 Get2Green Team Wins Fairfax County Environmental Excellence Award
Get2Green is proud to have received a 2025 Fairfax County Environmental Excellence Award for driving environmental literacy and sustainability across 200 schools and empowering students and staff through training, resources, and actionable programs. The collective efforts of the Get2Green staff and school-based teams have led to 50 schools earning national recognition through Eco-Schools, reducing over 132,847 pounds of waste, and creating 132 wildlife habitats, 141 outdoor learning spaces, and 122 edible gardens. By fostering collaboration and measurable environmental impact, Get2Green is preparing the next generation to build a sustainable future while leaving a legacy of stewardship and educational excellence.
December After School Special: Cold Weather Learning
Learn how to protect the pollinators overwintering in your garden, survey your school grounds, and collect evergreen species samples for discussion of plant adaptations with ideas on how to use your samples in creating a winter arrangement. Find easy curriculum connections and links to the biodiversity activities in Eco-Schools. This after school special will take place virtually on Wednesday, December 3, 2025 from 4:45-6:45pm. A link will be sent to registered participants. Register for the December After School Special in MyPDE.
January After School Special: Watt’s Up? Energizing Conservation in Schools
Get a head start on PD in 2026 by registering for Get2Green’s January after school special! Ignite student-led change and become a sustainability champion in your school! You’ll learn how to lead hands-on energy audits, spark interest in alternative transportation, and harness the power of data dashboards to inspire informed, student-driven action. Walk away with the tools and confidence to turn everyday conservation into meaningful learning and lasting impact. This after school special will take place virtually on Thursday, January 8, 2025 from 4:45-6:45pm. A link will be sent to registered participants. Register for the January After School Special in MyPDE.
 Annandale Terrace ES Get2Green Leaders FCPS Impact Award
Congratulations to Michelle Carr-Hogan and Ashley Ireland, the Get2Green Leaders at Annandale Terrace Elementary for their FCPS Impact Award! Each day at 2:45 PM, the excited voices of students—“There’s another bin!” or “I got this one!”—fill the halls of Annandale Terrace Elementary, signaling another great day of learning. Educators Ashley Ireland and Michelle Carr-Hogan go above and beyond as sponsors of the Get2Green Club. Their efforts to launch a schoolwide recycling program, with daily collections by fifth grade club members and participation from our enhanced autism class (EAC) students, highlight their commitment to collaboration, inclusion, and providing meaningful, equitable experiences for all students.
 Environmental Efforts Everywhere: FCPS Leads Nation in “Green Flag” Honors for School Sustainability Work
Forty-four Fairfax County public schools – nearly half the schools recognized in the nation — were recognized this year as Green Flag Schools by the National Wildlife Federation. This is a distinction given to schools that show exceptional achievement in educating students about sustainability, as well as youth leadership for environmental change. Read about the efforts underway at Lemon Road and Terra Centre Elementary Schools.
NVBA Hog Island Scholarship Info Session
Each year, Northern Virginia Bird Alliance offers one public classroom teacher, specialist, or school administrator a scholarship to “Sharing Nature: An Educator’s Week” at Hog Island Audubon Camp in coastal Maine. The scholarship covers tuition, room, board, and transportation. Interested in learning more about Educator’s Week? Register for NVBA’s info session on Thursday, November 20 at 7pm.
Fairfax Recycles Day
Celebrate Fairfax Recycles Day on Saturday, November 15 at the Backlick VRE on Hechinger Drive in Springfield! The Department of Public Works will be hosting a FREE Touch-A-Truck and Drop-off event from 11 AM-3 PM. Check out different wastewater and trash & recycling collection vehicles! Bring your small e-waste, household batteries, glass bottles/jars, and books to be recycled. You are also invited to bring new or gently used winter jackets for ECHO and old glasses for the Lions Club. Find full details about Fairfax Recycles Day.
