Sign up to be trained as an Audubon at Home Ambassador
Are you a bird lover who wants to create habitat to attract birds to your or your neighbors’ yards? Are you a native plant lover? Are you intrigued by observing wildlife in your own yard? Do you lament the prevalence of English ivy, and sterile, conventional landscapes and lawns in Fairfax County suburbs?
If so, this is the gig for you! Sign up to be trained as an Audubon at Home Ambassador and help transform the landscape of Northern Virginia, one yard at a time.
A training/orientation session will be offered Saturday, April 1, at the National Fish and Wildlife Federation headquarters at 11100 Wildlife Center Drive, Reston, from 10 a.m. to 1. Bring a bag lunch.
Please email Betsy Martin at [email protected] by Tuesday Feb. 26th if you’d like to sign up.
Audubon at Home Ambassadors visit properties and provide advice to homeowners on what natives to plant, what invasives to remove, and how to improve wildlife habitat in peoples’ backyards. We certify properties as Wildlife Sanctuaries when homeowners adopt Best Habitat Practices, and when beneficial Sanctuary Species actually show up and use the yard. (Our motto is, “Let the animals decide.”) You can learn more about the Audubon at Home program at http://audubonva.org/audubon-at-home-1 .
On April 1, Betsy Martin (Fairfax County Audubon at Home Coordinator) will give a presentation on the program and its philosophy, the role of Ambassador, and resources that will help you research and advise clients on native plants and habitat improvements.
After lunch, Charles Smith of Fairfax County Stormwater Planning Division will lead a walk on the beautiful and natural NFWF grounds, showing trainees how to read a landscape, what to look for when assessing its habitat value, and how to think about creating wildlife habitat.
Audubon at Home is an approved FMN service project. You will receive 3 hours of Continuing Education credit for attending this training session and service credit for each home visit.
