The Wonders of Weeds

What might be offensive to many – those “weeds” in unmown areas have a lot of value not only to wildlife but humans too. It was Ralph Waldo Emerson who said “What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not been discovered.” Milkweed is one example of a common plant that serves many purposes. Perhaps its virtues have been, and continue to be discovered.

image: wikimedia.org

According to ScienceDaily:

“Common milkweed is the only food source of monarch butterfly caterpillars. But for some farmers, the plant is also a valuable source of floss that can be harvested for use as a hypoallergenic filler for high-end pillows, comforters and jacket linings.“

flickr photo: Monarch Butterfly caterpillar on common milkweed uploaded by NatureFreak07

In studies at the ARS National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, Ill., Harry-O’kuru devised a procedure for using zinc chloride to catalyze the conversion of milkweed oil’s triglycerides into ultraviolet (UV)-light-absorbing compounds called cinamic acid derivatives. HUH?

What this means is Common Milkweed can be used to make sunscreen.  Harry-O’kuru’s milkweed-oil-based sunscreen also contains natural antioxidants such as tocopherols, which are often added to cosmetics as skin-nourishing ingredients.

The sunscreen’s unique combination of fats and waxes may also qualify it as biodegradable and help keep it from washing off during a swim. Its current form is a clear liquid, but gels, creams, sticks and aerosol sprays are also possible, according to Harry-O’kuru.

Read full article at ScienceDaily.com >>>

Wetlands – the new Viagra

This blog has sung the praises of wetlands many times and now we can add this to the virtues and utility of these unique ecosystems.

When soil is saturated in wetlands, oxygen becomes depleted.   This process is called reduction because oxygen is reduced by the biological processes occurring in the soil. When those biological processes run out of oxygen in the soil they go after sulphur.  When you reduce sulphur you get Hydrogen Sulphide.  Anyone who has ever gone swimming or wading in a farm pond knows the smell.  If you stir up the bottom “muck” you get a nice whiff of rotten eggs.

According to this report at CBS News,

New research suggests that a foul-smelling gas could someday become the target of new drugs for erectile dysfunction.

Hydrogen sulfide is present in raw natural gas and in the odor of rotting eggs. Our bodies also produce tiny quantities of hydrogen sulfide, but the gas was long thought to be only a toxic by-product of metabolism.

Hydrogen Sulfide for Erectile Dysfunction
For the new study, researchers at the University of Naples in Italy studied penile tissue samples obtained from humans.  They found the same enzymes that produce hydrogen sulfide in animals were present and functional in human tissue. The chemical reactions that produce hydrogen sulfide were generally the same, too. The scientists concluded that hydrogen sulfide does likely contribute to erections in men, just as in animal studies.

So I’m thinking of a new promotional campaign: Wetlands – the new Viagra®.

What do you think?

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OCA’s guide for safe personal care products

The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) released a new study that exposes levels of the petrochemical carcinogen 1,4-Dioxane in leading conventional as well as “natural” brands of personal care and household cleaning products.

According to the OCA, this cancer-causing contaminant is all too frequently found in products directly applied to the skin, but it is not listed on ingredient labels, making it difficult for consumers to avoid potentially dangerous products.

To help protect the health of your family and the environment, the OCA’s study results have been put together in a user-friendly printable consumer pocket guide that fits neatly into any wallet.

Print your 1,4-Dioxane Pocket Guide here

Environmental Working Group publishes latest Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides

According to the Environmental Working Group:

An EWG simulation of thousands of consumers eating high and low pesticide diets shows that people can lower their pesticide exposure by almost 80 percent by avoiding the top twelve most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating the least contaminated instead. Eating the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables will expose a person to about 10 pesticides per day, on average. Eating the 15 least contaminated will expose a person to less than 2 pesticides per day. Less dramatic comparisons will produce less dramatic reductions, but without doubt using the Guide provides people with a way to make choices that lower pesticide exposure in the diet.

Go HERE to download the guide.

