Issuu

APRIL 2020

LifestylePubs.com/Leesburg

back to nature

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LIFESTYLE LETTER

APRIL 2020 PUBLISHER

Hann Livingston | hann.livingston@lifestylepubs.com EDITORIAL COORDINATOR

Melinda Gipson | melinda.gipson@lifestylepubs.com

Celebrating Nature ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT DREW ME TO THIS AREA IS THAT NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE IN LOUDOUN COUNTY, YOU ARE IN PROXIMITY TO NATURE. We have the modern amenities at our fingertips—great food and drink and our lively downtown—but in a few short minutes we can be hiking or canoeing and getting back to nature. Having grown up hunting, fishing, camping and connecting with the out-

AD DESIGNER

Matthew Endersbe LAYOUT DESIGNER

Kelsey Proctor CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Laura Ours CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

BJ Lecrone, Lyndsey Pool, Dr. Jen Riley, Monica Tressler

doors, I spent the better part of my adult life in New York, where getting into the trees meant an hour drive. Generally, you arrived more stressed out than when you left and coming back quickly eliminated those feelings of good will. The Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) shows us that being outdoors actually benefits our health. Taking time enjoying our leafy surroundings can counter illnesses like depression and anxiety, boost the immune system, lower blood pressure and reduce stress. Preserving nature and enjoying it IS good for us. So, this month, in honor of Earth Day, we celebrate our natural environment. It is a wonderful month to reconnect with the Earth and spend some time outside. If you ever

CORPORATE TEAM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt CHIEF SALES OFFICER Matthew Perry CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER DeLand Shore

needed an excuse to buy yourself a new raincoat and matching boots, you have one

ART DIRECTOR Sara Minor

now. Go out and explore—we've given you some great places to visit—so take a deep

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Janeane Thompson

breath and watch the birds fly by.

AD MANAGER Chad Jensen REGIONAL SALES DIRECTOR Eric Williams

While you’re out, take a moment to appreciate the gifts our planet gives us each day.

WEB APPLICATIONS Michael O’Connell

How can you show your thanks? Maybe you join a neighborhood cleanup or check out some new, sustainable brands popping up in our local boutiques. This April issue is filled with community stories and ideas to get you into the Earth Day spirit. We can’t wait to see how you decide to celebrate. Be sure to share your photos with us! Thank you for all you do to keep Leesburg and Loudoun County clean and healthy. We wouldn’t be this wonderful area without each and every one of you doing your part. Happy Earth Day!

Hann Livingston, Publisher 514 W 26TH ST., KANSAS CITY, MO

LifestylePubs.com/Leesburg ON THE COVER Monarch by Lindsey Pool, The Apiary Artist, ApiaryArtist.com 6

Leesburg Lifestyle | April 2020

Proverbs 3:5-6 Leesburg Lifestyle™ is published monthly by Lifestyle Publications LLC. It is distributed via the US Postal Service to some of the Leesburg areas’ most affluent neighborhoods. Articles and advertisements do not necessarily reflect Lifestyle Publications’ opinions. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written consent. Lifestyle Publications does not assume responsibility for statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors. Information in Leesburg Lifestyle™ is gathered from sources considered to be reliable, but the accuracy of all information cannot be guaranteed.

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INSIDE THE ISSUE APRIL 2020

FEATURES 12 Where Eagles Mend Blue Ridge Wildlife Center Rehabs Raptors to Soar Again

28 Butterflies, Bees and Trees Need Champions to Thrive Three Loudoun Residents Pitch In to Help Save the Planet

34 "Muddy!" Little Tree Huggers Pre-School Teaches Harmony With Nature and Inclusion

40 12

40 Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve Loudounâ€™s Last Wilderness

DEPARTMENTS 6

Lifestyle Letter

Around Town

Giving Back

18 DIY 24 Trend Setter 34 Locally Owned 40 Travel Destination 46 Financial Buzz 48 Culinary Creations 50 Back Stage

AROUND TOWN

Ignite Your Curiosity

ADMISSIONS

OPEN FOR 2020 A Private School in Ashburn

Grades 6-12

RAISING AWARENESS TO FINISHLYME Steve Gotschi, of DryHome Roofing & Siding, puts

UNPARALLELED ACADEMICS

his feet to the pavement and his heart into relationships with those in the Lyme community. The 10th annual FinishLyme 5K and 1K Fun Run is the largest Lyme race in the nation, averaging more than 1,000 participants from across the country. The sole purpose of the event is to drive awareness and raise money to find a cure for Lyme disease. Proceeds will go to National Capital Lyme. The race is at Fairfax Corner on Sunday, May

EXTRAORDINARY TEACHERS

17th. See: https://www.finishlyme.org/. Bianca and Valerie (Loudoun Cares)

BALANCED APPROACH

POSITIVE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT

LIVING YOUR BEST LIFE Patricia Coppola of America’s Downsizing & Decluttering Consultants, and Bianca Butoi-Patrou of the senior living community Tribute at One Loudoun,

Visit loudounschool.org to attend an Open House or schedule a personal tour

co-host a free “Living Your Best Life” Vendor Showcase Saturday, March 28 from 9 a.m.-noon. Experts will be on hand to discuss everything from how to effectively downsize and declutter, to personal services and legal and financial needs families face in planning their future. A light buffet and raffle prizes will

Leesburg Lifestyle | April 2020

be provided with proceeds benefitting LoudounCares.org, which helps connect volunteers with service opportunities. (See volunteer.loudouncares.org and http://bit.ly/declutterevent.)

