Green Living Tips
Do not take baths, take showers. You will save about half the amount of water that you would if you were taking a bath.
Living in Harmony with Nature
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National Radon Action Month
EPA Recognizes National Radon Action Month: Test for Radon Gas to Protect Health/ 21,000 Americans die from radon related lung cancer each year Release Date: 01/04/2012 Contact Information: Molly Hooven, hooven.molly@epa.gov, 202-564-2313, 202-564-4355; En español: Lina Younes, younes.lina@epa.gov, 202-564-9924, 202-564-4355 WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is encouraging Americans this January, as part of National Radon Action Month, to take simple and affordable steps to test their homes for harmful levels of radon gas. Radon, a colorless odorless gas, is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Radon can seep into a home from underground and if left to accumulate, high levels of radon can cause lung cancer. Improving indoor air quality…
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Lush and Rich Gardens
Replace it with perennial beds, decks, trails, sidewalks or mulch. “Grass is one of the highest input plants that we grow,” Welsh said. “Turf means watering, mowing, fertilising and pest control. Do you really need 5,000 square feet of grass?”
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Give Your Family the “Best” Home!
Pollution from power plants, cars, and other transportation is a well-known contributor to outdoor air pollution, but our indoor air quality is often worse; it can be up to 10 times worse for you than the air outside. Microbial pollutants like mold, pet dander and plant pollen can combine with chemicals like radon and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to create a pretty toxic environment in your home; since we spend an average of 90% of our time indoors and 65% of our time inside our homes, according to the National Safety Council, that can add up to allergies, asthma and worse. Everything that comes in to our homes has the potential to be harmful to our health; this…
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The Zen Guide to Bay Lawn Care
A man once asked a monk how he could achieve enlightenment. His answer: “do nothing.”
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Clean Clothes ~ Naturally
Just because you want to be energy efficient and stay away from toxic chemicals doesn’t mean your wardrobe has to suffer.
4Kids
Outside Fun? Things You Can Do with Kids!
Check out nature's alphabet! Letters are hiding on the ground, in the trees, on the water, and in the sky. When you look at the world a little differently, letter shapes pop out at you from everywhere. Ready to go on an alphabet hunt? Go outside with your eyes open wide. Start by looking for the letters in your first name. Found them all? Now try the rest of the alphabet. To see something new, try a different view. Lie on your back and look up at the sky. Get down low on your hands and knees. Stand on your head to see an upside-down scene. Over, under, all around. Up high and…
Where Are the Loudoun Outdoors?
Here is a great interactive Loudoun Outdoors Guide. Hiking and Wildlife On the Water: Kayaking, Canoeing, and Fishing Biking and you can enjoy Interactive Maps and links to additional information all around the county.
Kids Summer Nature Camps in Broadlands
Don’t stress about the summer. Let your kids enjoy the nature camp right here.
In the News
Native Plants Sanctuary and Wildlife Habitats Display Garden
A new aesthetic: Landscape design which includes healthy outdoors with native plants, no harmful chemicals and habitat restoration and a beautiful natural look The main goal of this garden is to enlighten the homeowners to the beauty of Virginia native plants and to inspire them to incorporate native plants into their own home gardens. Other goals of the garden are to show how mature native plants can attract wildlife to include variety of birds and butterflies and beneficial insects. In addition, gardens with native plants will require less time to maintain, less watering, less chemical use and will cost less in the long run. The community will be able to see firsthand the types of…
Virginia Farms and Honey Bees
One of Virginia’s most valuable agricultural assets, the honeybee, continues to struggle. Disease problems, a syndrome called colony collapse disorder, and cold weather hit the state’s bee population hard again last winter. “This past year we’re probably seeing higher losses than the year before,” said Keith Tignor, state apiarist with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. “We’re still surveying, and it will be a few months before we know exact results. But informally we’re hearing of lots of bee losses.” Winter honeybee losses have averaged 31 percent over the past decade. Honeybees are extremely valuable, because they are all-purpose pollinators, helping boost production of numerous agricultural crops. Tignor estimated honeybees…
Housing Market and Green Communities Future
…But many home builders, developers, etc… are quickly realizing that green communities are not just a trend, they are the future. The same survey by McGraw-Hill says the green building market is expected to double from 12% market share to 20% market share by the year 2012….