Read about the “Dirty Dozen” HERE

Photo: www.organicleap.com

The Full List: 47 Fruits & Veggies

RANK	FRUIT OR VEGGIE	SCORE
1 (worst)	Peach	100 (highest pesticide load)
2	Apple	93
3	Sweet Bell Pepper	83
4	Celery	82
5	Nectarine	81
6	Strawberries	80
7	Cherries	73
8	Kale	69
9	Lettuce	67
10	Grapes – Imported	66
11	Carrot	63
12	Pear	63
13	Collard Greens	60
14	Spinach	58
15	Potato	56
16	Green Beans	53
17	Summer Squash	53
18	Pepper	51
19	Cucumber	50
20	Raspberries	46
21	Grapes – Domestic	44
22	Plum	44
23	Orange	44
24	Cauliflower	39
25	Tangerine	37
26	Mushrooms	36
27	Banana	34
28	Winter Squash	34
29	Cantaloupe	33
30	Cranberries	33
31	Honeydew Melon	30
32	Grapefruit	29
33	Sweet Potato	29
34	Tomato	29
35	Broccoli	28
36	Watermelon	26
37	Papaya	20
38	Eggplant	20
39	Cabbage	17
40	Kiwi	13
41	Sweet Peas – Frozen	10
42	Asparagus	10
43	Mango	9
44	Pineapple	7
45	Sweet Corn – Frozen	2
46	Avocado	1
47 (best)	Onion	1 (lowest pesticide load)

How healthy and eco-friendly is seafood?

The Environmental Defense Fund website has an online Seafood Selector.

According to their website, you can Make Smart Choices When Eating Seafood by choosing fish that are good for you and the ocean.

You can use their list on the go.  Here’s a preview.

Also try their downloadable mobile seafood guide [PDF] and downloadable sushi guide [PDF], for when you’re not connected to the Web.

• new Sushi Selector.
• Print a Pocket Seafood Selector [PDF] or Pocket Sushi Guide [PDF].
• Learn about EDF’s work to move fish off the Eco-Worst list.

http://www.edf.org/home.cfm

Check out local CSAs

Wikipedia defines Community-supported agriculture (CSA) as a socio-economic model of agriculture and food distribution. A CSA consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes the community’s farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production. CSA’s focus is usually on a system of weekly delivery or pick-up of vegetables and fruit, sometimes dairy products and meat.

Clagett Farm CSA

What that really means is that you can support local agriculture and own a share of the harvest by investing in your local farmer.  Great concept!  Instead of feeding the big agri-monster and get-rich-quick investors along the food chain, you support your own community.

You get fresh-from-the-farm goods, and the farmer is able to spread the risk around to “members” to finance the operation.

LoudounExtra.com has a great article on “Where to Get Your Greens On“. Now’s the time to sign up for the 2009 growing season, which typically runs from May to October.  Here’s some local opportunities:

Great Country Farms

Moutoux Orchard

Potomac Vegetable Farms

Stoneybrook Farms

Blue Ridge Center Mountain View Farm

Fresh and Local

A comprehensive list of local and organic food sources for Loudoun can be found at
http://www.sustainableloudoun.org/farmfood.html

Eating dirt is natural, healthy

Being over-protective of our children can sometimes backfire.  Kids need to play outdoors and eat dirt.

“Children raised in an ultraclean environment, are not being exposed to organisms that help them develop appropriate immune regulatory circuits.”

According to an article at The New York Times, accumulating evidence strongly suggests that eating dirt is good for you.

In studies of what is called the hygiene hypothesis, researchers are concluding that organisms like the millions of bacteria, viruses and especially worms that enter the body along with “dirt” spur the development of a healthy immune system. These studies, along with epidemiological observations, seem to explain why immune system disorders like multiple sclerosis, Type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, asthma and allergies have risen significantly in the United States and other developed countries.

“What a child is doing when he puts things in his mouth is allowing his immune response to explore his environment,” Mary Ruebush, a microbiology and immunology instructor, wrote in her new book, “Why Dirt Is Good” (Kaplan). “Not only does this allow for ‘practice’ of immune responses, which will be necessary for protection, but it also plays a critical role in teaching the immature immune response what is best ignored.”

READ FULL ARTICLE >>>

Sorry guys, when things get really tough female brains fare better

According to a post at Live Science “When it comes to keeping brains alive, it seems nature has deemed that females are more valuable than males,” a researcher said in a statement yesterday.

Robert Clark and colleagues at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center grew neurons taken from male and female rats or mice in lab dishes, then subjected them to nutrient starvation over 72 hours.

Results: After 24 hours, male neurons experienced significantly more cell dysfunction and basically began consuming themselves.  Female neurons created more lipid droplets to store fat reserves, and survive.

READ MORE at LIVE SCIENCE >>>

Hypothermia can sneak up on you in the outdoors

As cold weather sets in we need to remind ourselves about the threat of Hypothermia and outdoor activities.