CELEBRATING EARTH DAY Loudoun’s Janelia Research Campus recently

became

certified as

Audubon At Home Wildlife Sanctuary by the Northern Virginia Chapter of the National Audubon Society and the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy and was awarded platinum status in the 2019 Virginia Green Initiative (VGI). Atop the list of 2019 VGI 2019 Award winners are Lia Johnson of Little Tree Huggers, Solar4Leesburg and LevelUPCoaching360. Others to take platinum laurels last year include Leesburg

Lifestyle

partner

Shawn

Mitchell of Modern Mechanical, Carol Kearney of Momentum Realty, Maid Bright, Watrford Inc., Marbles Business Solutions, and Stemalogic Inc. VGI, (vgi.green), developed its “Green

Business

Challenge”

for

Virginia businesses to provide guidelines for businesses to commit to a “greener,” more sustainable way of life. You can take the challenge here: vgi.green/green-business-challenge. And, you can pick up tips on a more Earth-friendly lifestyle and meet Lia and George Johnson (see p. 34) at VGI’s Earth Day event at Little Tree Huggers, 20583 Gleedsville Rd., Leesburg on Saturday April 25th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

SHRED IT! VGI also participates with St. David’s Episcopal Church and School at 43600 Russell Branch Parkway in Ashburn in a shredding and electronics recycling event May 2 from 9 a.m.noon. Conducted with the help of C2 Operations (see p. 24) and Rover Records Management & Recycling, the event welcomes residential only donations of $5, or $10 for electronics. (No monitors will be accepted.) April 2020 | Leesburg Lifestyle

GIVING BACK

BLUE RIDGE WILDLIFE CENTER REHABS RAPTORS TO SOAR AGAIN

where eagles mend LIKE ANY GOOD DOCTOR, DR. JENNIFER RILEY REMEMBERS EXACTLY WHAT HER PATIENTS ARE SUFFERING FROM, HOW THEY WERE INJURED, AND WHERE THOSE WHO SURVIVE SHOULD BE RELEASED, SO THEY CAN FIND THEIR WAY BACK TO THEIR HOMES AND MATES. Unlike human patients, however, “Dr. Jen’s” non-resident charges have no names. “We don’t name the eagles because we want people to remember that these are wild animals, not zoo animals or

People assumed that the eagle was hit by a vehicle,

pets,” she explained. Dr. Jen is Director of Veterinary Services

but Dr. Jen says there’s actually no evidence of that.

at Blue Ridge Wildlife Center near Boyce, Virginia, the only

Rather, the eagle’s ailment seems to be an insidious and

wildlife-exclusive veterinary hospital serving Northern Virginia.

pervasive malady that has infected all but two eagles she

As such, the center was the recipient of an eagle, found stum-

has treated in her four years at the center: lead poisoning.

bling near the road in Leesburg while feeding on a deer.

“To our knowledge, she’s a pure lead toxicity case,” says Dr. Jen. “I think people saw her scavenging a deer along

the side of the road and assumed she was hit by a car.” Lead poisoning destroys all bodily functions over time, but it is primarily a neurologic toxin, so it affects the brain. Eagles with blood poisoning, “droop their wings really low. Their head hangs low; they’re disoriented; they have ataxia. If you see them walking, they seem uncoordinated like they’re drunk.” BUT HOW DOES AN EAGLE GET LEAD POISONING ANYWAY? “Ammunition shards are primarily what we see,” Dr. Jen says. “They’re eating the lead fragments that are covered in game meat. If it’s not covered in meat, they wouldn’t eat it,” Dr. Jen asserts. She explains, “Lead bullets

ARTICLE MELINDA GIPSON PHOTOGRAPHY MELINDA GIPSON, BLUE RIDGE WILDLIFE CENTER

Leesburg Lifestyle | April 2020

A Juvenile Eagle Prepares to Return to the Wild

Because I'm a Girl. Wanna Make Something of It?

are very soft, even those having a lead core with copper jackets, so when [lead ammunition] kills something, tiny microscopic fragments fly off of that bullet... sending flecks of metal off into game tissue.” Deer hunters often field dress deer and leave a gut pile, with as much of the wound tissue as they can remove. Scavengers then come out and eat that gut pile and the lead particles it contains. Hunters could address the problem by burying remains of hunted game, but that still leaves lead in the environment. The only “sure fire” way to eliminate the problem is to use nonlead ammunition such as copper, Dr. Jen insists. (More information is available here: http://bit.ly/non-lead.) Eagles brought in for treatment are scanned to reveal the presence of physical lead fragments – present in about half the cases. Veterinarians then either remove the shards surgically, or if they are too far down the birds’ GI tract, administer Metamucil fiber to push it through. The birds then receive treatment with chelating drugs that bind with and remove the metal from their blood. The diagnostics and therapy cost more than $1,000/week per bird. The center, and others like it in the state, operate entirely on private donations, and receive no government funding. Of the nearly 2,300

Battered But Unbowed

patients treated at Blue Ridge Wildlife Center last year, the largest single portion comes from Loudoun County. While the center sees “massive amounts of lead toxicity in our scavenging species,” it is usually some other trauma that ultimately brings them in for treatment. CONTINUED >

A Stafford Eagle Recoups from a Broken Wing

Dr. Jen and her Team Suture a Cooper's Hawk April 2020 | Leesburg Lifestyle

GIVING BACK (CONTINUED)

Dr. Jen Treats a Clouded Cornea Carefully 14

Leesburg Lifestyle | April 2020

“WE DON’T NAME THE EAGLES BECAUSE WE WANT PEOPLE TO REMEMBER THAT THESE ARE WILD ANIMALS, NOT ZOO A N I M A L S O R P E T S .”

As an example, another eagle patient was elec-

Fortunately, she’s sharing her knowledge with

trocuted. Number 20-0077 receives subcutaneous

interns, as Blue Ridge Wildlife Center is a teach-

fluids, medication for the pain, and treatment for her

ing hospital that trains veterinarians, veterinary

eyes after they were damaged in associated trauma.

students, and veterinary technician students in

Number 20-0064 from Stafford, with a six-part ulna

addition to individuals interested in rehabilita-

fracture, is also on pain medications and needed her

tion. Wildlife Discovery Camp also trains young

fracture stabilized. Like all 4 eagles, her lead levels

conservationists about wildlife: 6- to 9-year-olds,

have declined dramatically following treatment.

