Solar panels vs. trees – how to choose?

Article and photo by Plant NOVA Natives

Residents who are interested in installing solar panels often face a dilemma. Which is better for the environment, solar panels or shade trees? After all, climate change due to burning fossil fuels is threatening the very existence of trees, not to mention human beings, and the timeline for preventing catastrophic temperature rises is short. Before we get out the chainsaw, though, there are several other things to consider.

One of the main reasons to try to limit temperature rises is to prevent ecosystem collapse. The native trees in our yards are as much a part of that ecosystem as the ones in the Amazon, providing food, shelter and nesting places not only for birds and mammals but for a myriad of invertebrates that are a critical part of the web of life. If we do not even protect the environment where we live, we can hardly expect people in the Amazon to take more of an interest.

Sunny rooftops are an ideal place to put solar panels, since that real estate is already built upon, and since decentralizing the grid helps build resilience. The land use anticipated for solar farms and new transmission lines is so massive, and the willingness of companies to replace forests with them so counterproductive and disheartening, that the more we use our own rooftops, the better. But solar energy is neither the only way to reduce fossil fuel use nor the most efficient of the various options for homeowners. The first step should always be to reduce energy consumption, by weatherizing and taking other steps to reduce waste. For those ready to make a big investment, an alternative to consider is a heat pump or even a geothermal system for heating and air conditioning. As is true for solar panels, the cost of installation can be partially offset by a significant tax credit. Some utility companies including Dominion allow customers to choose a renewable energy option (although “renewable” is not always the same as “clean,” since it includes burning chopped down trees, for example. But much of that electricity is generated by wind and solar farms.) It will take considerable effort and broad participation for our community to meet its climate goals, but not everyone has to do everything themselves on their own property. Those with sunny roofs can contribute solar energy. Those with trees can take care of them.

Trees themselves are what are known as a “natural climate solution.” They provide benefits that mitigate the effect of climate change. Trees improve the energy efficiency of houses. In the winter, they reduce heating costs by blocking the wind. In the summer, they reduce air conditioning costs, since roofs and walls in the shade are often twenty degrees cooler than those in the sun. In addition, trees improve air quality and sequester carbon dioxide. Their ability to capture stormwater is particularly important in flood-prone suburban and urban areas with their excess of impervious surfaces. The leaves of the trees capture much of the rain before it even reaches the ground. Once it does, transpiration by canopy trees sucks thousands of gallons of water from the ground, thus enabling the soil to control flooding.

It is interesting to use the National Tree Benefit Calculator at the bottom of this web page to see what you save in monetary terms by preserving a few mature trees, strategically located around your property. For the birds and other critters that depend on them, the native trees are priceless.

The Andromeda Galaxy with a Pair of Binoculars

Feature illustration:  The Andromeda Galaxy Sky Area. Excerpted from https://in-the-sky.org/skymap.php.  The excerpt is set to November 24, 2023 at 9:00 PM from Reston, VA, but any time and location may be selected.  Notice the Great Square of Pegasus and the red oval above it.

Article by and illustrations courtesy of FMN Stephen Tzikas

The Andromeda Galaxy is an object often mentioned in sci-fi films and

Illustration by author: 1979 sketch of Andromeda Galaxy, using a 60mm Selsi refractor telescope and 187.5 magnification.

literary works.  It is our closest galaxy (not including Milky Way satellite galaxies) and can be seen by the naked eye in a dark sky location.  I was thrilled to see it through my childhood telescope.  With binoculars it is a fuzzy patch-like object.  That little patch is just the central core or brightest part of the galaxy.  The rest of the galaxy is so dim because of its 2.5 million light year distance.  If we could brighten the galaxy, it would be four full Moon lengths across the sky.  The central core of the Andromeda Galaxy with a pair of binoculars looks very similar to my 1979 illustration of it through a Selsi 60mm telescope.  The area around the Andromeda Galaxy is also home to other surprises too.