Hypothermia is when the body’s core temperature falls below what is a safe body temperature. Probably many of us have heard stories of lost hikers or hunters “going crazy” and stripping off their clothes and running naked through the snow.  As I understand it, even small changes in our body temperature can impair brain function and cloud our judgment.  This is why hypothermia victims will do totally illogical things like take off their boots and socks and walk barefoot in the snow.

It is also easy to fall prey to this condition.  Hypothermia can strike at temperatures as high as 55 degrees F.  WikiHow offers a how-to on preventing hypothermia.

1. Dress Warmly and For Weather Conditions. You never know when your car will slide on ice, and you may have to walk to get help.
2. Keep Dry. Water has 25 times the thermal conductivity of air, so you get cold much more quickly if you’re wet. Wear waterproof layers and waterproof boots. If your clothes get wet, remove them as soon as possible.
3. Wear Wool. Unlike many fabrics, wool will keep you warm even when the fabric is wet. Wool socks, especially, will help keep your feet warm even if your boots are wet.
4. Wear layers. Multiple thin layers of clothing trap more warm air against your skin than a single thick layer.
5. Wear Hats and Gloves. Your body loses a lot of heat from the top of the head and the extremities.
6. Avoid Wind Chill. Even if the absolute temperature is not freezing, a breeze or wind can take body heat away much quicker than a still day. This can quickly lower your body temperature. In a wilderness setting, shelter behind trees, snow-drifts, or another barrier. In an urban environment, sit in a doorway.
7. Know the Signs of Hypothermia. Quick action can mean the difference between life and death. Signs include lack of shivering, confusion, and sometimes not feeling cold anymore.
8. Get to Safety. Remove the affected person immediately from the cold. If clothing is wet, remove it gently from the skin–there could be frostbite or damaged skin that could be distressed from rough handling. Get the individual to a health facility as soon as possible. In the U.S., contact 911 for guidance if possible.
9. Do Not Heat the Affected Person Quickly. Do NOT serve hot beverages, place the person in hot water, use a heating pad on high setting, or put them in a sauna. This can cause thermal shock, even death. You can use lukewarm water.  If in the wild, naked body to naked body can be a safe way to rewarm the victim (OK guys … this tactic may not always work with her but it’s worth a try)

MORE >>>

Help finding safe toys for Christmas

There are some online sources that can help you find safe toys this Christmas.  Here’s a start …

Yahoo! Green has  post “How to avoid toxic toys” HERE

GoodGuide has a Holiday Guide to Safe Toys HERE

HealthyToys.org includes test results for more than 1,500 toys and children’s products. This site is a first step in providing parents, grandparents, and others who care about children with the information they need to make better choices when purchasing toys and other children’s products. See it HERE

Kid Friendly Stainless Steel Bottles

With all the concern about BPA in reusable water bottles, WaterGeeks has a Kid Friendly Stainless Steel Bottle.  WaterGeeks also says of their choice of material …

According to U.S. Department of Public Health and Human Services, the adverse health effects from nickel are highly dependent on the degree of exposure. Many health experts are now recommending to use stainless steel cookware low in nickel content.

Because of this, we decided to use stainless steel #201 (typically called 18/0) and not stainless steel #304 (typically called 18/8) when is comes to our water bottles in order to have the lowest nickel content possible and still have food grade. This 12oz bottles comes in 3 great colors and has an ergonomic design making it easy for children to hold. And best of all, the sippy adaptor turns this bottle into a sippy cup for infants.

- available in 3 colors: stainless, blue, pink
- made with unlined, 18/0, food grade stainless steel
- wide mouth for ice cubes and easy cleaning
- ergonomic, curved design
- lightweight, easy to carry
- non-leaching and BPA-FREE
- fits most cup holders
- comes standard with a pop-up sport cap
- sippy adaptor also available

How walkable is your community?

There’s an interesting web site called Walk Score.