June 15-19 and July 13-17; and 10- to 14-year-olds

Dr. Jen is hopeful that the fact that the eagle is our

June 29-July 3 and July 27-31. Interested parents,

national symbol, combined with more awareness

as well as teachers and coordinators, coun-

of the after-effects of lead on wildlife, could spark

selors-in-training (ages 14-17) and education

advocacy for eradicating lead ammunition. That

interns (over 18) should all email education@

said, so long as there’s still lead in the carcasses

blueridgewildlifectr.org with questions.

eagles scavenge for food, the problem could recur.

On the web, there’s also a “wish list” for

Dr. Jen says, “Eagles don’t want to hunt unless they

donations, topped, of course with funding.

actually have to. They’re pretty lazy actually and

See: blueridgewildlifectr.org/content/wish-list.

will choose to eat carrion when the opportunity

There’s even a sign outside Dr. Jen’s door with a

arises.” It’s hard to believe when you’re staring one

plaque declaring: “This Space Available/Naming

in the eye with a 7-foot wingspan and talons the

Rights/$50,000.” Maybe we could interest Slapshot

size of your fist, but she should know.

– another notable, local eagle who HAS a name?

April 2020 | Leesburg Lifestyle

Local Chefs Sourcing from Local Markets Our farmers markets have become a regular destination for local (and some not so local) chefs and restaurants to pick up farm-fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs, proteins Dan Hine Founder & CEO and more. “One of our primary missions is to connect NOVA residents to the same farm-to-fork ingredients sourced by some of the best chefs in Loudoun County,” says Dan Hine, who founded EatLoco Farmers Markets in 2017. “We have chefs who prepare delicious, farm-fresh meals for patrons to enjoy at the market or take with them. Weekly Chef Tours, where a locally-known chef showcases the exceptional ingredients used at their restaurant, have become a crowd pleaser. “Our markets bring in executive chefs from Lansdowne Resort, The National Conference Center, AhSo Restaurant, Vino Bistro, and Lost Fox Restaurant, as well as caterers and private chefs. They bring awareness to the importance of supporting our local farmers and food producers to keep our bodies, families and communities strong.”

EatLoco.org

Chef Tony Breda

Chef’s Cutting Board is a unique concept: this executive chef spends the morning shopping at the market and brings fresh ingredients to customers’ homes or event spaces and cooks 5-course prix fixe meals. Guests can be as involved in cooking as they want, but ultimately are getting the freshest, local ingredients available: “We are directed by what is brought to us that day. If anyone goes to the market and talks and listens, farmers can recommend pairings and work with you. This is a time-tested method of shopping and you can pick up insights and learn something.” Tony also offers tours of the EatLoco market and can point you to exactly what you are looking for. www.chefscuttingboard.com

Chef Erik Shane Foxx

“We have a chemistry and dialogue with our farmers and a commitment to buying from them,” says the executive chef at Magnolias at the Mill in Purcellville, who sources 96% local in categories available to him locally. “If I can’t be friends with someone, I can’t buy from them and I always learn from these close relationships. I am the chef I am in part due to these relationships.” To Erik, local means money goes back into our community and supports the local economy: “You are going to shop anyway, so why not get a better product and buy from a family in your area. It is a win–win.” www.magnoliasmill.com

Chef Tommy Messina

The executive chef of the new Lost Fox Hideaway in One Loudoun produces southern-inspired, vegetable-forward small plates for the 180-seat restaurant. He says: “Our relationship with the local farmers is important so we can converse with the people who are actually growing our ingredients. If you work with them, they will work with you and get you the best products at the right time.” Because he takes humble ingredients and treats them respectfully and minimally in his cooking, getting products that are at their pinnacle is essential: “These are the people putting things in the ground for food … no one knows better about when something is at perfection.” www.lostfoxhideaway.com

SOME OF EATLOCO’S FAVS

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EatLoco Farmers Market at One Loudoun

Saturdays 9–1 (year-round)

EatLoco Farmers Market at Brambleton

Sundays 9–1 (seasonal)

Ayrshire Farm

Ayrshire Farm in Upperville has raised humane, organic, sustainable heritage breeds for more than two decades. The cows, chickens, pigs, rabbits, and turkeys are a passion for founder Sandy Lerner, who is at the forefront of sustainable farming: “Why are we not aware of what we put in our body? Ours is just better food.” This belief has led to a vertically integrated ecosystem where all animals are pastured and free range, and because they aren’t hybridized can subsist on grass and fertilize their own fields and produce fields. Sandy also operates a grist mill on the Shenandoah for stone ground flour, a raw pet food called MeatMe, and Hunter’s Head Tavern in Upperville. www.ayrshirefarm.com

Smiths of Mecklenburg at the EatLoco Farmers Markets at One Loudoun and Brambleton

Ed Smith began growing vegetables and making sausage in South Hill, VA in 2012. He sells 4,000–5,000 pounds of sausage each week with recipes he and his son Martin developed. Their sausages are hormone/antibiotic, gluten, MSG, nitrate/nitrite free and run the gamut from mild brats to their spicy El Diablo: “Taste it and you’ll know the difference,” Ed says. “Growing up, I always liked my sausage fresh and now I’m bringing that to our customers.” They also grow and pickle jalapeno and cayenne peppers and make cheese dip and pimiento cheese. smithsofmecklenburg. com

