Wild Virginia

Why do coyotes sing? ?? Roll Call: They’re checking in with the rest of the pack. ?? Neighborhood Watch: Alerting each other about any threats. ?? Stay Off My Lawn: Defending their turf from rival coyotes. ?? Pure Drama: Because sometimes, you just need to scream into the void.

What do turtles do on Fridays? They shell-ibrate ?? The terrestrial box turtle is found in many types of wooded areas, including hardwood forests, mixed oak-pine forests, pine flatwoods, maritime oak forests, hardwood swamps, and agricultural areas. It lives 25-35 years!

I-495 South Express Lanes Study Information Meetings Start on April 1! Comment and show up to the in-person meetings as habitat?connectivity and wildlife passage are not currently considered in this plan to expand I-495. We are ranked top ten in the nation for wildlife-vehicle conflict, yet VDOT fails to consider this danger in project?plans. Attend a meeting or visit our virtual public information room to learn about and provide input?on the Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) I-495 Southside Express Lanes Study, an environmental study evaluating the potential extension of the express lanes system on the southern section of the Capital Beltway (I-495) by 11 miles from the Springfield Interchange (I-95/I-395/I-495) in Fairfax County, Virginia, across the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge, to the MD 210 Interchange in Prince George’s County, Maryland. In-Person Meeting times: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Meeting format: Open house with a presentation at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 1, 2025 | West Potomac High School 6500 Quander Road, Alexandria, VA 22307 Wednesday, April 2, 2025 | Oxon Hill High School 6701 Leyte Drive, Oxon Hill, MD 20745 Monday, April 7, 2025 | Thomas A. Edison High School 5801 Franconia Road, Alexandria, VA 22310 Wednesday, April 9, 2025 | Nannie J. Lee Memorial 1108 Jefferson Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 Available starting on April 1, 2025, at?https://lnkd.in/ekv4czZm. There are several ways to provide input on the 495 Southside Express Lanes Study: -Submit oral and/or written comments at the meetings -Complete an online comment form at?https://lnkd.in/ekv4czZm -Send an email to?[email protected] -Mail comments to Michelle Shropshire, P.E., VDOT Northern Virginia, Megaprojects Director, 4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030 ? All comments must be received by Monday, April 21, 2025, to be included in the public record.

As concerns about toxic biosolids, or ‘forever chemicals,’ grow across the nation, a local nonprofit group is trying to raise awareness about the potential risks they could pose in Rockbridge County. “These chemicals have been linked to serious health issues like cancer, liver damage, and development harm,” said Joe DiNardo, the watershed committee co-chair for the nonprofit Rockbridge Conservation. “And once they’re in the environment, they don’t just go away.”

The permit drafted by DEQ is supposed to prevent contamination in local streams and all downstream areas, including the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay. However, despite proof that groundwater, soils, and surface water have been heavily polluted by per- and polyflouroalkyl substances (PFAS) released to the environment,?DEQ has failed even to mention these problems in the permit or?analyze the threat of water quality standards violations,?let alone protect us from these threats. Dozens of people and several environmental groups have called on the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to prevent releases and threats to people and wildlife caused by “forever chemicals” at Fort Belvoir.

We have four more spots for our field trip to a vernal pool!

We are so disappointed. Our state agencies desperately needed these funds to reduce dangerous wildlife vehicle conflict, protect our biodiversity, and provide additional flood resilience to vulnerable communities: https://lnkd.in/eVREATTH Governor Youngkin vetoed our crossing funds. "Heartbroken, but not surprised," says Habitat Connecitivy Director, Jessica Roberts. But wildlife defenders are resilient, and we will continue this important work to connect wildlife corridors and protect Virginia drivers! *Amendment 147: Remove funding for wildlife corridor grant program | Item 367: https://lnkd.in/exWW4jjp

Now through May 1 while supplies last, shoppers can receive a $25 discount on eligible native trees and shrubs valued at $50 or more. Virginians are once again being encouraged to throw some shade— in their landscapes, that is. The Virginia Department of Forestry’s?Throwing Shade VA?program is back and giving consumers discounts when they purchase native trees and shrubs from over 15 participating retail nurseries.

In terms of our major sources of exposure, Bryan Berger, a University of Virginia chemical engineering professor, said that microplastics are like “forever chemicals” known as PFAS in that they are ubiquitous, from our water to our soil. “Most of the food we eat and the water we drink contains microplastics,” he said. They may even be in the tea you drink. Tea bags often contain plastic that seeps into the beverage as they steep. A 2019 study found that a single cup of tea prepared from a tea bag made with plastic could contain about 2.3 million micro-sized plastics.

Located on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, Chincoteague is a pristine barrier island known for its iconic wild ponies, which were made famous by the 1961 film Misty of Chincoteague. The island’s salt marshes, sandy beaches, and quiet coves of the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge are ideal for grazing and wading ponies. To truly experience them, paddle the island’s waterways. ?? PHOTOGRAPH BY KRISTEL RICHARD/ NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY