Have you ever wondered where all the road salt goes after it melts the ice? It flows untreated directly into our streams, and just one teaspoon of salt permanently pollutes 5 gallons of water! Join us at 1 p.m. on February 22 at the Chapman DeMary Trail for a family-friendly walk to learn how road salt affects local wildlife and discover how you can become a community scientist through Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy's (LWC) Salt Watch program, in partnership with the Izaak Walton League of America (IWLA). This hands-on event will include a live Salt Watch test and interactive activities where families can explore how different aquatic insects respond to salt pollution, compare real water quality data from local streams, and learn how to become community scientists. The walk will be led by Ella Stevenson, a junior member of the Purcellville Tree and Sustainability Committee and Salt Watch monitor, joined by Amy Ulland, LWC President and Stream Monitoring Program Coordinator.
Register online:
https://purcellvilleva.gov/881/Monthly-Nature-Walks.
Road salt keeps us safe in winter, but its environmental impact lasts year-round. In some Loudoun streams, salt pollution now exceeds safe levels even in summer. Salt that washes into waterways harms aquatic insects, fish, and amphibians and can take decades to flush out of groundwater.
Through Salt Watch, volunteers collect data that helps our community understand the relationship between road salt and stream health and advocate for smarter salting practices. This local data feeds into IWLA's national database on the Clean Water Hub, and LWC is contributing about 25% of this data with over 100 volunteers monitoring 80+ sites across Loudoun County.
Before you join us, be sure to go on the Winter Nature Trivia Walk at the Chapman DeMary Trail and get all the answers. Bring your completed answer sheet to redeem a prize. Copies of the trivia walk sheet are available at the trail and online:
https://purcellvilleva.gov/881/Monthly-Nature-Walks.
The Chapman DeMary Trail is the last stand of old-growth forest in the Town of Purcellville. This 10-acre area is open to the public for environmental exploration, education, and recreation. The Town of Purcellville holds the conservation easement for this privately-owned property. The entrance and parking for the Chapman DeMary Trail are behind the building at 205 East Hirst Road in Purcellville.
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