Homewood Farm, LLC

Laura’s 3 Spoon

Gardeners Gourmet at the EatLoco Farmers Market at One Loudoun

Wave Williams takes his produce to market 24–48 hours after picking. He operates a 300-acre farm in Westminster, MD that has been in his family for generations and prides himself on his greens: mesclun, spinach, arugula, sorrel, mustard and beet greens … depending on the season. They keep seven greenhouses running in the winter and produce flavorful and fresh produce for markets and restaurants. If you like or want to try arugula, it is a can’t miss item. “Make a day of it,” Wave says. “Get the kids and pets out and try everything—you’ll really enjoy it.” tinyurl.com/spp6zrd

Tyson Farms

at the EatLoco Farmers Market at One Loudoun

Max Tyson was raised on an orchard and in 2002 started his own, producing tree-ripened fruit and other produce. Based on the season, you can find peaches, plums, apples, pears, cherries, nectarines, tomatoes, and asparagus. He also freezes berries and makes jams and jellies. What’s the difference in his produce? “Most store-bought fruits are picked prematurely before enough sugar has developed, then hydrocooled which further kills the flavor. We test the fruit sugar before harvest, so we get the perfect ripeness,” Max says. www.facebook.com/ TysonFarmsLLC

Rose Garden Produce

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DIY

PLANTING A POLLINATOR PARADISE ARTICLE MELINDA GIPSON | PHOTOGRAPHY B.J. LECRONE

Golden Fleece

MONARCHS, IT SEEMS, GET ALL THE GOOD PRESS. It’s easy to see why these iconic butterflies can capture the imagination as they have Monica Tressler (p. 28). But, while building Monarch “Waystations” seem all the rage, the needs of native pollinators – the insects that do far more to benefit our food supply – go way beyond milkweed. To quote B.J. Lecrone, an outreach specialist with the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, “we love our Monarchs, [but] there’s so much more to take care of!” Just as Monarchs nosh only milkweed, so 90 percent of all the other insects have unique, cultivated

tastes.

Luckily,

Loudoun

Wildlife

Conservancy recently published Planting for Wildlife (http://bit.ly/PlantingForWildlife) with descriptions of all the native plants our gardens and glens need for a balanced ecosystem. Their “Super 9” pamphlet (http://bit.ly/ PollinatorSuper9) serves as a beginner’s cribsheet to choose the nine best plants to perfect your pollinator paradise: BJ Lecrone and Julie Borneman 18

Leesburg Lifestyle | April 2020

Clouded Sulphur caterpillars on Wild Senna (Senna marilandica)

For spring, Golden Alexander hosts the Black Swallowtail butterfly and provides nectar for butterflies and native bees. (“Native bees” aren’t “honey bees,” which originally hail from Europe.)

Common Buckeye on Mountain Mint

Golden Ragwort and Swamp Milkweed round out the spring smorgasbord.

2. 3. 4. 5.

For summer, provide Butterfly Weed, Mountain Mint, Carolina Wild Petunia and Orange Coneflower.

For fall, Asters and Goldenrod keep the feast going.

Plant in groups of three to seven plants, and provide a water source for butterflies to drink.

Avoid pesticides, and be aware that all nursery plants, with the exception of those at Watermark Woods, have been treated with pesticides that are toxic to bees.

CONTINUED >

Last year's native plant sale April 2020 | Leesburg Lifestyle

DIY (CONTINUED)

Clouded Sulphur Butterfly on Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

AUDUBON AT HOME If you still need help, the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy Audubon at Home program will help homeowners create a healthy wildlife habitat on their own property. For more information and an application, go to: http://bit.ly/AAH-Application. NATIVE PLANT SALE APRIL 4 Attend

the

Spring

Native

Plant Sale April 4 (http://bit.ly/ LoudounSpringPlants) at Morven Park or Watermark Woods in Hamilton, which has 300-400 varieties of native plants.

Leesburg Lifestyle | April 2020

Even a Townhouse Backyard Can Support Pollinators

TREND SETTER

c2 operations battles extreme weather and drives energy efficiency FOUR TREND-SETTING TIPS FOR HOMEOWNERS

MARINE CORPS VETERAN CHRISTOPHER CICOTELLO FOUNDED C2 OPERATIONS AS A “COMMUNITY ENGAGED REMODELING COMPANY.” Others who have served in the military will note the eagle, globe and “t” symbol reminiscent of the Corps’ logo in his own, and it’s no accident that Chris aims to evoke the kind of “command and control” efficiencies of his operational career in and out of the military as well as the honor and integrity that are its underpinnings. He’s a self-described “bull in a china shop” when serving on boards, as he does with Habitat for Humanity, but when it comes time to inspect and renovate a property to turn over to a new homeowner, Chris is on the front lines. “We’re not C2 sales, we’re Operations. We get things done!” he asserts.

ARTICLE MELINDA GIPSON Not all Doors are Created Equal 24

Leesburg Lifestyle | April 2020

PHOTOGRAPHY C2 OPERATIONS

Replacing Old Roofs Starts with Higher Standards

Lately, that means cleaning up after an increasing number of storms. “Storms are getting stronger and more frequent in our area. We’re almost part-time weathermen!” Since the company went full-time in 2015, it slammed into 2016’s big snowstorm and has Factory-Sealed Windows Gap After Just a Few Years

helped homeowners recoup from frequent windstorms and then hurricane Riley in 2018 when the company fielded 1,100 phone calls in two weeks. More recently, February saw two tornados touch down near Battlefield Parkway and the Greenway before sliding into other high-density residential neighborhoods slinging shingles and siding and downing trees in their wake. There’s no sign that extreme weather is abating anytime soon, so Chris offers the following tips and suggested home improvements to weather any major damage in the future, and improve your home’s energy efficiency. + To maximize the life of your roof, have it maintained periodically. There are moving parts of your exterior that need repairs from time-to-time (flashings, sealants, pipe collars, vents). Plan for service every 2 to 4 years on all roofs. (You get your car’s oil changed; the same maintenance should be considered for your home as well!) + Builder-grade windows may be good for 15-20 years. Replacement windows can be installed in phases if your budget doesn’t allow a total replacement. Start with areas you live in or that impact your family the most (bedrooms, kitchens, living/dining rooms). You will notice a drastic change to the interior once replacement windows are installed. + Not all doors are built alike. C2 Operations offers ProVia doors, units with either full composite or partial composite frames. No more calling a painter to repair rotten door frame bottoms. Realtors see this all the time. + C2 Operations replaces roofs with architectural shingles as a baseline, although building code allows for 3-tab shingles (25 year). Architectural shingles boast a minimum of 115mph wind warranty for the life of the shingle at only around a 10% cost increase over old 3-tab/25-year shingles. “We are working smarter to

