Mark Your Calendar for #FCPSEarthWeek - April 20-24
 Winter is still in full swing outside, but we're thinking about FCPS Earth Week! Get2Green is hosting FCPS Earth Week April 20-24, 2026. The themes for Earth Week are:
- Monday, April 20 – wear nature print for Wildlife Day
- Tuesday, April 21 – wear white for Zero Waste Day
- Wednesday, April 22 – wear green for Earth Day
- Thursday, April 23 – wear red for Climate Change Day
- Friday, April 24 – wear blue for Watershed Day
Engage students with FCPS Earth Week BINGO boards, Days of Service, and more. Check the Get2Green Earth Week webpage for everything you need to get started. Use #FCPSEarthWeek to share how you’re celebrating.
March After School Special: Engaging Secondary School Students in Environmental Experiences
Join Get2Green to learn how teachers and scientists are guiding secondary students to interpret data, set actionable goals, and measure impact across their schools and local communities. Discover techniques for elevating student voice, building agency, and connecting classroom learning to broader sustainability or civic goals. This after school special will take place at West Springfield HS on Wednesday, March 4, 2026 from 5-7pm. Register for the March After School Special in MyPDE. FCPS staff can browse all of Get2Green’s 2025-26 professional development offerings in our catalog (must be logged into fcpsschools.net account).
April After School Special: Strategies to Support Diverse Learners
In this interactive session, we'll explore inclusive strategies and frameworks to ensure all students can actively participate in environmental stewardship. Together, we'll dive into practical approaches for engaging neurodivergent learners, multilingual students, and those with diverse abilities—empowering every learner to become an environmental advocate. This after school special will take place at Annandale HS on Wednesday, April 8, 2026 from 5-7pm. Register for the April After School Special in MyPDE. FCPS staff can browse all of Get2Green’s 2025-26 professional development offerings in our catalog (must be logged into fcpsschools.net account).
Fairfax County Regional Science and Engineering Fair Call for Judges
The Fairfax County Regional Science and Engineering Fair will be held on Saturday, March 14, 2026 at Robinson Secondary School. Each year, over 250 judges are required to evaluate science fair projects in a wide variety of categories ranging from astronomy to plant science to biomedical engineering. Judges should hold an advanced degree or possess extensive academic and/or professional experience in the category for which they apply. Parents, teachers, and family friends are not allowed to judge in categories in which their child, student, or family friend's child is competing. Qualified individuals who are interested in judging should select "Create Account" on the Science Fair registration site. Please register by Sunday, March 8, 2026.
Registration Open for 4-H Let’s Grow (4th Grade only)
The Fairfax County 4-H Youth and Horticulture Office of Virginia Cooperative Extension in collaboration with Extension Master Gardeners are excited for the 4-H Let’s Grow (formerly 4-H Ready Set Grow!) Horticulture School Enrichment project to return to interested Fourth Grade classrooms.
The purpose of 4-H School Enrichment is to teach youth research-based subject matter to enhance classroom learning, and to expose youth to 4-H opportunities. The Let’s Grow Program has been updated to reflect current fourth grade Science Standards of Learning (SOL) 4.2 Living Systems and Processes and is a fun way for students to learn about plants, pollinators, and their relationship in our environment. Through the 4-H Let’s Grow program, students will learn about the importance of plants to people and the environment, pollination, how to plant seeds and what is needed for them to germinate and grow successfully. Learn more and find registration details in the 4-H Let’s Grow letter. The deadline is extended until Friday, February 13, 2026.
Save the Date for the Northern VA Soil and Water Conservation District Native Seedling Sale
Are you ready for seedlings? The Soil and Water Conservation District’s 2026 seedling sale will open Thursday, February 19 at 10am. Order pick-up dates will be Friday, March 27 and Saturday, March 28 at the Sleepy Hollow Bath and Racquet Club in Falls Church. Learn more and get ready to order from the NVSWCD Seedling Sale.
D.C. Area Teacher’s Night at the U.S. Botanic Garden
D.C. area educators are invited to attend D.C. Teachers' Night: An Environmental Education Evening at the US Botanic Garden Conservatory on Thursday, February 26, 2026 from 6-8 PM. Connect with D.C. area environmental education organizations and find ways to get your students learning about the natural world and how to bring the environment into the classroom! Learn from an amazing community about field trip experiences, professional development opportunities, and resources. The event is free, however registration is required. Light refreshments will be served. Certificates of Participation available for PDUs. Register for DC Teachers' Night at the US Botanic Garden.