Noman M. Cole, Jr. Water Recycling Facility Open House
DPWES is hosting the annual Noman Cole Water Recycling Facility Open House on Saturday, December 6 from 10am-2pm (be there by 1pm to get the best experience). This is a FREE, family friendly, fun, and festive way to get a real-life educational experience about how water is cleaned and returned to the environment. The event parking is at 9519 Richmond Highway. Touch a Truck vehicles will welcome you onto the property from the side gate, where the buses will pick you up for a tour right after! There will be snacks, activities, walking tours, and information in our admin building. All are welcome to join.
Step Up with Eco Sneakers
Reduce waste and make a difference—one pair of sneakers at a time! Donate your gently used sneakers to help keep shoes out of landfills and give them a second life. It’s fun, it’s green, and it’s a simple way for students to be eco-heroes right at school. Let’s walk together toward a cleaner, greener future! To get involved, call (470) 684-0069 or email DoASneakerDrive@EcoSneakers.org.
Wild Ones Seeds for Education Grant
The Wild Ones Lorrie Otto Seeds for Education Grant Program provides up to $500 in funding for native gardens and habitats tied to hands-on learning. These funds are designated for native plants and seeds for outdoor learning areas that directly engage students PreK-12 in planning, planting, and caring for native gardens. Learn more and apply for the Seeds for Education Grant by Saturday, November 15, 2025.
Kids Gardening Youth Garden Grant
The KidsGardening Youth Garden Grant supports school gardens that enhance the quality of life of students and their communities. The 2026 grant application is open and applications are due Friday, December 12, 2025. Learn more and apply for the Youth Garden Grant.
Caring for Our Watersheds Contest
Earth Force invites 5-12th grade students to work in teams of 10 or more to solve local environmental problems by answering the question, “What can we do to improve our watershed?” Proposals are due Friday, March 6, 2025. Explore the Caring for Our Watersheds website and Caring for Our Watersheds flyer to learn more. Contact Sarah Jennings at sjennings@earthforce.org.
More About Milkweed
Many schools know common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), and butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa). Did you know Virginia has 10 additional native milkweed species that thrive in different conditions? All of these species support the monarch life cycle by being the sole host plant and food source for caterpillars, as well as providing nectar for adult butterflies when flowering.
Choosing the Right Species
Common milkweed lives up to its name as the most frequently encountered milkweed on school grounds. However, it is aggressive and can be difficult to control due to its deep tap root and abundant seeds, making it a poor choice for interior courtyards or near herb and vegetable gardens. It is better suited for large open tracts and meadows. To control its spread, cut the pods off in the fall before they open and share with others or discard. Swamp milkweed is less aggressive but better suited for moist soils and may struggle in persistently dry conditions.
Butterfly weed is a great choice for interior courtyards, small garden spaces, and raised beds. It is well suited to all soil types and thrives in dry conditions. Other non-aggressive milkweeds that tolerate dry conditions include green comet milkweed (Asclepias viridifora), clasping milkweed (Asclepias amplexicaulis), redring milkweed (Asclepias variegata), and four leaf milkweed (Asclepias quadrifolia). Whorled milkweed (Asclepias verticillata) also does well in medium to dry soils, though it can spread rapidly in fertile, moist soil.
Species to Avoid and Care Tips
Avoid the non-native tropical milkweed (Asclepias currasavica). It may interfere with monarch migration and reproduction in warmer climate zones where it does not die back. It is also associated with the spread of the parasite, OE (Ophryocystis elektroscirrha). Check local native plant sales in spring and fall and Virginia nursery websites for native milkweed plants.
To care for and maintain milkweed, cut the stalks back in fall or winter, leaving 6-8 inches to provide habitat for overwintering insects. Don’t worry if milkweed doesn’t sprout with other perennials in spring. Look for new growth in late spring. Some varieties may not be visible until mid-May. If you sow seeds in fall, new plants may not flower until the second year.
 Find fun and exciting Get2Green updates all month by following @fcpsGet2Green on Instagram, Threads, and X.
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