Over Thanksgiving break, I returned to Springfield, Virginia, where I spent some time at Lake Accotink Park, our local county park. This man-made lake has a large looping trail through the woods that wraps around the lake. I noticed that many leaves still remained on the trees here whereas in Vermont, nearly all leaves are gone from trees. I noticed a lot of similar species here as ours in Burlington such as red and white oaks, white pine, and honeysuckle.

Virginia’s place in my heart

This place is special to me because it is a place of quiet amidst the chaos and bustle of Northern Virginia, and by extension, the DC Metro area. We have precious few natural areas where I live, with Shenandoah being just about two hours away. I take my dog here sometimes to let him experience more than just a sidewalk and freshly mowed lawns. He loves to sniff all the interesting smells and explore the trails with my dad and I. Lake Accotink Park has been here my whole childhood and I grew up in this natural area, able to learn about nature and the environment in my own backyard.