Plant NOVA Natives seeks volunteers for September events

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Plant NOVA Natives is the joint marketing campaign of a coalition of non-profit, governmental, and private groups, all working to reverse the decline of native plants and wildlife in Northern Virginia. Their strategy is to encourage residents as well as public and commercial entities to install native plants as the first step toward creating wildlife habitat and functioning ecosystems on their own properties. All are welcome to participate in this collective action movement! ​

Events in need of volunteers – Please sign up here. No experience necessary! Just a basic understanding of why native plants are such a good idea.

• 9/22 Green Spring Garden Fall Garden Day – Dress up as a pollinator with a sign that says “Ask me about native plants.” Give out cards telling people how to find Plant NOVA Natives Guide.
• 9/23 Manassas Latino Festival – Spanish-speaking volunteers needed.
• 9/23 NatureFest – Runnymede Park, Herndon. Engage with kids – they have tons of ideas for you.
• 9/29 Northern Alexandria Native Plant Sale. Sell Guides.

We need social media volunteers for outreach. Please help post content – email [email protected].

Engage your neighbors in a community project. Would you like to engage your neighbors in the home habitat movement? Help pilot an Audubon-at-Home certification program for your neighborhood by organizing a “Habitat-in-Training” community, in which 60% of residents commit to plant at least one native plant as the first step toward eventual Audubon-at-Home certification for the community as a whole. Plant NOVA Natives is seeking volunteers who can help them figure out how to create a fun and easy program. Click here for details of this work in progress, and email [email protected] if you are interested.

Web person needed – The Wix software is user friendly. The work consists of occasional updates to existing pages and creation of new pages using text and photos which will be provided. They just need you to be adept enough at basic computer skills to be able to work independently and quickly.

Take advantage of fall native plant sales

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We are fortunate in Northern Virginia to have many sources of native plants. In addition to the native-only nurseries – some of which propagate plants themselves from local seed sources – there are numerous vendors who set up shop at special plant sales in the spring and fall.

Find a list on the Plant NOVA Natives website. Scroll down to find the Fall Native Plant Sale portion.  You’ll also find the free, downloadable Guide to Native Plants of Northern Virginia.

If you are looking for particular plants, you can contact vendors in advance and ask for them. Traditional commercial nurseries are selling more and more native plants as well (but don’t expect to find natives at big box stores).

 

Learn how native plants support wildlife, September 12th

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Join the Friends of Dyke Marsh to hear Dr. Desiree Narango speak about her research on how residential landscapes influence biodiversity.

Common yellow throat

The talk will focus on her research comparing how well native and nonnative trees provide food for insect-eating Carolina chickadees.  She will share results from her work that can help you choose trees and shrubs that will support habitat for birds and other backyard wildlife.  She is a postdoctoral researcher at University of Massachusetts Amherst.

The program is sponsored by the Friends of Dyke Marsh and co-sponsored by Plant NOVA Natives, the Northern Virginia Bird Club, and the Potowmack Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society.

Huntley Meadows Park Visitor Center, 3701 Lockheed Boulevard, Alexandria VA

Wednesday, 12 September 2018

7:30 pm

 

 

Help at the Earth Sangha Pull-a-thon 10-12 August

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Join Earth Sangha for a Pull-a-thon at the Marie Butler Leven Preserve this weekend!  The group is going to continue to focus on pulling mile-a-minute and Japanese stiltgrass from the woodland edge. It’s crucial to remove these invasives now before they set seed.

Marie Butler Leven Preserve, 1501 Kirby Road McLean, VA 22101

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 10-12 August 2018

9 am – 12 pm

For more details, click here.

Get help with water-related issues from Conservation Assistance Program

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Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District is now accepting site visit requests for both the Conservation Assistance Program (CAP) and the Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP). Do you have a drainage and erosion problem? Are you interested in improving water quality in local watersheds and the Chesapeake Bay? Funding may be available for you to pursue these types of environmental projects at your home, Homeowners’ Association, or place of worship.

See details here to see if you qualify for either the Conservation Assistance Program or the Virginia Conservation Assistance Program.

August stream monitoring activities: Attend and help

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Join volunteers throughout Fairfax County who monitor water quality in local streams. The Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District trains volunteers to assess ecological conditions in streams based on the presence and abundance of benthic macroinvertebrates (aquatic insects). Volunteers also learn how to take chemical measurements about nitrate/nitrite and turbidity. Training includes indoor and field workshops and mentoring by experienced monitors.

