ASNV Presents Fall Butterfly Identification with Larry Meade, September 5th

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Photo By David Illig, Variegated Fritillary

Click here for registration information.

The sight of butterflies fluttering around on a warm day is one of the most iconic signs of summer, but they can still be found well into the fall months. These beautiful insects usually live for only a few weeks as adults, but they make quite an impression while they are in their full glory. There is a large variety of butterfly species in our area. Larry Meade will walk participants through the common species and help us differentiate some of the trickier look-a-like species.

Participants are encouraged to register for the North American Butterfly Association (NABA) Count to be held on September 10, 2023.

A good way to prepare this program is to review Butterflies of the Mid-Atlantic, a Field Guide, by Robert Blakney and Judy Gallagher. Judy Gallagher is a member of the ASNV Board, and the field guide is available for purchase on the ASNV website.

Larry Meade is president of the Northern Virginia Bird Club and a member of the ASNV Adult Education Committee. He is a frequent bird walk leader and has been involved in numerous Audubon Christmas Bird Counts and North America Butterfly Association (NABA) Butterfly Counts. He is the compiler of the Alexandria Circle NABA Butterfly Count.

This program is FREE for members of Audubon Society of Northern Virginia and members of the Northern Virginia Bird Club.

 

Understanding the Climate Crisis with Bill Young, Five Sessions: September 19th, 21st, 26th, 28th and October 3rd

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Photo: Bill Young 

September 19, 21, 26, 28 and October 3, 2023
7:00 – 8:30 PM
Virtual
Cost: (ASNV Members: $65 , Non-members: $75)

Click here for Registration details.

The climate crisis is the biggest issue facing humans and the natural environment in the 21st century.

This five-part course will help people be better informed about the scope of the crisis and the science behind this issue. Each class will last about an hour and a half, with opportunity for discussion. Our speaker, Bill Young, has a great thirst for knowledge and the ability to communicate complex issues in an understandable narrative.

Topics to be covered include:

  • Overview of climate concepts and issues

  • Greenhouse gases

  • Effects on birds and biodiversity

  • Fossil fuels

  • Transportation and agriculture

This class will be followed on Thursday, October 5, by a free Climate Crisis Action & Advocacy Workshop with Bill Young and Board Member Tom Wood. This program is open to all. Please post to social media and invite your friends & family to participate. The workshop will provide participants with suggestions for actions that we can all take to push back on the effects of climate change. We hope that participants in this lecture series will attend that workshop.

Bill Young is a writer who lives in Arlington. He is the co-creator (with Ashley Bradford) of the MPNature.com website, and he has taught numerous classes for ASNV.

Your ticket will cover all five sessions, 7.5 hours of program time. This program will be held on September 19, 21, 26, 28, and Oct 3, 7:00 – 8:30 PM. You will get a zoom link on September 19 that will be the same link for all five sessions. Sessions will be recorded and the videos will be shared with all registered participants.

VMN Continuing Education Webinar: Community Generated Data Informs Our Understanding Of the Vulnerability Of Frog and Toad Species To Climate Change, July 24th

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Photo: Wood Frog by Randy Streufert

Monday, July 24, 2023
12:00-1:00 PM

Pre-registration required

Description: To mitigate climate change-driven biodiversity loss using limited resources, conservation biologists and wildlife managers often use assessments to prioritize species that are at risk of extinction. But some assessments require a lot of data which isn’t available for all species. These data-poor species might be overlooked, delaying actions that could reduce their extinction risk. In this webinar, you’ll see how community generated data aids assessments of climate change vulnerability by placing data-poor species on the same scale as data-rich species through an example for 90 species of frogs and toads in the US.

Presenter: Traci DuBose is an ecologist who enjoys working to conserve animals with complex life cycles for future generations. After receiving a PhD from the University of Oklahoma studying stream ecosystems, she leveraged available data to inform the conservation of frogs, toads, and red cockaded woodpeckers at Virginia Tech. She currently is an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education program post-doctoral fellow investigating the cause of enigmatic freshwater mussel declines as a part of a large interdisciplinary team.

