Meadow planting & Accotink Gorge walking tour, Nov. 10th

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Accotink Gorge
7245 Fullerton Road, Springfield
Saturday, 10 November 2018
9am-1pm and 1:30-4:30 pm

Join Friends of Accotink Creek at this great volunteer opportunity! Bring trowels and shovels to help install a native meadow at a Fairfax County maintenance facility. Afterward take a walking tour of the adjacent scenic Accotink Gorge and spend some time along the way cutting back the alien invasive Chinese wisteria vines that are engulfing this biological gem. We recommend sturdy work shoes, long pants, and long sleeves. Water and work gloves will be available. Free event. RSVP and see this and other volunteer and educational opportunities by visiting the Friends of Accotink Creek calendar.

Stream monitoring, attend and learn Nov. 11th and Dec. 1st

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Accotink Creek Stream Monitoring Workshop

Rutherford Park, 4743 Guinea Road, Fairfax VA

Sunday,  11 November 2018

10 am-12:30pm

Join the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District (NVSWCD) and discover aquatic life at Rutherford Park! Sampling will take place at Long Branch, a tributary to Accotink Creek. This official NVSWCD stream monitoring workshop covers watershed health, what macroinvertebrates tell us about stream quality, and what you can do to prevent pollution in your local stream. Registration is limited. RSVP to Ashley Palmer.

Broad Run Stream Monitoring Session

Bristow, VA

Saturday, 1 December 2018, 10:30am-12:30pm

Join a stream monitor at this adopted outdoors science lab to learn more about water quality for more awareness in Prince William County. Registration is limited. RSVP to Sonnie Cuffey.

VMN webinar: Mason Bee Project update

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Are you interested in learning about mason bees? Master Naturalists across the state and mason bee researchers at the University of Virginia’s Blandy Experimental Farm were able to monitor spring-emerging mason bee populations. Over 150 Master Naturalists all over Virginia were involved by deploying bee “hotels” (nest boxes) in 2017 and 2018 and bee bowls (traps) in 2017. This webinar will cover the natural history of spring-emerging mason bees, it will describe our project setup and methodology with a live demonstration, results will be shared, and we will share information for how to participate in the 2019 mason bee monitoring project season. Everyone is welcome to join the webinar.

Kate LeCroy is a Ph.D. student studying ecology in the department of Environmental Sciences at the University of Virginia. She is advised by T’ai Roulston, Ph.D., at University of Virginia’s Blandy Experimental Farm in Boyce, Virginia. Kate graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Birmingham-Southern College in Birmingham, Alabama and went on to complete a Master of Science degree in Biology from the University of Pittsburgh studying the community ecology of flower color. Now at UVA, in 2017 and 2018, Kate worked with over 150 Virginia Master Naturalists throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia to document springtime wild bee diversity, particularly the diversity of mason bees (genus Osmia). Kate enjoys interacting with Master Naturalists because of their curiosity, their steadfast commitment to projects, and their enthusiasm for conservation and the natural world. When she’s not out “saving the bees” Kate enjoys spending time in Charlottesville with her husband Riley and their dog, Magnolia.

Webinar Details

When: November 13, 2018, 12:00 pm

Meeting Number: 467-052-749

Link to join: Join Webinar

(This link will connect you to the video feed, but you will need to connect your audio separately to hear the speaker.  Zoom will prompt you to do that once you have connected the video feed.  See the technical information below for details on connecting your audio.)

Link for recordings of this and past webinars:  VMN Continuing Education page 

Nature’s Best Photography on display at Museum of Natural History

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The 23rd Annual Nature’s Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards exhibition opened on October 29 at the National Museum of Natural History. Named for nature photographer and conservationist Windland Smith Rice, Nature’s Best presents breathtaking fine art prints and short videos that highlight the best of nature photography—and our spectacular planet.

The “23rd Annual Windland Smith Rice International Awards Smithsonian Exhibition” is on view through September 2019, on the second floor of the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

Entries to the 2019 competition may be submitted beginning November 1, 2018.

Spotted Skunk Survey

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Photo by Emily Thorne, VT.

Eastern spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius) populations are believed to have declined throughout much of their range in the eastern United States since the 1940s. Hypothesized declines have been attributed to habitat loss or change, increased competition with sympatric carnivore species, or diseases.

Lack of information regarding the spatial distribution and habitat associations of the eastern spotted skunk in Virginia dictates the need for increased ecological study regarding this species of concern. To better understand the current distribution of spotted skunks in Virginia, we aim to determine the species’ range boundaries and habitat associations throughout Virginia using baited remote-sensing cameras.

Eastern spotted skunk populations are not currently managed in the Commonwealth though the species has been rare or largely absent over the last few decades from areas where it was once abundant. Outcomes of this project will directly assist in the development of long-term, large scale monitoring as well as effective management and conservation assessments.

