Radon testing is being encouraged during January, and the federal government is getting more involved in raising awareness about radon and efforts on radon reduction and mitigation in homes, especially those of low-income families.

Prince William County Department of Public Works will host an informational meeting on a recent study of four Occoquan sub watersheds on Jan. 21.

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.