Close-up of the Andromeda Galaxy Sky Area.  Nu-And (magnitude 4.5) is the bright star to the upper left of the Andromeda Galaxy outline. The diagram’s center bright star, with green constellation line underneath, is Mu-And (magnitude 3.9).  The bright star in the center-left is Mirach (magnitude 2.1) with NGC 404 (red dot) next to it.  This illustration is also excerpted from https://in-the-sky.org/skymap.php for Nov. 24, 2023 at 9:00 PM.

A pair of binoculars can see EG Andromedae (EG And), a variable star. You can take measurements of it brightening and dimming via a visual comparison to nearby stars that are fixed in brightness. You can obtain a detailed star chart for measuring magnitude changes through the Variable Star Plotter at the AAVSO website and then inputting EG And. You can submit your measurements to their database. See https://app.aavso.org/vsp/

With a small telescope a little larger than binoculars, two more interesting objects can be seen nearby.  One is a beautiful

Excerpted from http://informationaboutstars.com/starinfo.dc/star/id-36618/.  The website is from “about the stars Planetarium” on HIP 3495, a.k.a. EG Andromedae in the constellation Andromeda. The star varies in magnitude from 6.97 to 7.8, and is circled adjacent to the Andromeda Galaxy.  In another blue circle, Nu And is to the upper left of EG And. 

double star named gamma Andromedae, or Almach. Through the telescope it appears as a bright, golden-yellow star next to a dimmer blue star. Some observers may get the impression that the blue star has a green hue. This green hue is an optical illusion caused by the contrast of the colors on the eyes and is very rare to see.  In actuality, there are no green stars, because any star emitting radiation in the green spectrum is also emitting enough red and blue radiation to combine and form white light. This double star, along with the double star named Albireo in the constellation Cygnus, are often described as the most visually colorful double stars in the sky.

The other nearby interesting object is beta Andromedae, or Mirach. It is a prominent orange/red hue star northeast of the Great Square of Pegasus. The galaxy NGC 404, also known as Mirach’s Ghost, is seven arcminutes away from Mirach. In a small telescope, it appears as a fuzzy star.  NGC 404 is located about 10 million light years away, or about 4 times Andromeda Galaxy’s distance.  Though NGC 404 is not as large or bright as the Andromeda Galaxy, is still worth a look.  It is easy to find, and a one of the brighter magnitude galaxies to observe in the sky.

Winter Tree Identification at The Clifton Institute, January 13th

Image Courtesy of The Clifton Institute

Saturday, January 13, 2024
1:00 – 3:00 pm
Program is Free

Registration is required!

6712 Blantyre Road
Warrenton, Virginia 20187

Winter is a great time of year to learn how to identify trees and to practice looking at bark and twigs. The program will start with a brief presentation indoors about the tips and tricks to identify the most common trees in the forests. Then instructors will take participants on a mile-long walk in the woods to practice. This program is meant for beginners. Advanced botanists are welcome! If you would like to start practicing now or if you would like to bring some resources with you, we recommend the book Winter Tree Finder by May Theilgaard Watts and Tom Watts and the Flora of Virginia app.

Bench Dedication Honors McGlone

Photos and Article By FMN Susan Laume

A group of Fairfax Master Naturalists gathered on Saturday afternoon, December 2nd, to recognize the contributions of retired Virginia forester Dr. Jim McClone.  A bench was dedicated in his honor on a Mason Neck State Park trail, where McClone regularly took naturalists in training to learn tree identification.

Bench plaque expresses gratitude for McGlone’s many years of service to the FMN chapter

Recently retired in June, McGlone is credited with working to establish the Fairfax County chapter, serving as chapter advisor, and teaching dendrology to hundreds of Virginia Master Naturalists students.

Attending with his wife, who McGlone credits with steering him toward his long time career. McGlone also received the thanks of Officer Taylore Willis, representing the State Park. Following the remarks, McGlone again led a winter tree identification; perhaps proving his gum balls don’t yet fall far from his favorite Black Gum trees.