Walk Score uses several criteria to determine a walkability score. You can even input your own address to get your neighborhood score.  Your Walk Score is a number between 0 and 100. Here are general guidelines for interpreting your score:

• 90–100 = Walkers’ Paradise: Most errands can be accomplished on foot and many people get by without owning a car.
• 70–89 = Very Walkable: It’s possible to get by without owning a car.
• 50–69 = Somewhat Walkable: Some stores and amenities are within walking distance, but many everyday trips still require a bike, public transportation, or car.
• 25–49 = Car-Dependent: Only a few destinations are within easy walking range. For most errands, driving or public transportation is a must.
• 0–24 = Car-Dependent (Driving Only): Virtually no neighborhood destinations within walking range. You can walk from your house to your car! … CONTINUED

So what is a Walkable Neighborhood? Pretty obvious really.  Walk Score says if you live in a walkable neighborhood

“You lose weight each time you walk to the grocery store. You stumble home from last call without waiting for a cab. You spend less money on your car—or you don’t own a car. When you shop, you support your local economy. You talk to your neighbors.” … CONTINUED

Why Walking Matters

• Better health
• Reduction in greenhouse gas
• More transportation options
• Increased social capital
• Stronger local businesses … READ MORE

I tested the Audubon Naturalists Society's Rust Nature Sanctuary in Leesburg. While the Nature Sanctuary itself has some great walking opportunities, the adjacent neighborhood scored only 11 out of 100. It's definitely a car-dependent area.

Good mood helps you see big picture

Image via Wikipedia

According to a post the ScienceDaily …

That photo of your smiling kids on the refrigerator door might do more than just make you feel good; you might make healthier food choices after looking at it. A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research shows that positive moods can increase our ability to understand the big picture.

Researchers wanted to test whether surrounding yourself with positive things made a measurable difference. One study presented identical statements to study participants. The statements in each set were preceded by either a smiley face or a frowny face.

“The results revealed that simply associating a smiley with a statement resulted in the statement being construed at a higher, more abstract level.”

… being in a good mood allows people to step back emotionally. “The research demonstrates that by signaling that a situation is benign, a positive mood allows people to psychologically distance themselves from the situation,” the authors write. “Those in a positive mood not only adopt higher-order future goals and work harder toward attaining them, but also reduce their efforts when goals are proximal or concrete,” they conclude. … CONTINUED

More on the dangers of plastics

Via ScienceDaily

“For the first time a series of articles will appear together that identify that billions of kilograms of a number of chemicals used in the manufacture of different types of plastic can leach out of plastic products and cause harm to the brain and reproductive system when exposure occurs during fetal life or prior to weaning,” emphasized Dr. Frederick vom Saal, Guest Editor of the “Plastic World”.

Natural remedies for stings from Eco Child’s Play.com

Image via Wikipedia

Here are some natural remedies for stings that appeared in a post at Eco Child’s Play.

What do you do?

• For honeybees, remove the stinger as soon as you can. It doesn’t matter how you do it, either by finger or by scraping it off with a credit card, just get it out before it fully empties into the skin.
• Ice the sting site. This is the best treatment for immediate relief.
• Sssting Stop is a wonderful homeopathic remedy for both stings and bug bites. Available at health food stores or on the web.
• Plantain grows in many yards, and makes a super poultice for stings and bites. Chew up a couple of leaves and apply to the sting.
• Salt paste on the sting will help to draw out the venom.
• A paste of baking soda and water will help with the pain and swelling.
• Apply vinegar to the site.
• Make a paste of meat tenderizer and apply. Papain in the tenderizer will help break down the toxins.
• If there is difficulty in breathing or dizziness and nausea, seek medical advice. If you don’t know if your child is allergic to honeybee venom, watch for swelling in the throat that might affect breathing. Knowing if it was a bee or a wasp that stung them is helpful. One easy way to tell the difference is that honeybees are fuzzy, not shiny.
• Wash the sting site with soap and water to avoid an infection. Wasp stings can get infected from bacteria carried by the wasp from feces, so keep an eye on any sting that hasn’t healed in a day.

Go to Source Page for More >>>

Bad air in Eastern U.S. harming nature, new study shows

If you are living in the eastern United States, the environment around you is being harmed by air pollution. From Adirondack forests and Shenandoah streams to Appalachian wetlands and the Chesapeake Bay, a new report by the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies and The Nature Conservancy has found that air pollution is degrading every major ecosystem type in the northeastern and mid-Atlantic United States.

So says a post from ScienceDaily. The report, Threats From Above: Air Pollution Impacts on Ecosystems and Biological Diversity in the Eastern United States, is the first to analyze the large-scale effects that four air pollutants are having across a broad range of habitat types.

“…the prognosis is not good.”

“Everywhere we looked, we found evidence of air pollution harming natural resources,” comments Dr. Gary M. Lovett, an ecologist at the Cary Institute and the lead author of the report. “Decisive action is needed if we plan on preserving functioning ecosystems for future generations.

