The Annual Community Green Day on Saturday, May 14, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. rain or shine. There will be a community cleanup, free shredding, metal recycling, gently used clothing collection and a big vendor expo with representatives ranging from Va. Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners, to Mosquito Joe to Doody Calls and many more.

Earth Day is on April 22 and the Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative urges everyone to help the environment by using energy wisely.

Apply until April 30 for a grant from Keep Virginia Beautiful. Winners will be announced each day in June for grant awards from $500 to $1,000 in these categories: Litter Prevention, Recycling, Community Beautification and Cigarette Litter Prevention. Grant winners will be announced daily at http://www.keepvirginiabeautiful.org and through social media.

There’s risk every spring that a hard freeze will kill tender fruit blossoms, says the Virginia Farm Bureau. Virginia apple and peach growers are familiar with that risk. But growers across Virginia saw some losses from two hard freezes the week of April 3, including Jay Yankey, owner of Yankey Farms, a pick-your-own operation in Prince William County.

On the afternoon of Jan. 3, Karen Shumake, a senior park ranger with the Prince William County Department of Parks and Recreation Department, heard police dispatch go out about an injured hawk located at the intersection of U.S. 29 and University Blvd. Immediately, Shumake realized that she didn't have a safe way to safely capture the hawk that could do real damage with its beak and talons. Fortunately, she got some help from a passing motorist and Steven Neff, a county animal control officer.

Recycling this spring can create more garage or basement space, bring in extra cash through a reward and save you money through lowering your electric bill if you are a Dominion Power customer. All it takes is a decision to part ways with an old inefficient refrigerator or freezer, says a Dominion Virginia Power news release.

Independent Hill School/PACE East has received the Virginia Recycling Association's Award for Excellence in Recycling again placing first place in the state for the second year.

Century Forest Program that goes into law July 1 is designed to honor and recognize Virginians who have owned working forestlands for 100 years or more. Officials at the Virginia Department of Forestry, which will manage the program when the law goes into effect, estimate that there are more than 1,000 individuals or families eligible for this distinction.