Window Replacements Create the Highest Energy Efficiency of Any Home Improvement

keep less waste out of our local landfills by extending building product lifespan.” April 2020 | Leesburg Lifestyle

When it comes to listing, preparing and selling your home, I would suggest these three words—“Listen to Pam!” “Realtors in Loudoun are a dime a dozen but there are a handful that are true experts in what they do. Pam Jones is one of the chosen few. At first, I hesitated because I thought I had all the answers. Pam calmed my fears and made a challenging home sale easy. Pam Jones was professional, patient, honest, transparent and concise. Once the home was listed, we had over 45 showings and 24 cash offers in just 3 days. If you are planning to buy or sell a home in Loudoun County, VA, Pam Jones at Long and Foster is the realtor for you!” —Randy Collins, 570 Crestwood St SW, Leesburg, VA 20175 TO LEARN MORE, CONTACT US AT: Pamela Jones, Inc. Direct: (703) 726-3409 Office: (703) 724-9494

Leesburg Lifestyle | April 2020

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Monica's Sons Tend Butterflies in Her Waystation

ARTICLE MELINDA GIPSON PHOTOGRAPHY MELINDA GIPSON, MONICA TRESSLER

THREE LOUDOUN RESIDENTS PITCH IN TO HELP SAVE THE PLANET

BUT TERFLIES, BEES AND TREES NEED CHAMPIONS TO THRIVE 28

Leesburg Lifestyle | April 2020

MONICA TRESSLER + monarch maven

“IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY DO COME. THEY FIND IT.”

Monica, Monarch Maven

VISIT MONICA TRESSLER’S HOUSE IN THE TAVISTOCK

they find eggs. Then they keep the hatched caterpillars fed until

NEIGHBORHOOD IN LEESBURG IN WARMER MONTHS, AND

they transform into the iconic orange and black insects. After

YOU’LL WONDER WHERE THE FAMILY EATS. The dining room

a day to dry their wings, the butterflies are released back into

table will be covered with pop-up, mesh butterfly tents hosting the

the garden to enjoy the season until the last generation bred in

eggs and caterpillars of the majestic Monarch. Monica and her sons

warm weather fuels up to migrate back to Mexico.

bring eggs and caterpillars indoors to improve on their “in the wild” survival rate of around 5 percent. Monarchs just naturally find Monica’s Monarch Waystation, an official certification offered by Kansas University in Lawrence, Kansas which

She says she tends Monarchs to educate her boys and make them more environmentally conscious. But she’s also her own force of nature, encouraging anyone who will listen to learn more about the importance of butterflies as pollinators.

operates a nationwide registry of Monarch-friendly gardens. (See

She’s already encouraged Oatlands’ board to approve the

http://monarchwatch.org). Proper waystations require “a balance of

construction of a Monarch Waystation, and hopes to work with

host plants and nectar plants. The host plant is what the monarch lays

partners like the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, Loudoun County

their eggs on, so a native host would be the common milkweed, swamp

Schools, and others to create a curriculum that would enable more

milkweed or butterfly weed. The nectar plant could be a butterfly bush or

school-age children to study their life cycle and environmental

cone flowers. And, if you build it they do come. They find it,” says Monica.

impact. (For more, see Facebook groups Loudoun Butterflies:

In the summer, she and her sons check the garden daily looking for

Habitat & Conservation, The Monarch Butterfly Crusader, and

eggs or caterpillars, bringing in the whole stalk of a host plant when

Monarch Butterfly Garden.)

CONTINUED >

April 2020 | Leesburg Lifestyle

BU T TERFLIES , BEES AND TREES (CONTINUED)

Todd Demonstrates Beekeeping Equipment

“EVEN IF A PERSON DOESN’T COME TO THE CLASS TO BECOME A BEEKEEPER THEY’RE NOW A BEE ADVOCATE.”

TODD SOOS

+ beekeeper trainer

“When I was growing up, I had a neighbor who had bees and was very interested in it. One year I decided if I’m ever going to do this I’d better start. I came to this very class in 2008 and started my beekeeping venture then,” Todd says. “I like honeybees. My day job is in technology, and this helps bring me back to ground.” Todd has 14 hives near Lovettsville, but also serves as an ambassador and bee advocate at local fairs and other community events

April marks the beginning of beekeeping season. As honey bees

where the association is represented. The organization educates

get ready to forage for nectar, beekeepers help them store enough

about 60 new beekeeping families a year, and meets monthly to dis-

energy by feeding them sugar fondant to make it through the cold

cuss the biology of bees, raising and managing honeybee colonies

snaps. Colony size increases from late March to early April, then the

and even the legal aspects of beekeeping.

process of pollinating and seeking food begins.

He likes teaching because, “You get new beekeepers, but even if

So, who expands the “colonies” of beekeepers? By day, Todd Soos

a person doesn’t come to the class to become a beekeeper they’re

is an information systems security manager for Booz Allen Hamilton

now a bee advocate.” Todd says the more people know about how

Inc. But on nights and weekends in the late winter and early spring

bees work, and by extension other pollinators, the more likely they

he’s at Patrick Henry College teaching novice beekeepers his craft

may be to create habitat that helps bees benefit the food we eat,

for the Loudoun Beekeepers Association (http://loudounbee.org).