The study finds that nitrogen, acid deposition, mercury and ground-level ozone not only contaminate the air we breathe — they’re entering our soils and waters, causing significant environmental issues:

• High levels of deposited mercury are having negative impacts on wildlife — from salamander species in the Appalachian Mountains to loons in the Adirondacks and bald eagles in Maine.
• Ground-level ozone reduces plants’ ability to harness sunlight for growth, reducing forest and crop production throughout the eastern United States.
• Excess nitrogen — in part from air pollution — is harming waterways, fish and shellfish from Rhode Island’s Narrangansett Bay to Long Island Sound to Chesapeake Bay.
• Nitrogen also decreases the disease resistance of trees, leaving them more vulnerable to pests and pathogens.
• Acid rain is making sensitive lakes and streams uninhabitable by fish in the mountains of the Northeast and the Southern Appalachians. On land, it leaches important nutrients from foliage and soil, reducing the productivity of some forest trees.

Pollutants poison areas far from their point of origin. The pollutants assessed — sulfur, nitrogen, mercury, and ground-level ozone — largely originate from smokestacks, tailpipes, and agricultural operations. While initially airborne, these pollutants eventually return to the landscape, where they contaminate the soil and water.

Airborne emissions can travel long distances before making their way back to the ground. Because the eastern United States is downwind from large industrial and urban pollution sources, it receives the highest levels of deposited air pollution in North America. This is bad news for vulnerable wildlife, forest productivity, soil health, water resources, and ultimately, economies.

Co-author Dr. Timothy H. Tear, of The Nature Conservancy, comments, “Deposited pollutants have tangible human impacts. Mercury contamination results in fish that are unsafe to eat. Acidification kills fish and strips nutrients from soils. Excess nitrogen pollutes estuaries, to the detriment of coastal fisheries. And ground-level ozone reduces plant growth, a threat to forestry and agriculture.”

New air quality standards are critical to protecting natural resources. At the heart of the report is a call to action. Currently, U.S. air quality standards are determined by direct impacts to human health, with regulations targeting emission levels — what leaves tail pipes and smoke stacks. They do not take into account where airborne pollution is actually deposited in the landscape or how this pollution compromises our soil and water resources and resident plants and animals.

Figure 1: Sensitivity to Acid Deposition, Eastern United States

“To safeguard ecosystem health, we need a new way of thinking about air pollution — one that moves beyond measuring what is put up in the air, and captures actual impacts to natural areas, wildlife, and the services they provide,” Lovett notes.

Figure 2: Acidity of Precipitation Across the United States, 2004-06

Go to original article at ScienceDaily >>>

Go to The Nature Conservancy’s Web Page >>>

Go to the Cary Institute’s Web Page >>>

Download PDF of Report >>>

Saving open space is a human health need

According to a post at the Children&Nature Network: Evidence suggests that children and adults benefit so much from contact with nature that land conservation can now be viewed as a public health strategy. People are drawn to gardens, forests, and other natural spots for recreation and for vacations. Homes near parks typically gain in value. The designers and operators of hotels, spas, and golf courses know that beautiful grounds attract customers.

image from Pixdaus: God Gave Us Pics!

“Nature matters to people. Big trees and small trees, glistening water, chirping birds, budding bushes, colorful flowers—these are important ingredients in a good life.” – Psychologist Rachel Kaplan, University of Michigan

What does the evidence show? Nature contact yields surprisingly broad benefits. This contact may occur on a very small scale — plants in the workplace or trees outside the apartment building — or it may occur on a larger scale — a nearby park, a riparian corridor in a city, or a wilderness area.

Read more at Children&Nature Network >>>

Sorry, nature viewed through the window still beats the Nature Channel for reducing stress

A report in June’s Journal of Environmental Psychology says televised nature is no match for a good old window.

In the study, University of Washington researchers had students perform a series of challenging mental tests. They hooked each student up to a heart monitor to record higher heart rates caused by the stress of completing the assignments. Some students worked in an office with a view of the university’s tree-filled grounds. While others watched a live camera feed of the exact same view on a plasma screen TV. Both groups stole glances a similar number of times, but window-gazing students looked longer and were quicker to lower their stressed out heart rates. In a time of obesity and nature deficit disorders, the researchers say, it’s important to remember that your TV may be a window on the world, but it’s no substitute for the real deal.

