• Speak up for a stronger Data Center Zoning Ordinance

    UPDATED 8/5/24 Join us on September 10 @ 4:30pm: testify for stronger protections! The Data Center ZOA public hearing was held on July 16 and the Board deferred their decision until July 30. On the morning of July 30 however, it was reported that, due to a clerical error regarding a change in state law…


  • Virginia’s General Assembly: some wins and a long road

    How did the 2024 General Assembly go? In this year’s General Assembly, Nature Forward selected a handful of bills to track dealing with natural resources / trees, solar energy, and data centers (read our prior blog post for bills and details). While there were some wins on the bills we tracked, overall, Virginia has a…


  • Help keep parks on the minds of our Fairfax County Supervisors!

    We need your help again this year to ask our Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to continue to prioritize funding for equity and stewardship programs in our Park Authority!


  • ¡Ayude para que los Parques sean una prioridad para nuestros Supervisores en el Condado de Fairfax!

    Las audiencias presupuestarias comienzan el 16 de abril. ¡AHORA es el momento de pedirle a su supervisor que apoye el presupuesto propuesto para los parques en el año fiscal 2025 y que planifique con anticipación cómo financiar adecuadamente los parques en los años futuros! ¿No pidió hacer esto el año pasado?¡Sí! Durante los últimos dos…


  • 2024 Virginia General Assembly Legislative Priorities

    2024 Virginia General Assembly Legislative Priorities (Updated as of 4/26/24 @ 11:35am) This year’s Virginia General Assembly, when legislators get together to make a new set of laws, takes place from January 10 through March 9 with the Governor taking action on bills in April. Nature Forward, with help from several partners (such as VCN’s…


  • What are the big issues in Virginia in 2024? Think data.

    Thank you to Nature Volunteer Elyzabeth Earnley for partnering with us and for co-authoring this article with me! While much of the work we do at Nature Forward is focused locally, we pay attention each year in Virginia as legislators gather for the General Assembly to write new laws that will affect us both state-wide…


  • Water Protectors empowers community leaders!

    In 2023, Nature Forward completed the 3rd year of our Water Protectors of Little Hunting Creek outreach, working with communities along the Route 1 Corridor in the Hybla Valley area of Fairfax County, VA.). Thanks to funding from Virginia Environmental Endowment and in partnership with United Community, Northern Virginia Soil & Water Conservation District (NVSWCD),…


  • Speak up against the I-270 highway expansion & demand environmentally friendly transit alternatives in November!

    It is time to take action on the Beltway (I-270 & I-495) and American Legion Bridge expansion once again.


  • Cinder Bed Road Bikeway proposal and its impacts on Amberleigh HOA

    Decisions are coming for the Amberleigh HOA regarding a vote on if permission should be given to Fairfax County to build a paved trail through a rare habitat on their HOA property. Learn more.


  • One year in: What’s up with Fairfax County’s plastic bag fee?

    One year after Fairfax County implemented a 5¢ per plastic bag fee, how is it going? Learn about how much money is being collected and how the revenue generated is being used.