*Note: As always, the VMN CE Webinar will be recorded, and the recording will be available on the VMN Continuing Education Webinar Series webpage within two weeks of the webinar.

Blue Ridge PRISM Summer Meeting: “These Are Not Your Grandpa’s Quail”, July 19th

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Photo Courtesy of the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources

Wednesday, July 19, 2023
11:30 am – 1:00 pm
via Zoom

Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/640679949977

The northern bobwhite aka bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) is the only quail native to eastern North America. Its clear, whistled call was once a common sound throughout its range. You hear its call much less often now because of a steep decline in the bobwhite quail population, mostly due to habitat loss. For its Summer Meeting, Blue Ridge PRISM will welcome Marc Puckett, a certified wildlife biologist and the Small Game Project Leader for the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. He will discuss the bobwhite quail and how to manage its habitat in multiple scenarios so that these birds can thrive.

This is a free online event and includes a question & answer period with the audience. Those who register will receive access to the recording.

This event is put on by the Blue Ridge PRISM. Please direct any questions to them. https://blueridgeprism.org/

Welcome to the Fairfax County Park Authority Latino Conservation Week, July 15th

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Welcome to the Fairfax County Park Authority Latino Conservation Week, a celebration of the community’s profound connection to nature and their contributions to conservation efforts. This week-long event invites you to embark on a journey of exploration, education, and engagement, honoring the rich heritage and environmental stewardship of Latino individuals. Join the celebration with these fun-filled, family programs!

Downloadable Flyers:

In Spanish: SEMANA LATINA DE LA CONSERVACIÓN (fairfaxcounty.gov)
In English: Latino Conservation Week (fairfaxcounty.gov)

Here are some featured events:

Free Fishing at Lake Fairfax
Saturday, July 22, 2023
8:00 AM -12:00 PM

LAKE FAIRFAX LOCATION
1400 Lake Fairfax Drive
Reston, VA, 20190
Map of Lake Fairfax Park

Join our expert staff to guide fun fishing adventures. Our bilingual staff will help answer questions about rules, regulations and fishing advice. The free event includes all equipment, tackle, and bait.

Conservation Day at Frying Pan Farm Park
Saturday, July 15, 2023
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM

FRYING PAN FARM PARK LOCATION
2709 West Ox Road
Herndon, VA, 20171
Map of Park

Head on down to the farm for wagon rides, tours and fun at Frying Pan Farm Park. This free event will feature wagon rides and tours of the farm in Spanish.
Wagon Rides at 10:30 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 12 p.m.
Tours of the Farm at 11 a.m. and 12 p.m.

Native Plant Seminar
Wednesday, July 26, 2023
7-8 PM

Register today at www.plantnovatrees.org/zooms-en-espano

Explore native plants with a free Zoom seminar in Spanish. Learn how to identify and remove invasive plants with expert, Patricia Greenberg, Invasive Management Area Program Manager for the Fairfax County Park Authority.
Register today at www.plantnovatrees.org/zooms-en-espano

Ecology Walk – Hosted by the Friends of Dyke Marsh, September 16th

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Photo by Ned Stone, A Dyke Marsh inlet.

Saturday, September 16, 2023
10:00am

Meet at the Haul Road trail entrance,
Dyke Marsh, Alexandria

Join naturalist and biologist Charles Smith at 10 a.m. on an ecology walk and learn all about tidal marsh ecology, vegetative communities, system stressors, seasonality of vegetation and wildlife and ecosystems’ importance. So everyone can hear and learn, FODM will have to limit the walk to 20 people. To register, email [email protected] and put “September Ecology Walk” in the subject box. Meet at the Haul Road trail entrance. Bring water, wear sturdy shoes and sun protection. We kindly request that you not bring pets. Hosted by the Friends of Dyke Marsh.