Sunday, 19 August 2018

Stream Monitoring Workshop: Reston
Time:  1:00 – 4:00pm
Join Will Peterson of the Reston Association as he guides you through the monitoring protocol on one of the many beautiful streams that flows through Reston Association’s natural areas. For more information and to RSVP, please contact Will.

Saturday, 25 August 2018

Stream Monitoring Workshop: Cub Run, Centerville
Time:  9-11:30am
Come out to Cub Run in Centerville, VA to learn more about benthic macroinvertebrates and how they can be used to determine the water quality of a stream. RSVP to Dan Schwartz or register through Fairfax County’s Volunteer Management System.

Sunday, 26 August 2018

Stream Monitoring Workshop: Wolftrap Creek, Vienna
Time: 1 – 4pm
Join Certified Volunteer Monitor Ho Yeon Jeong and the Conservation District at Ho Yeon’s adopted site along Wolftrap Creek in the Town of Vienna. Help monitor the health of this restored urban stream, a few miles upstream of its namesake performing arts center. Please RSVP to Dan Schwartz for directions and instructions.

Mosquito Prevention: Tip and toss that water

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A teaspoon.

That’s all the water a mosquito needs to breed. After all the rain we’ve had, please walk around your homes, look on your apartment balconies and examine your neighborhood common areas to tip and toss standing water.

Here are 12 prime locations to check:

  1. Buckets, watering cans, bottle caps or any trash that can hold water
  2. Corrugated pipes for downspout drainage
  3. Bird baths and pet water bowls
  4. Potted plants with saucers
  5. Children’s toys
  6. Tarps on woodpiles and garden equipment
  7. Grill and patio furniture
  8. Read more

Watch August VMN Continuing Ed webinar: Forest Health in Virginia, 16 August

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Access for streaming the 2018 Virginia Master Naturalist videos is now available. Michelle Prysby will restore access to earlier videos, starting with 2017, later this month.

To watch any of the 2018 videos now and the earlier videos later in August, see VMN’s Continuing Education web page.

The August webinar will be on Forest Health in Virginia, with Virginia Department of Forestry’s Forest Health Manager, Lori Chamberlin.  It will take place Thursday, 16 August, at noon. 

For master naturalists, watching the VMN webinars counts toward continuing ed credits.

National Zoo Kid’s Farm looking for volunteers

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The Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s Kids’ Farm exhibit is home to domestic animals rather than exotic animals or wildlife. Volunteers will be trained to perform keeper aide tasks, such as preparing diets, cleaning enclosures and creating enrichment items. Additionally, unlike any other program at the Zoo, volunteers will also be trained in interpretation techniques, including interacting with the general public, giving public demonstrations and educating visitors about environmental issues.

Shifts are available daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Volunteers must be able to commit to at least one four-hour shift every other week for a minimum of one year.

Age Range: 

18+

Commitment: 

long-term

Special qualifications: 

Volunteers should be physically fit and willing to work in all types of weather, as the Kids’ Farm animals are housed outdoors and in a large barn. Volunteers should be interested in learning about and caring for a variety of domestic animals, such as cows, alpacas, chickens and donkeys as well as interacting with Zoo guests about environmental issues. Some animal care experience is preferred but not required.

Training: 

Once provisionally accepted, volunteers must complete mandatory online and in-person orientation and training. Additional training will be provided on the job. There is a probationary period for all volunteers.

Location: 

Washington DC

Status: 

Open

Category: 

Education

Zoo Support

Contact phone: 

202-633-3061

Additional information: 

These positions are highly competitive, and there are limited spaces available. Submission of an application is not a guarantee of placement. Applicants will be interviewed by unit staff, and those who are provisionally accepted will undergo background checks, including fingerprinting, as a requirement for approval as a volunteer. Once accepted, volunteers must submit proof of required vaccinations, including tetanus and a negative TB test, to the Zoo’s health unit.

Please note: It is the Zoo’s policy that individuals who keep venomous animals in personal collections will not be accepted as volunteer keeper aides.

Apply here

Seven Myths About Rain Gardens

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A rain garden is a great way to handle runoff on your property, but it is important to do it right. Rain gardens serve the dual purpose of improving landscape aesthetics and draining stormwater in an environmentally friendly and natural way. Whether you are planning to install a rain garden at home or simply curious about the process, Fairfax County’s Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District teaches about some common myths and misconceptions about rain gardens.