Photo: Jill Barker
Tom Blackburn
The latest census data show that five of the nine Northern Virginia localities are majority-minority. If we are going to slow the effects of climate change and stop the loss of biodiversity, it is crucial that all communities develop an appreciation of nature and become involved in protecting the environment. To that end, this spring, ASNV adopted a revised mission statement to emphasize the importance of involving people and organizations that reflect the broad diversity of Northern Virginia: our mission is now “to engage all Northern Virginia communities in enjoying, conserving, and restoring nature for the benefit of birds, other wildlife, and people.”
ASNV has undertaken a number of steps to meet that goal. We have partnered with the staff of Upton Hill Regional Park, NAACP/Arlington, and other organizations to support the park. Our activities include bird walks; guided walks for the local low-income senior housing complex, which serves mostly Asian-Americans; participation in invasive plant pulls; and the award of a conservation grant to improve habitat restoration and support educational activities.
In the realm of education, ASNV made grants to several Title I Schools to promote nature awareness, bird-friendly habitat, and native plant and pollinator gardens. We also granted an all-expense scholarship to a teacher at a Title I School to enable her to attend National Audubon Society’s Educators’ Week at their Hog Island Camp in Maine.
ASNV has also continued and expanded its advocacy efforts. We have opposed paving a portion of Justice Park for a parking lot. Justice Park is in a densely populated area of Fairfax County that lacks sufficient green space for its residents. We also submitted comments opposing the routing of the proposed MAG-LEV train to Baltimore, in part because 80% of the land parcels affected by the proposal are in environmental justice communities where minority populations comprise almost 70% of the population.
In conjunction with the Birdability organization, ASNV members have evaluated more than 65 local trails to determine their accessibility to people with mobility challenges. Information about the accessibility of trails makes the outdoors and birding more welcoming to everyone.
ASNV is continuing to look for opportunities to encourage people from all segments of our community to enjoy natural spaces and become involved in protecting the environment. Let us know if you have suggestions on how we can do that.
Tom Blackburn
President