Category: Chapter News

Virginia Creates State Climate Office at George Mason University

George Mason University’s College of Science will be home to Virginia’s new State Climate Office, expanding the university’s role in providing climate data, research, and expertise to communities across the Commonwealth. Read the full press release then visit the Virginia Climate Center web site for more information about the office.

Climate Reality Training Event in Fairfax May 16

​Join us in Fairfax, Virginia on May 16, 2026 for a FREE fast-paced, half-day leadership training. Connect with fellow advocates in your area and get a crash course on the science, the solutions, and the practical skills to confidently push for high-impact climate action in your state.

You’ll get the latest on climate science and solutions straight from former Vice President Al Gore, explore issues and opportunities for progress close to home, and start taking action. Give us three hours and we’ll give you the tools, network, and know-how to make a difference.

​NOTE: This local training event will feature Mr. Gore’s presentation via a recorded video. Mr. Gore will not be present onsite at the event.
 
​By completing a local training, you’ll also complete the first step to joining the Climate Reality Leadership Corps, with opportunities to complete your training online and at your own pace.

Register for Event

Show Your Climate Action: Enter the Sustain Fairfax Earth Month Youth Art Contest

Fairfax County, Virginia – OEEC announces Sustain Fairfax Earth Month Youth Art Contest

Fairfax County’s Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination (OEEC) invites students to showcase how they are taking action for our planet in the Sustain Fairfax Earth Month Youth Art Contest. This contest celebrates the real, climate‑friendly steps young people are taking and how those actions benefit our environment and community. It connects directly to the Sustain Fairfax Challenge, an online platform where residents track and share their climate actions.

Participants will fall into one of three categories, grades 4-6, grades 7-8, and grades 9-12.  Students can submit original artwork, including designs, photographs, or drawings, to inspire residents to complete climate actions in our community.
— Read more on www.fairfaxcounty.gov/environment-energy-coordination/sustain-fairfax-earth-month-youth-art-contest

Climate Reality Local Training Event: Fairfax, Virginia

Join us in Fairfax, Virginia on May 16, 2026 for a fast-paced, half-day leadership training. Connect with fellow advocates in your area and get a crash course on the science, the solutions, and the practical skills to confidently push for high-impact climate action in your state. 
 
You’ll get the latest on climate science and solutions straight from former Vice President Al Gore, explore issues and opportunities for progress close to home, and start taking action. Give us three hours and we’ll give you the tools, network, and know-how to make a difference. 

​By completing a local training, you’ll also complete the first step to joining the Climate Reality Leadership Corps, with opportunities to complete your training online and at your own pace.

Register

Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District Annual Seedling Sale – 2026

The Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District is accepting orders for their 2026 Annual Native Seedling Sale Program, through which they provide native trees and shrubs to Fairfax County residents at low cost.  All seedlings are native to Virginia and were chosen with advice from the Fairfax County Urban Forestry Management Division and Virginia Department of Forestry.  

County Conversation: Recycling Made Easier with Textile, E-Waste Programs | News Center

Quick Summary
Catie Torgersen from the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services discusses our free textile and e-waste recycling programs.
More drop-off sites for textile recycling are planned by spring 2026.
E-waste recycling recovers valuable materials and prevents dangerous battery fires.
— Read on www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news/county-conversation-recycling-made-easier-textile-e-waste-programs

Fairfax County 2025 Annual Report on the Environment

The Fairfax County Environmental Quality Advisory Council (EQAC) has released the Annual Report on the Environment. The 2025 Annual Report on the Environment provides analysis of the county’s environmental status and includes recommendations to guide future environmental policies and initiatives.

Learn more about EQAC at https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/environment-energy-coordination/environmental-quality-advisory-council/

CCAN 21st annual Polar Bear Plunge 

🐻‍❄️ February 7, 2026.  Chesapeake Climate Action Network, CCAN, will host its 21st annual Polar Bear Plunge – Plunging for a Reason. Our Chapter has a team — join us, the Ferocious Felines!!!

On February 7th, our team will be plunging into icy cold waters with fellow climate activists to help raise vital funds for the Chesapeake Climate Action Network’s (CCAN) critical climate campaigns in 2026. We hope you’ll join us or donate to support us! https://give.chesapeakeclimate.org/p2p/site/mjSJ2/page/J7SQxz#/

Guest Speaker Bob Soule of Go Electric DMV

You are invited to join us tomorrow, Tuesday, November 18, at 7 PM for our next chapter meeting featuring Bob Soule of Go Electric DMV.

Go Electric DMV is a non-profit group formed last year to help homeowners in the DC-Maryland-Virginia area electrify their lives.  The team’s volunteer electric coaches have been trained in Rewiring America’s Electric Coach Course and have experience electrifying their own homes and helping their neighbors do the same—allowing them to enjoy the benefits of a healthier, safer, more comfortable and more convenient home with improved energy efficiency.  The free consultations cover home electrification topics ranging from heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, and induction cooktops to energy audits and weatherization and rooftop solar systems, as well as electric vehicles and charging systems. They are conducted at the homeowner’s convenience by Zoom discussions and emails.  Consultations can be requested at goelectricdmv.org.