Butterfly Walk, August 26th

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Photo by Plant NOVA Natives, Mourning Cloak Butterfly

Saturday, August 26, 2023
10:00am
Meet at the south Belle Haven Park parking lot

Dyke Marsh, Alexandria Join Friends of Dyke Marsh for a butterfly and dragonfly walk with Larry Meade. Meet at the south Belle Haven Park parking lot. Limited to 20. Register by sending an email to [email protected] and put “butterfly walk” in the subject box.

Vernal Pools: Introduction to a Unique Wetland Habitat, August 2nd

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Photo Courtesy of the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy

 

Wednesday, August 2, 2023
7:00pm

Rust Library
380 Old Waterford Rd NW
Leesburg, VA + Google Map

Learn more and register here.

Vernal pools, also known as ephemeral or seasonal pools, are an important yet often overlooked wetland. As the name suggests, they are temporary pools only holding water for a brief time each year. During that time, they are home to mysterious shrimp, developing dragonfly larvae, and are critical breeding grounds for several of our local salamander and frog species. These vernal pools are in rapid decline due to development. Join Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy’s Jenny Erickson for a look into the wildlife that utilize these pools and what we can all do to help protect these sensitive wetlands. This program is co-sponsored with the Loudoun County Public Library.

Questions: Contact [email protected].

Stream Monitoring Citizen Science & Training Opportunities

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Photo by FMN J. Quinn, Stream monitoring at Pohick Creek.

 

Difficult Run Stream Monitoring Field Training

When: Thursday, July 20, 9:00-11:30am
Where: Difficult Run Stream Valley Park, Great Falls

This field training is targeted to those pursuing the VASOS stream monitor certification and will focus heavily on protocols. This long-standing stream site has changed greatly in width, depth, and streambed composition since NVSWCD first began monitoring the site. You never quite know what you’ll find! Learn more and register for this workshop and others here.

 

Cub Run Stream Monitoring Field Training

When: Saturday, July 29, 9:00-11:30am
Where: Cub Run Stream Valley Park, Centreville

This field training is targeted to those pursuing the VASOS stream monitor certification and will focus heavily on protocols. Trainees often find a variety of interesting macroinvertebrates here, including large hellgrammites. Learn more and register for this workshop and others here.

 

Little Difficult Run Stream Monitoring Field Training

When: Thursday, August 10, 9:00-11:30am
Where: Fred Crabtree Park, Herndon

This field training is targeted to those pursuing the VASOS stream monitor certification and will focus heavily on protocols. This beautiful stream site is located a short hike into the woods and currently available for adoption by a certified stream monitor. Learn more and register for this workshop and others here.

 

Pohick Stream Monitoring Field Training

When: Saturday, August 19, 9:00-11:30am
Where: Pohick Creek Stream Valley Park, Springfield

This field training is targeted to those pursuing the VASOS stream monitor certification and will focus heavily on protocols. This site along Pohick Creek runs adjacent to the Cross County Trail and features a family- and pet-friendly walking trail in addition to cool stream critters. Learn more and register for this workshop and others here.

 

More Training and Stream Monitoring Opportunities

 

The NoVa Soil & Water Conservation teams are  very excited to contribute their stream data to state and national datasets. If you’d like to see data from all the NVSWCD regional stream monitoring team’s active sites, you can find our organization on the Clean Water Hub.

Summer Creatures of The Night, July 14

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Image: Courtesy of The Clifton Institute

Friday, July 14, 2023
7:30 – 9:30 pm
Cost: Free

Registration is REQUIRED.

The Clifton Institue
6712 Blantyre Road
Warrenton, Virginia 20187

Come join members of The Clifton Institute to look and listen for creatures of the night! Summer is an ideal time to observe several species of katydids, crickets, cicadas and birds. Participants will also look for beavers, reptiles and amphibians, and other animals! Back at the farmhouse attendees will see what kinds of moths and beetles are attracted with black lights. Hope to see you there!