Fairfax Master Naturalists gather to recognize retired forester Jim McClone

 

Officer Taylore Willis makes remarks on behalf of Mason Neck State Park

McGlone and his wife, who he thanked during the dedication, look forward to spending retirement time together

 

Controlling English Ivy Saves Trees and Combats Climate Change

Photo: Plant NoVa Natives

Article by Elaine Kolish, Vice Chair, Fairfax County Tree Commission, Certified Master Naturalist

English Ivy is everywhere, in our neighborhoods, along our roads, and in our parks. It climbs over fences, covers sheds, and carpets forest floors. Unfortunately, many people think English Ivy is a benign plant that grows in the shade, where nothing else grows.

The truth is English Ivy is harmful in many ways. Even if well-manicured and contained on the ground, English Ivy provides a resting spot for mosquitos on hot days or hides puddles where they can breed, and who wants that! More importantly, when it covers forest floors it displaces native plants, and eliminates needed and productive biodiversity. When it climbs trees it harms and eventually kills them, which eliminates the important environmental benefits trees provide, such as wildlife habitat, preventing stormwater from entering streams, cooling our environment, and combatting climate change.

Trees are one of our best tools for capturing carbon dioxide, which is necessary to fight global warming. According to the US Forest Service, America’s forests sequester about 16% of the annual emissions from the United States. Because trees are such excellent carbon sinks, there are large scale reforestation efforts underway. President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Plan calls for more than one billion new trees to be planted over the next 10 years. In addition, the government’s experts know that controlling invasive species that kill trees is an important strategy for enhancing carbon capture.

We as individuals also have an important role to play in controlling English Ivy at home and in our natural areas. Otherwise it covers everything in its path, and when left unchecked, English Ivy grows vertically (by rootlets on the stem). On trees, the weight of the vine weakens and breaks limbs, which can make trees more susceptible to infections, and over time the vines cover trees so totally that they die. But that’s not all. When English Ivy goes vertical it matures. It then will flower and set fruit. Birds then eat and disperse the fruit, spreading the English Ivy invasion.

Homeowners can protect their costly landscaping and help the environment by eliminating English Ivy from their gardens or, at a minimum, by keeping it from growing up trees. Wearing gloves, cut all the vines on a tree about two feet up and again at ground level. There is no need to pull the vines off the tree. Deprived of water and nutrients from the soil, the vines will wither. You will have to repeat this occasionally if you do not remove all the ivy. Hand pulling after a rain softens the soil is the best way to get rid of English Ivy. The debris should go in the trash. Do not compost it or put it out with the brush collection as it will continue to grow and spread in these locations.

The good news is that there are lots of alternative native ground covers that will support pollinators and our environment. You can find excellent suggestions in the Native Plants for Northern Virginia guide, such as Virginia Creeper and ferns.

You also can help our neighborhoods, forests, and parks by becoming a Tree Rescuer, or by working with organizations that do invasive management including pulling ivy. Working together, we can ensure the health of our wonderful trees and improve our environment, as well as our personal well-being, by spending time in nature.

The How and Who of Urban Wildlife Conservation with Dr. Charles Nilon, January 7th

Sunday, January 7, 2024
3 – 4 pm
Virtual
FREE but registration required.

Join Audubon Society of Northern Virginia for a virtual Audubon Afternoon that features the first of their Stretch Our Parks Lectures featuring Dr. Charles Nilon, an ecologist and professor from the University of Missouri.

Dr. Nilon’s decades of research and service have combined two of his lifelong passions – understanding how to safeguard urban biodiversity and making conservation biology more inclusive. He has been a lead researcher on projects combining data from more than 150 of the world’s cities to assess how ecological and socioeconomic factors influence birds in urban environments. He will share his ideas about what actions cities and towns might take to protect biodiversity as human density increases, and why making conservation efforts more diverse, inclusive, and just is paramount to their success.

Stretch Our Parks is a community-based conservation initiative. Given that northern Virginia is increasingly urbanizing, with more than a million new residents added since 1990, and that the diversity of our residents also has increased, it is fitting that Dr. Nilon presents the first Stretch Our Parks Lecture.

Dr. Nilon has a B.S. in Biology from Morehouse College, a Masters of Forest Science with an emphasis on wildlife from Yale University, and a Ph.D. in Ecology/Wildlife Ecology from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Dr. Nilon was awarded the Ecological Society of America’s Commitment to Human Diversity in Ecology Award in 2014. He also serves on the Advisory Board of the Audubon Center at Riverlands, a Migratory Bird Sanctuary approximately 20 miles north of St. Louis.

Preventing Avian Extinctions: What Works with Dr. David Luther, January 11th

Photo: Cerulean Warbler by Matt Felperin

Thursday, January 11, 2024
7 – 8 pm
Virtual
ASNV Members: $10
Non-members: $15
Register here.

Join Audubon Society of Northern Virginia and Dr. David Luther for a program on preventing avian extinctions. More species in the world are threatened with extinction today than at any other time in recent history. However, at the same time, a number of programs have made great strides in successfully conserving threatened species and preventing their extinctions. Dr. Luther will explore the state of birds globally, the threats they face, and what is working in the field of conservation biology to prevent the extinction of endangered bird species. The talk will focus on global and local examples of successful conservation efforts, his research on conserving endangered species in the United States and around the world, and future conservation opportunities.

David Luther is an Associate Professor in the Biology Department at George Mason University and a member of the ASNV board. He teaches courses on ornithology, community ecology, and animal behavior. His research applies principles from animal behavior and ecology to examine conservation biology problems. Current projects focus on how climate change and habitat loss are affecting birds in the Amazon as well as the mechanisms that make conservation actions succeed in preventing extinctions of threatened species.

 

A Special Thank You to Ms. Williams and Her Thoughtful Students

Image: Courtesy of the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District

Over the years young people have become more environmentally conscious. More and more Schools are providing educational opportunities for students to learn about environmental issues including sustainability and conservation.

One such learning opportunity was brought to my attention by a teacher, Ms. Williams, a volunteer at an after-school program leading an environmental awareness and water conservation class.  The students through their research came upon the 2019 FMN webpage article, The Incredible Journey Game: Understanding the Water Cycle One Drop at a Time by Kristina Watts.  Ms. Williams class found this article to be an invaluable resource.  They wanted to express their gratitude.

The story does not end there. The topic of water conservation was particularly important to Ms. Williams’ students.  One of her students, Cheryl, found a very informative and pro-active article entitled, The Ultimate Guide on Water Conservation: How To Save Every Drop” by Jonathan Jacobs. This article addresses the importance of water conservation and provides some very practical ways to take better care of our precious water supply.

Many thanks to Cheryl and the rest of her classmates for sharing this article with the FMN program. It is definitely a timely and informative addition to our webpages.

It is always good to hear from people who have found the FMN Blog articles informative and helpful. It is especially wonderful to know the articles have been used to enhance a learning experience.

Mary Ann Bush
FMN Communication Committee Chair.

Afternoon at the Smithsonian – Interpretive Tour of the Museum of Natural History

Photo by FMN Susan Martel, Geology section National Museum of Natural History with FMN Dr. John Kelmelis.

Tuesday, 5 Dec 2023
3:00 to 5:00PM (Tour is approximately 2 hours).
WhereNational Museum of Natural History, Washington D.C.
Meet at the information desk in the rotunda beside Henry, the big elephant.
Group limit. 6 individuals

To register:

  1. Login to BI and click on your ‘Opportunities’ tab.
  2. Select ‘Opportunity Calendar’ from the pull-down list.
  3. Find the event in the displayed calendar and click on it to display event details.
  4. To sign up, Click on the ‘Sign Up’ box in the lower right. This automatically signs you up and puts the event on your calendar.
  5. To claim CE hours: use All Continuing Education -> FMN All other Chapter Training

Bring paper and pencil to take notes if you desire. No recordings please.

