Agriculture specialists at the Philadelphia Seaport made a first in nation pest discovery Dec. 14 when they intercepted Parepitragus pulverulentus Denticeps, a type of beetle, while inspecting a shipment of grapes from Peru.

Here are a few tips from the Alliance to Save Energy for the brightest (and least costly!) holiday yet:

Prince William Forest Park in Triangle VA near Quantico Marine Base will close its Oak Ridge Campground and the Chopawamsic Backcountry area Dec. 1 to save money. Both areas operated by the National Park Service will reopen March 1, 2014.

American Disposal Services is building an a state of the art, single stream processing recycling facility in the Manassas, VA. area. American Recycling Center’ will create jobs, save up to 1.23 million kilowatts of energy per day and educate the community about recycling, a news release said.

The Nokesville Christmas Bird Count will be held on December 29, 2013, beginning at 7 a.m. There are three ways people can help. RSVP in required, says Prince William Conservation Alliance that is coordinating the local effort.

Jake Hosen, a PhD candidate at the University of Maryland, will talk about how the stream in your backyard is linked to global carbon cycles and climate change on Nov. 7 at the Prince William Conservation Alliamce meeting in Manassas.

Virginia State Parks will waive parking fees in honor of Veterans Day on Monday, November 11, 2013. Additionally, all 36 state parks will offer special programming during the holiday weekend.

All Virginia State Parks remain open for business during this prime fall season,” said DCR’s State Parks Director Joe Elton. “Schedules have not changed, reservations are being honored, and all programs remain intact," he said.