Participating volunteers will set up and monitor baited camera traps at sites with appropriate permissions and permits.

Interested VMN volunteers and chapters should contact Emily Thorne, the project leader. This season’s monitoring will begin in the winter (approximately February) and continue at least through April 2019. Camera stations will be established by February and checked at least once per week throughout the project.

A project proposal form that explains volunteer expectations and resources needed, a training webinar, project protocols, and other resources are all available on the Spotted Skunk Survey project page.

Fall service opportunities at Riverbend Park 

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For questions or to volunteer, contact Valeria Espinoza at [email protected] or 703-759-9018.

Record your hours as S109: FCPA Habitat and Parkland Management.

Thursday, Nov. 8, 1pm-TBD  Grass Seed Collection Training

Learn how to collect native grass seeds.  Once trained, you can do this at your convenience.  Other training dates/times available. 

Saturday, Nov. 10, 9-11am   Trail Work Day

Join master naturalist Scott Schroth on a hands-on trail restoration and erosion control project.  

Saturday, Nov. 17, 9-11am   Fall Tree Planting and Restoration

Assist in planting over 400 trees and shrubs, building cages, and removing invasives to help restore sections of the forest.

Trash Cleanup at Marumsco Creek, November 17th

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On Saturday, 17 November 2018, partner with the Prince William County Parks & Recreation Department, Department of Public Works, and the Prince William Soil & Water Conservation District on a trash cleanup in the Woodbridge district. We’ll focus on Marumsco Creek, where it flows through Jefferson Park and Veteran’s Park. The cleanup will be part of a larger public outreach event on Plastics Pollution Prevention and Cleanup, with educational exhibits setup at Veterans Park. Learn more by visiting the event webpage and registering for the cleanup at Veteran’s Park and/or Jefferson Park.

Biodiversity of the George Washington Memorial Pkway, Nov. 14th

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Photo by Barbara J. Saffir (c)

Huntley Meadows Park

3701 Lockheed Boulevard, Alexandria, VA

Wednesday, 14 November 2018

7:30 pm

National Park Service (NPS) biologist Brent Steury will give a presentation summarizing the George Washington Memorial Parkway’s eleven-year biodiversity inventory of its 4,580 acres. NPS experts have documented 5,563 species including 101 species new to the flora or fauna of Virginia, seven species new to the District of Columbia, three species new to North America, at least 71 species new to science, 106 species state listed for rarity, and three federally-threatened species. This free, public program is sponsored by the Friends of Dyke Marsh, the American Horticultural Society, the Friends of Little Hunting Creek and the Four Mile Run Conservancy Foundation. Sponsored by the Friends of Dyke Marsh.

NVSWCD now accepting applications for spring internship

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The Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District is seeking a spring 2019 intern who will support the district’s award-winning spring outreach programs. Programs include classroom presentations, outdoor learning experiences, outreach events and festivals, high school Envirothon competition, rain barrel workshops, our Seedling Sale, high school science fair project judging, stream monitoring, Enviroscape trainings, storm drain marking, the Sustainable Garden Tour, and more! Learn more about this paid opportunity and how to apply by visiting the position description and announcement on our website.

95th Green Breakfast, November 10th

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Photo by Barbara J. Saffir (c)

Brion’s Grille
10621 Braddock Rd, Fairfax, VA 22032
Saturday, 10 November 2018
Breakfast begins at 8:30 am, $10 at the door, cash preferred
No prior registration required.

Breakfast includes an all-you-can eat hot buffet with fresh fruit and coffee, tea, orange juice or water.  If you have any questions, please contact the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District at [email protected].

Speaker:  Nancy Stoner
President of the Potomac Riverkeeper Network
 
Every day there are groups promoting clean water through advocacy and action. The Potomac Riverkeeper Network is one of them. Established in 2000 by principals of local environmental groups to fulfill a niche for a strong advocate to enforce clean water laws for the Potomac River and its tributaries, Riverkeepers are the eyes and ears of the water, protecting the public’s right to clean water in their rivers and streams. Encompassing the skills of scientists, teachers, law officers, fishermen and paddlers, Riverkeepers combine a profound knowledge of their waterway, matched with a relentless commitment to protecting your rights and the rule of law.

Nancy Stoner joined the Potomac Riverkeeper Network in April 2018 as its new president, succeeding Jeff Kelble. As one of the nation’s most experienced water policy experts, Nancy has a rich and distinguished background in protecting our nation’s water. Nancy most recently served as Water Program Director and Senior Fellow for the Pisces Foundation where she developed the foundation’s strategy to protect freshwater resources in the U.S. using integrated water management (IWM) to maximize the value from water resources for people and nature. She also supervised a $7 million investment annually to implement IWM in urban and agricultural watersheds.

Nancy graduated from the Yale Law School, New Haven, Connecticut, and was awarded a Juris Doctorate in 1986. She was also awarded a Bachelor of Arts with Highest Distinction, Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia.