Helping Virginians Attain Quality, Affordable Housing
Home empowers and helps grow communities so everyone can thrive. Together, we're working to eliminate the affordable housing crisis. Affordable homes lead to successes that reach far beyond their property lines. By investing in the places where Virginians live, we're transforming our neighborhoods for the good of all.

Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia are volunteers with the Virginia Cooperative Extension Program of Virginia Tech and Virginia State University. They provide research-based information on Sustainable Landscaping, Urban Agriculture and Best Management Practices for the Arlington/Alexandria area. At this event, MGNV volunteers will be presenting information on Native Plants suitable for our area—what to grow, how to grow them, and where to purchase them.

Visit the Arlington Stormwater Management booth to learn how to reduce runoff from your property, reduce your risk of flooding, and learn what the County is doing to make Arlington more Flood Resilient. Get information about rain barrels, native plants, protecting local streams, and more!

The Arlington County Solid Waste Bureau booth will be staffed by Recycling outreach Specialist Christina Canora. Christina will provide outreach materials and help visitors navigate waste services provided by the county, including single-stream and glass recycling, use of the Household Hazardous Materials program, curbside composting, and more.

EcoAction Arlington educates, advocates, and acts to create a sustainable community by improving our natural environment, encouraging environmentally-friendly behaviors, ensuring environmental justice, and addressing the climate crisis. With programs like Energy Masters, the Tree Canopy Equity Program, and a variety of school programs, EcoAction Arlington offers many ways to engage with the planet on a hyperlocal level.

Energy Masters is an award-winning program that shares tips and how-tos on how to conserve energy and water and improve indoor air quality. This program is led by volunteers who are passionate about helping neighbors reduce their carbon footprint, their energy and water consumption, and their utility bills. Energy Masters volunteers, after receiving specialized training, deliver hands-on conservation upgrades and community education in affordable housing residences in Northern Virginia.

Small Trees Make Big Canopies was launched in the spring of 2020 by interns with the Extension Master Gardener of Northern Virginia Program to help expand the tree canopy in Arlington. Each year, the program gives away hundreds of small sapling native trees to help restore the region’s tree canopy. The program also seeks to educate the public about the wonderful variety of our native trees, how to plant and care for them, and how the trees benefit us, our neighbors, and the wider environment. For each tree we giveaway , you can find information on this webpage that covers tree siting and planting, tree care, growth pattern and expected size when fully mature. If you don’t know what tree might be best for your needs and conditions, we can help guide you.

Arlington’s Vision Zero program is focused on improving transportation safety and reducing severe crashes throughout the County. Our Vision Zero team is engaging with community members throughout the month of April to learn about transportation safety needs and experiences in the County. Please join us, share your thoughts, and get some goodies at our booth from 11am-2pm.

Plan Langston Boulevard was a multi-year planning process that launched in response to a community grassroots effort led by the Langston Boulevard Alliance (LBA) that began more than a decade ago. Seeking an alternative to by-right development, the LBA advocated for guided long-term public and private investment in the corridor through a comprehensive plan and vision. On Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, the Arlington County Board adopted the Langston Boulevard Area Plan, concluding a multiyear process. More information on this process and the most recent draft of the plan can be found at the link below.

Bike Arlington is excited to talk to the community about Bike to Work Day. This year's BTWD will be helded on May 17th. The Bike Arlington Team will be at Earth Day to answer any questions that you might have and register you and your collegues for the Pit Stop that best fits your communty.

To sign up visit thier Earth Day booth or check out the regional Bike to Work Day site biketoworkmetrodc.org for a list of all the 2024 Pit Stops.

Arlington Friends of Urban Agriculture (FOUA) launched in 2015 from the County’s Urban Agriculture Task Force recommendations. FOUA envisions a future of healthy, affordable, sustainable food systems for all people in Arlington county. Farmers markets, home and community gardeners, restaurants, and other urban agriculture businesses all play a role in this goal, and so can you!

Local chapter of the Virginia Sierra Club, has members located in the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church, and Arlington County. The group's elected volunteer leaders work with interested group members and state and national Sierra Club staffers to organize campaigns for clean energy, smart growth, public transportation, electrification, open space conservation, and more.

The Sierra Club’s Potomac River Group will have 4 or 5 cars on display and the owners will be available to answer questions. It is a great opportunity to learn from real experience. There will be plenty of information on EVs and also home electrification.

The Housing Division offers services and programs to ensure Arlington remains a vibrant community with individuals from all backgrounds. A comprehensive approach to meeting housing needs is vital for economic sustainability, diversity and quality of life. Visit the Housing website to learn more about our approach.

Arlington Regional Master Naturalists are trained volunteers who share a love of the natural environment and a commitment to service in local communities. We volunteer at more than 30 local parks to restore native habitat and promote biodiversity. We participate in citizen science, collecting data for a better understanding of our environment. And we strive to inspire a greater appreciation for nature through education and outreach. ARMN will be handing out native plant seeds and promoting the Audubon at Home program and the City Nature Challenge.

Solar United Neighbors (SUN) is a nationwide nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting solar energy and advocating for fair energy policies. At SUN, we empower communities to come together, adopt solar energy, and advocate for their energy rights. Our vision is to establish a clean and equitable energy system where solar panels adorn every roof, benefiting local communities. Representing a diverse group of solar owners and advocates, we address policy issues such as net metering and ownership regulations. Our membership encompasses urban, rural, and suburban areas, with individuals embracing solar energy for various reasons, including cost savings and environmental concerns. Regardless of political affiliations, we welcome all who endorse solar energy. Join us in shaping the future of energy together!

Our founders, Mike and Tisha, knew that food wasn't what it used to be. They wanted to make it better—and they did it by creating a new kind of farm. A farm without pesticides that uses less water and renewable electricity to grow more food anywhere in the world—delivered faster and fresher, without excessive food miles or waste. Join us to learn more about 80 Acres Farms.

Wild Birds Unlimited is a retail backyard bird feeding and nature shop, dedicated to bringing people and nature together. They have been in the Langston shopping center for 32 years and are a part of a national franchise of over 300 stores. They carry high quality bird feed, feeders houses and more, and we promote environmental awareness within our community. Check in with Wild Bird Unlimited at the festival to get learn more about support our feathered friends.

The Arlington Initiative to Rethink Energy (AIRE), a division of Arlington County’s Office of Sustainability and Environmental Management (OSEM), operates as the County’s core agency for climate mitigation, adaptation/resilience programs and community-facing energy programs. The AIRE program has been a catalyst for climate action since 2008 with multifaceted programs designed to:

1. Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from County government operations,

2. Encourage, assist and recognize businesses that join the County in reducing emissions from their activities

3. Inform and encourage residents to reduce their own emissions,

4. Engage other localities and regional organizations in a broader effort and

5. Execute its Community Energy Plan (CEP), with a goal of setting mid- and long-term targets for emissions reductions in the County as a whole.

Through the AIRE program, Arlington is on the way to achieving its 2050 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target for carbon neutrality. AIRE deploys a whole-of-government approach and works with a wide range of external partners to achieve common climate and energy goals.

Save Soil is a global ecological movement aiming to bring together people and leaders and restore agricultural soils. There are alarming facts that the United States has lost 50% of its topsoil. It is predicted by scientists that by 2045, the world's population will grow to 9.3 billion people, and yet we will produce 40 percent less food than we currently are. On this concerning issue, the objective of the Save Soil movement is to raise awareness among citizens about soil degradation and also to ask for policy change that ensures 3-6% organic matter in soil (based on regional conditions).

Linda Pistun is an 11-year-old author, entrepreneur, public speaker, and 9th grade student at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. She is also the founder and CEO of Linda’s Lab, a nonprofit organization with the goal of improving science education. Linda works diligently to provide science programming to local schools and libraries.

Linda is the author of Linda and the Mysterious Footprints, a children’s book that teaches the scientific method, environmental stewardship, and the value of community service. As a Caroline D. Bradley Scholar, Davidson Young Scholar, and Regional Science Fair Winner, Linda enjoys speaking to children about science, opportunities for girls in STEM, and the importance of dreaming big.