See the original post by Adam Hinterthuer at Scientific American >>>

Image from flickr by hgaronfolo1984

Don’t mow or operate gas-powered equipment on Bad Air Days

I found this post at Leesburg Tomorrow and it reminded me of some very good advice.  Lawn equipment are some of the worst polluters because they do not have any emission controls.  On Code Red or Code Orange Days, we should refrain from using blowers or gas mowers.

In bright sunlight

“nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and oxygen interact chemically to produce powerful oxidants like ozone (O3) and peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN).
These secondary pollutants are damaging to plant life and lead to the formation of photochemical smog. PAN is primarily responsible for the eye irritation so characteristic of this type of smog“ – Kimball’s Biology Pages

Leesburg Tomorrow explains:

“When we use motors and engines on bright, hot, days, the fumes they emit yield a lot more actual pollution, compared to the fumes themselves, thanks to basic chemistry. We cannot all work from home on bad air quality days but we all can choose to put off mowing or running the leaf blower until a few days later.”

There are some other things we can do as well like work from home, and ask our homeowners associations and local governments to refrain from powered landscaping (i.e., mowing and blowing) on bad air quality days.

<READ MORE AT LEESBURG TOMORROW>

<See the Local Air Quality Forecast>

Outdoor opportunities listed at loudounnature.org

Here is a list of organizations and activities from the “it’s their nature” website:

Adventure Links offers Summer Camp, school and youth group programs, and adult and corporate programs which include a variety of engaging, active and transformational activities. We focus on adventure summer programming for youth, team building adventure activities for schools and groups and team building seminars for corporations.
800.877.0954 or http://www.adventurelinks.net/.

The Rust Nature Sanctuary of the Audubon Naturalist Society fosters stewardship of the region’s environment by educating citizens about the natural world, promoting conservation of biodiversity, and protecting natural habitat.  Located on the edge of Leesburg, the sanctuary is secluded on 68 acres of woodland and meadow and offers a beautiful place to walk the trails, have a picnic, or enjoy one of our many environmental education programs.  Our education programs include adult programs, school programs, scout programs and summer camps.  Take photographs and leave with pleasant memories and plans to return again and again. http://www.audubonnaturalist.org or www.audubonnaturalist.org/default.asp?page=515

Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy aims their activities and programs to appeal to a wide variety of interests and skill levels.  Recent talks in our speaker series include topics on salamanders, bald eagles, wildflowers and cougars. Each year, LWC participates in the Audubon Christmas Bird Count and the North American Butterfly Association Butterfly Count.
http://loudounwildlife.org/index.htm

Virginia Master Naturalists are volunteer educators, citizen scientists, and stewards helping Virginia conserve and manage natural resources. The local Banshee Reeks Chapter can provide speakers or leaders for nature walks for your organization, school class, or scout troop.
http://www.vmnbansheereeks.org/index.html

Piedmont Environmental Council offers summer camps and a fellowship program for college students.
http://www.pecva.org/

The Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital – Girl Scout Mission Statement:  Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.
http://www.gscnc.org/

Claude Moore Park offers a variety of activities for people of all ages. Because of Claude Moore Park’s open spaces, miles of hiking trails, pavilions, and ponds, the park hosts classes and activities that take advantage of these natural resources.
http://www.loudoun.gov/claudemoorepark

Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve is a 700-acre nature preserve now open to the general public between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. every weekend. Members of the newly formed Visitor Information Volunteer Association (“VIVA”) at Banshee Reeks staff the preserve during the weekend.
http://www.co.loudoun.va.us/prcs/parks/banshee.htm

Earth Force engages young people as active citizens who improve the environment and their communities now and in the future. We do so by training and supporting educators in programs that enable young people to lead community action projects focused on creating sustainable solutions to local environment issues in the community.
http://www.earthforce.org/section/aboutef

The Smithsonian Naturalist Center in Loudoun County, Virginia, invites visitors ages 10 and older to use its 36.000 object hands-on collection of natural history objects, 6,500 books, and scientific equipment. Identify natural objects and curiosities, draw work on school projects, or just browse. The center offers a full range of services, special events, and school programs for middle school, high school and beyond.
http://www.mnh.si.edu/education/naturalistcenter.htm

Luck Stone is a private, family-owned corporation that is committed to being a steward of the environment. Luck Stone operates three quarries and one architectural stone center in Loudoun County, and its associates actively engage with local schools and communities in geology and environmental education. www.luckstone.com

Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation District promotes educational and technical programs in the field of natural resources conservation which meet the agricultural and urban conservations needs of the District. http://loudoun.vaswcd.org/about.htm