plants who can advise you on s
electing natives for your garden.
In addition to selling plants, the Sale provides an opportunity to learn about some of Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy’s programs and how you can volunteer for them. Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy’s Wild Shop will be there with merchandise for sale and a quilt raffle. They’ll also have TLC, a fertilizer and deer deterrent, to give away.
Community partners, including the Banshee Reeks Chapter of Virginia Master Naturalists and Loudoun County Master Gardeners, will have booths at the Sale.
If you have boxes for carrying your plants, please bring them. If you have extra boxes, bring them for others to use.
Questions: Contact Janet Locklear at jlocklear@loudounwildlife.
Back to Basics – Encouraging Biodiversity Throughout Clarke!
May 10 at 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Long Branch Historic House and Farm
830 Long Branch Lane, Boyce, VA 22620
The Piedmont Environmental Council’s Clarke County Land Conservation Fund will host Charlotte Lorick, Naturalist and Biodiversity Management Team Coordinator at the Oak Spring Garden Foundation, who will share insights about improving native plant and wildlife ecosystem diversity on your property or in your backyard.
Light snacks and refreshments will be provided. This event is free, but registration is required. Questions? Contact Hallie Harriman at hharriman@pecva.org
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