Northern Virginia Community College will host its 11th annual Green Festival virtually across two days on April 19 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and April 20 from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The theme for this year's event is "The Greening of NoVA – What's happening in the Northern Virginia region?" This annual event increases community awareness of regional, national and global environmental issues by providing ways that individuals can help preserve the environment. Faculty, staff, students and local community members are all welcome.
For further information on NOVA's Annual Green Festival, please visit the website here: https://www.nvcc.edu/green-festival/.
April 19th
7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m: This year's event will feature a virtual viewing of the film 'Wasted! The Story of Food Waste.' This informative documentary, produced by the late and great celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, shows audiences the 1.3 billion tons of food that gets thrown out and environmental food advocates working to prevent it.
To register for this virtual film screening, please click the link here: 'Wasted! The Story of Food Waste'
April 20th
Moving Beyond Gas - 11:10 a.m. - 11:55 a.m.
Ways to Get Around in the D.C. Area - Sonya Breehey - Coalition for Smarter Growth
Sonya is the Northern Virginia Advocacy Manager for the Coalition for Smarter Growth, and she teams with Northern Virginia partners to achieve shared goals for healthy, livable communities. She is on the board of Fairfax Families for Safe Streets and a past leader with the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club. She spends time in Fairfax where she's tracking the Huntington Metro and West Falls Church Metro plans, and Richmond Highway Bus Rapid Transit. Sonya lives in Falls Church in a car-light household where she can bike, walk and take public transit to get around the neighborhood and region. She enjoys the outdoors and has long worked to promote active transportation, outdoor recreation and environmental sustainability.
Sustainable Food - 12 p.m. - 12:55 p.m. - Michael Biddick, Owner - Blend 111
Michael Biddick is the owner and head sommelier at Blend 111 in Vienna, Va. He opened the restaurant in May 2019 after transforming the Northern Virginia space into a modern, old-world wine bar and restaurant offering a "blend" of Latin and European cuisine in a relaxed environment. From its 100 percent organic wines and on-site artisanal coffee roaster to its signature dishes and biodynamic ingredients, the bistro focuses on using organic and locally sourced products while also limiting its environmental footprint.
"It's a good thing to do for the planet—not necessarily for the bottom line, but you have to balance the two," he says. "Our goal is to have one bag of trash per day. Everything else is either composted, recycled or reused."
Blend 111 is a proud supporter of local farmers, fisheries and producers and opts for organic products grown without chemicals and pesticides. Care for the environment is a major factor in Blend 111's programming, and the restaurant utilizes composting and carbon off-set programs to minimize environmental footprints.
Sustainable You – 1 p.m. - 1:55 p.m.
Adam Vogel - master naturalist
Adam Vogel hails from the golden cornfields of central Illinois and has lived in Falls Church, Va., for just under two years. He graduated from Southern Illinois University as a mechanical engineer and currently works at a Space start-up. Adam spent his youth outdoors, earning the rank of Eagle Scout, captaining his school’s Bass Fishing Team and creating outdoor education programs for international college students at his university where he nurtured a love for nature and a passion for its protection. He currently enjoys trail running, tree identification and serving his parish’s environmental ministry. The goal of this work is to mobilize the largest private landowner in the world, the Catholic Church, to effectively orient their land toward a more sustainable and equitable future.
Justen Garrity, president - Veteran Compost
Justen Garrity founded Veteran Compost in 2010. From his background in Boy Scouts in Pennsylvania and Maryland, Justin learned to appreciate nature and the need for conservation. After an ROTC scholarship and graduation from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, he spent five years in the U.S. Army as a combat engineer officer. He served around the world and then transitioned to the National Guard. Returning home to the worst job market in decades, he quickly found himself unemployed. Justen was forced to create his own destiny. And so, Veteran Compost was born, a business that is as fulfilling as the missions he had in the Army.
To register for the Green Festivals main day of events, please click here: NVCC Green Festival Zoom Registration.
For questions on NOVA's Annual Green Festival, please contact Rob Johnson, director of sustainability & auxiliary services. For questions regarding media, please contact Hoang Nguyen, associate director of external communications.