Nature & Environmental Overview
Nature & Environmental Overview
Nature and the Environment in Reston
Reston is a community founded on the preservation and appreciation of natural areas. To this day, a strong environmental stewardship ethic is nurtured in the community. Over 1,300 acres of open space are maintained by Reston Association including:
800 acres of woodlands
Four lakes
Four wetlands
Three ponds
50 meadows
20 miles of streams
Programs are provided by the Walker Nature Center, and ample opportunities exist for volunteers to help care for our local environment. Explore, protect and enjoy the nature of Reston. For more information on WNC programs, please go to the RA WebTrac website.
See below to read and to take the Reston Biophilic Pledge.
Reston Association State of the Environment Report
The Reston Association State of the Environment Report (RASER, formerly the Reston Annual State of the Environment Report) was first published in July 2017 as a special project of RA’s Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC). It evaluates the state and management of Reston's environment. The initial RASER was updated in 2018 and is now updated and published biennially. Every year, the RASER project team publishes and briefs the RA Board of Directors on the RASER Report Card & Recommendations.
RASER has five objectives:
Summarize existing quantitative environmental data for the Reston community in one publicly accessible document.
Establish an environmental baseline that can be re-assessed annually to facilitate the identification of environmental trends and to evaluate the efficacy of environmental improvement and conservation programs and initiatives.
Provide relevant and timely environmental information that can help RA and its Board of Directors in shaping future policy and programs.
Help educate and inform Reston residents and other interested parties about Reston’s environmental health.
Create a living document that can be revised and expanded as deemed appropriate to meet future environmental challenges and information needs.
The 2022 RASER was accepted by the RA Board of Directors in June 2023. The Dropbox folder below contains the Full Report, an Executive Summary, and the Report’s individual chapters. The fifteen-member RASER working group spent hundreds of volunteer hours compiling data, drafting report sections, and editing the 402-page document.
Based on the findings of the 2022 RASER, the Environmental Advisory Committee also identified several recommendations to enhance or otherwise protect Reston’s environmental attributes. These recommendations and the progress made on them are tracked in a report card format. The latest RASER Report Card and Recommendations document was accepted by the Board of Directors in June of 2023. This document can be found in the RASER Report Dropbox folder at the link below.
Reston Energy Report
The Environmental Advisory Committee also submitted a separate report on energy use in Reston which was approved by the Board in February 2021. The purpose of the report included the following:
Summarize data on Reston energy efficiency, renewable energy, and electric vehicles in one publicly accessible document.
Establish baselines in these three areas to identify future trends.
Provide information to help RA shape future policies & programs.
Help educate and inform Reston residents about energy opportunities and challenges.
Recommend strategies and programs that will reduce greenhouse gases and improve quality of life in Reston.
Best Management Practices for Invasive Plants
The 2020 RASER identified invasive plants as a threat to Reston’s iconic urban forests and natural areas. The problem is widespread and does not recognize property boundaries. It requires action by everyone (governments, businesses, and homeowners) to control the spread effectively.
The 2021 report on “Best Management Practices for Invasive Plants” is designed to educate homeowners and Clusters in how to identify and remove/control the most problematic invasive plants in Reston. It identifies Best Management Practices for avoiding the establishment and spread of invasive plants. The report also describes available funding sources to address the problem, and it lists additional resources, reference materials, and government contact information.
Reston Climate Assessment
Prepared by the RA Environmental Advisory Committee, the purpose of this report is to communicate accurately and concretely about climate change and its impacts to Reston. The report’s findings underscore the urgency for action, including addressing the most vulnerable people and ecosystems. The report describes initial actions that can be taken by individuals and organizations in Reston, as well as a longer-term approach to transform Reston’s climate resilience and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to the climate crisis. The report was presented to and approved by the Reston Board of Directors on June 23, 2022.
