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Turkey Burn Offers Fitness and Chance to Help Others

Bring your canned goods, toiletry items, and lots of energy to the 2008 Turkey Burn at South Run RECenter on Thursday, November 27 and Friday, November 28, 2008. This is a great chance for some holiday fitness while giving back to your community.

New Park Gift Card Offers Holiday Alternatives

The Fairfax County Park Authority has a new gift card available just in time for the holiday shopping season. The card can be purchased at RECenters, golf courses, lakefront parks, nature centers, historic sites, Green Spring Gardens and Frying Pan Farm Park. The park card is a retail gift card and can be used to purchase goods or services at most park sites. It can also be used for online purchases.

Park Authority Honors Outstanding Resource Management Volunteers

The Fairfax County Park Authority recently held the annual Volunteer Excellence Award recognition program honoring individual volunteers in the Resource Management Division who have made tremendous contributions of time, talent and energy to the interpretation and stewardship of Fairfax County’s natural and cultural heritage.

Historic Sully Offers Candlelight Tours

The Fairfax County Park Authority is working hard to make the holidays a special time for your family! Consider this fascinating visit to Christmas past at Sully Historic Site. Candlelight tours are set for Saturday, December 13 and Sunday, December 14, 2008. Timed tours begin at 5 p.m. each night with the last tour at 8:15 on Saturday and at 7:15 on Sunday.

Park Authority Garners Three Communication Awards

The Fairfax County Park Authority received three MarCom communications awards recognizing outstanding achievement in marketing and communication.

Park's PACT Program Concludes Successful Summer

Children living in homeless shelters and transitional housing have little to look forward to each summer. The Fairfax County Park Authority gives these children free summer camp opportunities. Since 1997, PACT (Parks and Community Together), in partnership with the county’s homeless shelters and generous private sector sponsors, has provided summer fun and education for almost 400 children, ages 3 to 15.

Park Authority Receives National Accreditation

The Fairfax County Park Authority became the newest fully-accredited park agency in the nation yesterday following a hearing before the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) held in Baltimore, MD. CAPRA officials noted that the Fairfax County Park Authority met all 155 performance criteria, a significant accomplishment recognized as unique and very difficult to attain.

Park Authority Board Names Recipient of Sally Ormsby Environmental Stewardship Award

The Fairfax County Park Authority Board has named Great Falls resident Robin Rentsch as the recipient of the second Sally Ormsby Environmental Stewardship Award.

Fairfax County Park Authority Garners Three VRPS Awards

The Virginia Recreation and Parks Society (VRPS) recently recognized the Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) with three significant awards at the VRPS 54th annual conference held in Richmond, VA.

Return of Original Mirror Brightens The Parlor at Sully

After almost 200 years, a late Federal-period looking glass has been returned to Sully Historic Site, the 1794 home of Richard Bland Lee, northern Virginia’s first congressman. Now located in the parlor, the site proudly displays the mirror which records indicate was owned by the Lee family.

Invasive Plant I.D. Cards Now Available At Park Sites

Beautifully landscaped yards are important to Fairfax County residents, and they spend lots of time and money maintaining them. However, too often non-native plants and trees are sold by plant nurseries and vendors. These invasive species can out-compete native species that support local wildlife and a balanced environment. The Fairfax County Park Authority's new publication, Non-Native Invasive ID and Control, is a guide to the non-native plants lurking in borders and backyards.

Final Draft Report on Sportsplex Available For Public Review

The final draft report, "Laurel Hill Sportsplex Concept Plan and Feasibility Report, June 2008" is available for review online and in hard copy at the Park Authority's website and headquarters building. The report, presented to the Park Authority Board last month contains the findings of experts tasked with assessing the potential for recreational amenities at Laurel Hill.

Park Authority Geocaching Guidelines Available Online

If you can find a geocache in a park, the Fairfax County Park Authority would like you to find its guidelines for geocaching, too. The codes of conduct for geocaching in the parks are online now.

Intern Opportunities with Fairfax County Park Authority

The Fairfax County Park Authority is proud of its ability and opportunity to provide a variety of intern programs for individuals seeking on-the-job experience in all aspects of Park Authority operations. The agency intern program boasts a well-established history dating back to the 1960's. The program has changed throughout the years, growing and adapting to meet the ever-changing needs of the park and recreation profession.