The Four Mile Run Conservatory Foundation was announced as the recipient of a $10,000 grant from Dominion Energy to help local students learn about Four Mile Run — the creek that runs between Alexandria and Arlington.
The funding goes to the Nature Explorers and Restorer Project, which aims to help local elementary and middle school-age children in Arlandria and other surrounding communities, according to a press release.
“Exploring nature up close and improving things by hand, kids build a personal relationship to land, water, and community that makes them happier, healthier, and stronger in their environmental stewardship,” Four Mile Run Conservatory Foundation President Kurt Moser said in the press release. “Dominion’s support allows us to provide quality programming where kids make scientific observations, protect natural lands, and discover the miraculous urban ecosystem here at Four Mile Run.”
Participants in the program learn about various aspects of the local ecosystem and use scientific equipment to make observations and keep a journal. The grant will help pay for equipment like binoculars and microscopes, as well as the mud boots and gloves necessary for work in the muddy waters along Four Mile Run.
The Four Mile Run Conservatory is a non-profit established in 2016 to promote natural restoration and advocacy following years of work to return to the wetlands to their natural state.
“Since its founding, the Four Mile Run Conservatory Foundation has engaged more than 450 volunteers in over 3,000 hours of service at lower Four Mile Run, planting more than sixty trees, removing four tons of litter, and documenting over 165 species of flora and fauna,” the group said in the press release.
In August, the group led a series of kayak cleanups where volunteers in kayaks collected 155 pounds of trash, primarily plastic bottles.
A Fall Hawk Walk is planned on Sunday, Nov. 17, at 10 a.m. Guests are invited to bring binoculars and field guides to watch for migrating hawks and other avian residents of the park.
Photo courtesy Four Mile Run Conservatory Foundation
Recent Stories

It’s here! The 2024 Alexandria Coffee Guide!
After being in production for the past two years, dealing with the tumultuous changes to the service industry following the COVID environment, and the bittersweet closings and openings of coffee shops, Joyful Tern Publishing has finally released the Alexandria Coffee Guide: 2024 Edition!
The guide best serves locals, transplants and tourists interested in coffee by giving them a curated set of Alexandria’s local shops, excluding such brand names like Starbucks, Dunkin’, Peets and the like. The guide is broken down into multiple regions (Old Town North/Del Ray, Crystal City, Old Town, Alexandria West End, and Eisenhower East) and catalogs the coffee shops within each region, as well as notable details about them and things to do in the surrounding area. The guide provides a concise glossary of coffee culture terms near the end, and a few articles about coffee concepts.
Thorough Testing
Sometimes mold is easy to spot, but you don’t know how deep inside your walls it has spread. It can grow in sinks, cabinets, and other places you frequent every day. If you find mold, the question remains: Do I call a professional? Thistle Environmental, LLC believes in quality, comprehensive testing.
CALL NOW: (703) 929-4036
Made in Alexandria Fall Makers’ Market
The Made in ALX Fall Makers’ Market at Port City Brewing Co. in Alexandria is set for Sunday, Sept. 24!
This is the fall’s most fun sip-and-shop, featuring craft beer from the award-winning Port City Brewing Co. along with food,
2023 Alexandria Fall Festival
Food trucks, bounce houses, pony rides, magic shows and more at the 2023 Alexandria Fall Festival, an Alexandria Living event presented by The Patterson Group. Join us at River Farm on Sunday, Nov. 5 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.