Green Flag Intent Questionnaire Deadline Reminder
Are you interested in applying for a Green Flag with Eco-Schools this year? The Green Flag Questionnaire is now available to all schools whose plans have 100 points or more to share their intent to certify. The eligibility questionnaire is due Saturday, February 28, 2026. Learn more in the Eco-Schools U.S. Certification FAQ.
Mason District Glass Recycling Can Art Contest
Solid Waste Management is pleased to announce the launch of the Mason District Glass Recycling Can Art Contest in partnership with the Mason District Arts Advisory Council. Students attending a Justice HS, Annandale HS, or Falls Church HS pyramid school in the Mason District are encouraged to submit original artwork. The art should reflect the theme, “The benefits and importance of glass recycling for our community” to raise awareness about the importance of glass recycling. The contest is open to student groups in grades 6 – 8 and 9 – 12. Students may submit artwork as an individual or group.
For additional requirements and to submit your artwork, go to the Glass Recycling Can Art Contest form. Participants are encouraged to use the Art Contest template for their artwork to ensure proper dimensions and quality. Submissions are due by Friday, February 27, 2026. The winning designs will be painted and prominently displayed on the sides of the glass can located at the Mason District. The winning designs will be debuted in April 2026.
Whole Foods Market Foundation Garden Grant
The Whole Foods Market Foundation Garden Grant provides $3,500 monetary grants to support new or existing gardens at K-12 schools in the U.S. and Canada that engage at least 10 students in gardening. Eligibility requirements and additional information about the grant are available at Garden Grant Program. Apply by Sunday, March 1, 2026. Schools will be notified in August and awards provided in fall 2026.
Nature Generation Seed Grant
Could you use a mini grant of up to $1,000 to support an environmental project? NatGen STEM Seed Grants are mini grants that can be used to fund small-scale, start-up or ongoing environmental education projects. The spring submission period is open through March 31, 2026. Learn more about the Nature Generation Seed Grant and submit your application.
Moving Toward Ecological Gardening on School Grounds
Sustainability is all the buzz in our school communities with best practices implemented across a wide range of activities, including when we garden. As students engage with nature, they tune in to the unique features and processes of our eco-region, the geographic region that shares ecological features, and partner with the wider community in building resilient ecosystems. This makes moving from sustainability gardening to ecological gardening a natural next step.
Both sustainable and ecological gardening incorporate similar practices, including planting native plants, conserving resources, building soil health, eliminating the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and working with natural processes. A subtle but important distinction is sustainable gardening’s focus on maintaining the environment's current health by minimizing adverse impacts without depleting resources for future generations. Ecological gardening's goal is restoring and rebuilding resilient local ecosystems by working with what naturally grows in our region. FCPS’ participation in Fairfax County’s Revitalize, Restore, Replant is an example of ecological gardening on school grounds.
What does this ecological gardening look like in practice? Some terms and practices may be familiar such as removing invasive species and planting native plants that are adapted to local soil and climate conditions. What may be a newer consideration is choosing the right plant for the right place and intentionally incorporating keystone species that support local pollinators. This means being a keen observer of the site and choosing plants that fit existing conditions rather than altering the site to suit the plant.
Improving or protecting soil health often means adding amendments such as compost or other organic nutrients, but that’s not all! Including additional regenerative practices such as no-till or minimal digging and keeping soil covered with mulch, compost, plants, and cover crops helps to restore, rebuild, and improve soil health and sequesters carbon. Other regenerative practices include tarping and composting in place by using layers of cardboard and newspaper to control weeds. Leaving the leaves in fall in garden beds rather than bagging them provides habitat for overwintering pollinators, insects, and small animals and reduces energy needed to transport leaves off-site.
As you begin to schedule this year’s gardening activities, plan to include one additional ecological gardening practice with an eye on the benefits to our region. Our birds, pollinators, and insects will thank you!
 Find fun and exciting Get2Green updates all month by following @fcpsGet2Green on Instagram, Threads, and X.
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