“versus creating acres of green grass and mowing it all the time.”

Leesburg Lifestyle | April 2020

JUDY LOOSE'S

+ american chestnut

“JUDY’S TREE IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE THE BLIGHT TYPICALLY KILLS AMERICAN CHESTNUTS BEFORE THEY MATURE AND CAN REPRODUCE.”

Judy Points to Where the Blight Encircles Her American Chestnut Tree

spawned a second generation of plantings in Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve and Blandy Experimental Farm in Boyce. Judy Loose grew up outside of Herndon. While living in

Jack Lamonica, a former head of both ACF nationally and the

Connecticut, she and her husband perfected an environmentally

Virginia ACF chapter, says Judy’s tree is significant because the

safe deer repellant that kept their local deer population from destroy-

blight typically kills American Chestnuts before they mature and can

ing their trees and shrubs. Made from an extract from rotten eggs,

reproduce. Virginia’s hybrid pollination effort is spearheaded by ACF’s

the repellant keeps deer away without harming wildlife. Now back in

research facility in Meadowview. There, they work to cross-pollinate

Virginia, she runs NoVa Deer Shield (novadeersheild.com), offering

American trees with Chinese chestnuts that are blight and root-rot

a service to help homeowners protect their trees from deer defolia-

resistant. Hybrid trees will then be returned to the woods where

tion, beginning in March and ending with the first frost.

they once supplied up to 80 percent of all food for native wildlife.

Clearly a tree-lover, Judy one day noticed distinctive blooms on

Ironically, the blight that came close to wiping out American Chestnut

a tree between her property and a neighbor’s. Suspecting it might

trees came from Chinese chestnut trees imported to help transform its

be an American Chestnut tree – a rarity in the wild after a blight

American cousin into an orchard crop. “It’s said to be the worst man-

nearly wiped them out in the 1920’s – she first confirmed it with

made environmental disaster in the U.S. ever. They never recovered,”

the American Chestnut Foundation (http://acf.org), then watched

Jack said, but with time and tending, there’s hope for their return.

it become a significant pillar in a local effort to breed a tree that is more blight resistant. Offspring of Judy’s tree and one other have April 2020 | Leesburg Lifestyle

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LITTLE TREE HUGGERS PRE-SCHOOL TEACHES HARMONY WITH NATURE AND INCLUSION

ARTICLE MELINDA GIPSON PHOTOGRAPHY MELINDA GIPSON

Leesburg Lifestyle | April 2020

“MUDDY!” exclaims Olivia, one of a dozen

love of nature and of the outdoors as well as

Little Tree Huggers, as she revels in the

inclusion of others, is bounded by a Monarch

squish of her boots along the gurgling

Waystation, a creek, a pretend “castle” com-

creek. It’s a shout of pure joy in being in the

plete with dragon; a farmyard with a chicken

outdoors with a full day of learning ahead

coop and a turkey; llamas, ponies and goats; a

that feels like playtime.

tree house and fort and hay bales to climb on.

The Mother Goose to all this revelry is Lia

Kids happily move on to their chores which

Johnson, a native Argentinian who spent her

begin with shoveling poop out of the stalls

own formative years living between town and

and coop and making sure the animals are

a farm where the outdoors and animals were

fed. “Inside” consists of a brilliantly colored

a way of life and nothing was ever wasted.

classroom, music room, kitchen, nap room,

She says, “The parents know that here the

and an outside finished barn where they

children have the freedom, that getting dirty is

can play music, paint or hold semi-annual

part of being a kid – playing with mud, rolling

presentations for their parents on all they’re

on the grass, eating the snow....” Notice, she

learning. The curriculum includes music, art,

adds, “that even though it’s raining, nobody

language, letters and life cycles of plants, ani-

is complaining. We are outside, rain or shine.”

mals and insects – not to mention the basic

And, what an outside! The Little Tree

art of living an eco-friendly lifestyle with as

Huggers pre-school, designed to impart a

few disposables as possible.

CONTINUED >

April 2020 | Leesburg Lifestyle

LOCALLY OWNED (CONTINUED)

Founders George and Lia Johnson

'Muddy!' Exclaims Olivia

Says Lia in a quieter moment, “My philosophy is for the

tell you about the geo-thermal and solar energy systems

children to connect to nature while learning. The academics

that collectively have brought the home’s energy costs to

are very important, but the connection with nature needs to

“as close to carbon neutral as is possible.” The school is

flow with the academics so they learn outdoors. I think for

a two-time first-place “Platinum” winner of the Loudoun

us, it is to go back to the basics, to the beginning, the way

Sustainable Business Excellence Award for Tenant and

you and I grew up. I didn’t need all the big fancy toys to play.

Home-Based Businesses, and George was among the

We live in a society where that is getting lost.”

founders of the Virginia Green Initiative.

No toys come to school, though there are soft toys to cud-

Parents are over the moon about the education their kids

dle at nap time with the home-made natural fiber blankets

are receiving and have pressed the Johnsons to try to find a

they sleep with. Everything is recycled or composted, and

way to grow. As a home-based business, 12 is the limit on stu-

kids have been known to go home and sort through their

dents they can serve. The Johnsons are listening, but had to

parents’ trash to explain the difference between banana

dip into their own retirement savings just to buy the 30-year-

peels and plastic packaging. Collectively, what they learn

old farmhouse that is Little Tree Huggers’ current home.

impacts everyone involved.