FMN Dr. Kelmelis will guide an interpretive tour of the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History relevant to Virginia Master Naturalists.  This tour will identify the relationship of some exhibits to the natural environment of Virginia including the geologic history, mineralogy, entomology, osteology, evolution, mammalogy, and many other topics.  Some of the take-aways will include an introduction of how the NMNH’s display collection can be used to enrich the naturalist’s understanding of science, the scientific method, and some techniques that are applicable to naturalists’ domain of interests; as well as some facts related to the natural condition and history of Virginia.

Elly Doyle Awards – 2023

Fairfax County Park Authority and the Fairfax County Park Commission announced their 2023 Elly Doyle awards presented annually to deserving volunteers or organizations. For 2023, two FMN volunteers received “Outstanding Volunteer” Awards via parks they support. Jo Doumbia received an award via Hidden Oaks Nature Center (HONC) in Annandale and Celia Boertlein via Huntley Meadows Park (HMP) in Hybla Valley.

Hidden Oaks Nature Center – Photo curtesy of FCPA

Jo’s nomination letter cited her enthusiastic demeanor, graciousness in sharing her multilingual skills, and her joy of fostering natural history education in support of environmental justice. Jo is the perfect example of an outstanding volunteer.
The letter went on to say that she excels at her role inside the nature center building and also took it upon herself to go above and beyond the normal Volunteer on Duty role and extend Hidden Oaks’ interpretative outreach through a variety of activities within the local community. An experienced presenter and naturalist, Jo represents Hidden Oaks by planning and hosting nature outreach activities with neighborhood Community Centers supporting a highly diverse audience.
Since last summer Jo also interpreted monarch butterfly programs for elementary and high school age audiences at Wedgewood Community Center, which serves a highly diverse, low-income apartment complex in Annandale. These programs included monarch tagging and monarch migration activities.

Jo helping the Culmore teens into Kayaks at Riverbend – photo Jerry Nissley

She is the HONC liaison with Culmore Community Center. With Hidden Oaks’ staff, Jo put considerable effort into arranging four summer programs for 22 low-income Latino teens to attend complimentary STEM workshops at Hidden Oaks, Lake Fairfax, and Riverbend Park. Students participated in fishing, orienteering, geocaching, and kayaking. They studied live herps, STEM careers, conducted soil sampling with NVSWCD and benthic macroinvertebrates with DPWES. They were also sure to have fun at picnics and gathering around campfires. She coordinated volunteers from Fairfax Master Naturalists to assist in these events.
Through her vision and efforts, she extended Hidden Oaks’ nature interpretation programs to a more diverse audience, including those who are low-income and may otherwise not be able to participate in a paid program.

HMP Visitor Center – Photo Jerry Nissley

Celia received Huntley Meadows “Ken Howard” award and the Elly Doyle “Outstanding Volunteer” Award. Ken Howard was an autochthonal supporter of HMP and this eponymous award is considered HMP’s highest honor. Her Elly Doyle nomination letter stated that Celia is an essential member of the volunteer team. She wears many hats and is nearly always the first volunteer to assist with programs and scouts. Celia continues to fulfill her roving naturalist and vernal pool monitor duties without fail and dedicates an incredible amount of time and energy to support Huntley Meadows Park special events.

Celia helped immensely with the HMP Wetlands Awareness Day as a Friends of Huntley Meadows Park representative and stayed especially busy organizing the event. She continually steps up as an interpretive program assistant, field trip leader, roving naturalist, and vernal pool monitor – she is an essential park volunteer.  

HMP Big Pond – Photo Jerry Nissley

Celia continuously updates natural resource records with new developments in her vernal pool. She researches additional data, provides materials for others, and utilizes her contacts to reach out for more detail. She provides invaluable assistance in many different programs at HMP. Her skill set contributes to citizen science, educational, and community outreach activities. She brings a depth of naturalist knowledge and interpretation skills when speaking with park guests. As a roving naturalist she provides essential support to the park’s interpretive staff through her energetic, hands-on program assistance.