There’s nearby land to expand and George has incorporated

“We think of ourselves as planting the seeds for the future

a non-profit called the Little Tree Huggers Preschool in hopes

because we work with little ones. Our work as educators is

that community partners can help raise money to buy it and

to infuse them with the idea of being involved with nature

build an adjacent school and sustainability education center.

and planting their own vegetables, and watering and har-

Learn more about Lia’s education philosophy in our

vesting and taking home. That is a good way to live – to learn

video at http://vimeo.com/LeesburgLifestyle, or visit the

where things really come from and to value them.”

Johnsons during Virginia Green Initiative’s Earth Day event

Being an example to others includes the Loudoun business community as well. Lia’s husband George will

Leesburg Lifestyle | April 2020

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TRAVEL DESTINATION

B a n s h e e R e e ks N at u r e P r e s e r v e

LOUDOUN’S LAST WILDERNESS

ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHY MELINDA GIPSON

WHEN IRISHMAN JORDON LUCK FIRST INSPECTED THE VIRGINIA PLOT HE BOUGHT FROM RICHARD

More than 200 Miles of Trails

CARTER IN THE LATE 1830’S, HE LIKELY CAME UPON IT IN THE DARK AND BLANKETED IN FOG. He proclaimed it “Banshee Reeks” – after a shrieking female spirit he swore he heard and the Gaelic word for vapor. Today we know it’s likely Jordan heard a screech owl or a mountain lion, and the mist could have risen off of either Goose Creek or the nearby pond. Today the only frightening thing about the place is that it stands as one of the last preserves of relative wilderness in Loudoun County – at 700 acres, the largest piece of untamed land the county owns. For that reason, and many others, it’s

+stop 1

worth a trip (http://bansheereeksnp.org).

THE TRAILS: The best possible introduction to the pre-

serve is with Ron Circe, preserve manager, if he’s available. A former U.S. Geological Survey scientist and trained biologist, Ron explains that the preserve’s purpose is to try to develop as much biodiversity as possible. “With biodiversity, everybody wins,” he’s fond of saying. He can point the way to 20 miles of hiking trails, each 6-feet

wide to allow families and dogs on leashes to wander through fields with more than 225 different species of native wildflowers for pollinators, and trees that are home to a couple hundred different kinds of birds. There are even 100-125 species of native bees, some as small as two millimeters, Ron says. A third, five-year inventory of resident species will take place

this year in cooperation with USGS. Another great introduction to both the preserve’s wildlife diversity and its layout is to join a bird walk. These are led the first Saturday of every month starting at 8 a.m. For individual exploring, a downloadable trail map for your phone is available from the visitor center.

Leesburg Lifestyle | April 2020

+sto p 2

Saturday Morning Garden Volunteers

THE GARDEN: The day we visited Banshee Reeks, a half-dozen volunteer gardeners were shoveling topsoil mixed with manure into several raised, plank-banked planting beds and container gardens made of watering troughs purchased from a local tractor supply. Soon to be home to a variety of herbs, vegetables and flowers, they sport holes in the bottom for drainage that will be covered with a screen to contain the dirt. When fully planted, the garden will provide 11,000 sq. ft. of growing space, all pollinator friendly and using no pesticides or herbicides. Everything edible that comes out of the ground goes to Loudoun Hunger Relief. Last year, the first it was fully operational, the preserve donated about 1,000 pounds of food. (A few flowers, it must be told, found their way to the desks of “Park and Recreation Admin ladies” because, like Ron says, “everybody wins!”) The garden’s primary purpose is as a teaching facility for an 8-part lecture series with hands-on experience called “Gardening for Food and Fun.” Though the first two classes will have occurred by our publication, you can pick up the series on April 4 from 10 a.m to noon with “Growing Strong”: a lecture on planting and growing techniques for young seedlings. On your way to the garden, ask to see the grove that has been planted with several hundred American Chestnut tree seedlings in an effort to restore this species to the wild (see p. 31).

CONTINUED >

American Chestnut Hybrids Compete to Save the Trees from Blight April 2020 | Leesburg Lifestyle

+sto p 3

TR AVEL DESTINATION (CONTINUED)

THE WATER: A 1.5-acre pond, formerly used for watering cattle, is now stocked with fish, which you can catch and release. It is fed by a nearby spring, so there is no danger of going dry. It draws many of the local wildlife, which include gray and red foxes, skunks, raccoons, opossums, minks (which Ron says love water), weasels, otters, woodchucks and beavers. Beavers were originally a problem with the spillway; they tried to dam it up, so Ron built a “beaver baffle” to keep them at bay. Walk west and you’ll come to a long stretch of frontage to Goose Creek, which meets the Little River within sight of the creek bank. SOME ECO-FRIENDLY HIKING RULES: + Observe seasonal hours. + The preserve is a trash-free site: pack it in, pack it out. + Keep pets on a leash and under physical control at all times. + Don’t disturb the vegetation, wildlife or archaeological sites. + No smoking or use of any tobacco product (ash can cause fires). + No fires. + Trail hiking is at your own risk; stay on trails at all times. + No swimming, boating or wading in ponds or streams. + No hunting or trapping. (Deer culling is conducted by lottery during hunting season.) + Vehicles should remain in marked parking areas only. + No alcoholic beverages.

Leesburg Lifestyle | April 2020

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April 2020 | Leesburg Lifestyle

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FINANCIAL BUZZ

go i n g p a p e r l e s s at ta x time '100% PAPERLESS' NOW A REALITY FOR MICHAEL CALLAHAN AND ASSOCIATES ARTICLE MELINDA GIPSON

MICHAEL CALLAHAN AND ASSOCIATES’ ACCOUNTING PRAC-

Your phone is your wallet: Use apps like

TICE IS 100% PAPERLESS. “All of our data is 100% cloud-based,

QuickBooks Online (QBO) Receipt Capture for tak-

meaning you can have access to your accounting information wher-

ing pictures of receipts and even calculating and

ever you are,” Michael says. But paperless doesn’t mean “faceless.”

posting expense reports. It helps you send invoices

From the first client meeting to discussions of complex issues, asso-

and pay contractors and can even calculate your

ciate Joel Smith relies on RingCentral for online, face-to-face meetings

mileage anytime your phone is in your car, allow-

that can be recorded for tracking purposes. Each new client receives

ing you to label trips as business or personal. (The

a shared Box.com dashboard for use in compiling digital documents.

IRS has requested documentation of odometer

For Joel, who has lost documents to both fire and flood, “the cloud” is

readings, but if your phone can time-stamp photos,

now an indispensable part of tax management and planning. Here are

a snapshot of the actual odometer or an oil change

some other tools and tips to help you “go paperless”:

receipt should suffice.) Deluxe eChecks helps make and track online business purchases. And, all of your banking and credit card service providers should have an app, often one that logs spending categories to simplify accounting. IRS E-Filing is now standard: Virtually the ONLY paper filings the IRS still requires are any amended returns and 990-T forms for non-profits, required for detailing any income received apart from their primary purpose. If “hard” copies are required, a fax often suffices, so all you need is the ability to download and save documents to a computer and an e-Fax number. Paper is not secure unless stored in a fireproof lockbox, “and then don’t count on it,” Joel says, “whereas everything online can be secured forever.” It can even be a liability for your accountant to have to store hard copies of filings, so, “we’d rather the clients be in charge of their documents.” Joel says. Besides, there are the obvious environmental benefits. “We’re not killing trees or

Your Phone is Your Wallet

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Leesburg Lifestyle | April 2020

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April 2020 | Leesburg Lifestyle

CULINARY CREATIONS ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHY

vino bistro serves salad as gorgeous as the garden SPRING RADISH & BERRY SALAD WITH RHUBARB MINT VINAIGRETTE

CHEF BRITT SHYRENE

RADISHES ARE AN EARLY SPRING DELIGHT, FULL OF SWEETNESS AND PICANTE FLAVORS THAT EASILY ABSORB PICKLING LIQUIDS AND VINAIGRETTES. Thanks to local farmers like Daniel Haney at Shenandoah Seasonal Farms, a wide variety of pesticide-free and organic radishes are available through early spring and mid-summer. For fuller flavor, pickle the carrots and radishes and finish with a vinaigrette.

spring radish & berry salad INGREDIENTS Black Radish, Watermelon Radish, Heirloom Baby Carrots; Berries of your Choice (we chose Blackberries); Basil, Mint, Watercress; Blood Orange; Micro Cress, Edible Flowers (optional) Thinly slice or mandolin Black Radish, Watermelon Radish, and Heirloom Baby Carrots. Clean berries; remove rind and segment an orange, and separate leaves from stems of Mint, Watercress and Basil and set aside. PICKLING LIQUID 1 Cup Rice wine Vinegar, 1 Cup water, 2 Tbs Honey or sugar, 2 tsp salt Place all ingredients in saucepan and simmer. Once salt has dissolved, remove from heat and cool before adding carrots and radish to the liquid. Allow them to absorb for at least an hour, or until desired flavor is obtained. VINAIGRETTE 1 stalk of rhubarb with veins removed, 10 large mint leaves, juice of 1 lemon, 1 shallot, 1 clove garlic, 2 Tbs Dijon mustard, 2 Tbs honey, 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar or champagne vinegar, pinch of salt, 1 cup olive oil DIRECTIONS In a blender, add all ingredients aside from oil, blend together well. Then slowly stream in oil and allow vinaigrette to emulsify. Place your thinly sliced radish on the base of the plate. Place your thinly sliced carrot, followed by the blood orange segments and berries. Drizzle your vinaigrette over vegetables to dress them. Then place basil, mint, and watercress leaves on your plate and finish with edible flowers.

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Leesburg Lifestyle | April 2020

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April 2020 | Leesburg Lifestyle

PURCELLVILLE MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL

TAKES TO THE STAGE APRIL 25

BACK STAGE

Performers at 2019 Festival

ARTICLE LAURA OURS | PHOTOGRAPHY PURCELLVILLE MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL

IT STARTED AS A SMALL IDEA, AN OFFSHOOT

talents in a performance setting. This year, the

OF PURCELLVILLE’S HERITAGE DAYS, SIMPLY

youth bands will have a showcase night at Dragon

A FUN AFTERNOON OF ACTIVITIES FOR FAM-

Hops Brewery in preparation for the festival.

ILIES IN PURCELLVILLE. Over the years, that

The center stage area at Dillion’s Woods has a

afternoon became the Purcellville Music and Arts

purposefully varied line up, from jazz to rock to folk

Festival, seven hours of music on four stages, an

and blues. Among the musical artists this year is

art gallery, local food, drink, and art vendors. Each

Templeton Thompson, self-proclaimed “hippie chic

spring The Town of Purcellville hosts the free event of

cowgirl.” In her youth in Virginia and Texas, she dis-

local music outside under 100-year-old oak trees in

covered her love of horses and they have become

Dillion’s Woods, part of the Fireman’s Field campus.

her musical muses. She’s now in Nashville with two

The Purcellville Arts Council and Parks and

horses of her own, an English degree, and a love for

Recreation Advisory Board organize the event

life to inspire her singing and songwriting. Her songs

and evolving activities that have included henna

can be found on country music albums and even in

painting, custom t-shirts, a dog agility course,

movies. In addition to her own work, she’s a go-to

tile painting, and instrument making. The Bush

with a clear voice for major labels’ backup vocals.

Tabernacle is transformed into an art gallery com-

There’s more music to come in her eighth album and

plete with more live music and local artists’ work.

under the oaks in Dillion’s Woods.

The Community Stage is an opportunity reserved for local youth bands and dance acts to share their

Leesburg Lifestyle | April 2020

For more, see purcellvillemusicandartsfestival.com.