Virginia Master Naturalist Statewide Conference and Volunteer Training

The 2019 conference will be Friday, September 20-Sunday, September 22.  Pre-conference field trips and activities will take place during the day on Friday, and the main event will run Friday evening through Sunday mid-day.

In 2019, the VMN-Headwaters Chapter welcomes VMN volunteers from across Virginia to the Shenandoah Valley. The event will be based at the Massanetta Springs Camp & Conference Center, five miles from downtown Harrisonburg.  From there, it is a short trip to terrific field trip sites, including Shenandoah National Park, George Washington National Forest, several Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation Natural Area Preserves, the Edith J. Carrier Arboretum, and more.

Registration Dates and Types

Early Registration will open in mid-July and Regular Registration will open in mid-August, specific dates TBA.

Two registration types in 2019:

  • Full Conference – $185 during Early Registration, or $200 during Regular Registration
  • Saturday Training Only (price includes Saturday lunch) – $75 during Early Registration, or $85 during Regular Registration

Information on the agenda and lodging

Volunteer Reston honors Doug Britt for community service

Doug Britt was honored as one of two 2019 Volunteers of the Year, for his efforts to guide Reston into becoming a member of the Biophilic Cities Network. In 2018, Reston officially became the 13th partner community, joining such biophilic cities as Singapore;  Sydney, Australia; Wellington, New Zealand; Oslo, Norway; Edmonton, Canada;  Portland, San Francisco, Austin,  and Washington, DC. The successful application to join this prestigious Network came about as a result of a recommendation made by the Reston Annual State of the Environment Report (RASER) Working Group, led by Mr. Britt. The RASER Working Group was established by Reston Association’s Environmental Advisory Committee in 2017. It was charged with the task of assessing and documenting the environmental conditions of the community to establish a baseline against which future changes could be measured. Doug served alongside five other Fairfax Chapter VMN program graduates: Don Coram (who won the 2019 Volunteer Reston 55+ Volunteer Award), Robin Duska, Linda Fuller, Lois Phemister, and Claudia Thompson-Deahl, all of whom helped prepare the RASER.

The first RASER was published in July 2017. It evaluated 16 separate environmental attributes of the Reston community, concluding with a postscript arguing that Reston is a biophilic community by design and intent of its founding principles. Reston’s particular way of connecting its natural areas to its residents (through its many walking paths, trails, Nature Center, recreation areas, and education/outreach programs) maximizes such connectivity and promotes more frequent, longer duration, and more immersive interactions, while the preservation of Reston’s green spaces also creates healthy viewscapes from much of the built environment.

The current RASER was completed by the Working Group in November 2018. The report updates and expands upon the first RASER. The 2018 report evaluates the status of the following environmental attributes: Air Quality, Streams, Lakes & Ponds, Stormwater Management, Drinking Water, Wastewater Treatment, Urban Forests, Meadows, Wetlands, Landscaping & Urban Agriculture, Birds, Mammals, Reptiles & Amphibians, Invertebrates, Wildlife Management, Hazardous Materials & Toxic Wastes, Light Pollution, Noise Pollution, and Education & Outreach. 

All together, the Working Group analyzed and reviewed more than 325 data sources and scientific reports during the summer and fall of 2018 by the Working Group. Each environmental attribute was then given a qualitative status using a traffic light icon to distinguish between “good”, “fair”, “poor”, or “undetermined”. The last designation indicates that not enough data exist to make a reasonable assessment at this time. The full report includes 135 graphs, tables, maps and photos, along with a complete list of references for readers interested in more detailed information. The current report also expands on each environmental attribute analyzed by including information about how each attribute relates to Fairfax County’s current Environmental Vision document (something that was not included in the earlier 2017 RASER). 

Another addition to the current RASER is a “Recommendations & Report Card” chapter. It describes 11 new recommendations for improving or protecting Reston’s environmental quality, and evaluates progress made towards implementing the 61 previous recommendations listed in the 2017 RASER. Nearly 2000 hours of uncompensated volunteer time went into the production of the RASER and implementation of many of its recommendations. 

The complete 2018 RASER (and its Executive Summary) can be viewed at the Reston Association’s NATURE OVERVIEW.

This work falls under Service Project C-245. Mr. Britt welcomes the service of Fairfax Master Naturalists who are interested in contributing.

Full account of the awards and the activities that led to them

Fairfax County recognized as Tree City USA by Arbor Day Foundation

SpringFEST Fairfax served as the backdrop for a ceremony recognizing Fairfax County as a Tree City USA. The county earned the Arbor Day Foundation designation for the 36th consecutive year. Each year since its inception in 1976, thousands of urban foresters across the country submit applications to be considered to receive this esteemed recognition. The accomplishment was celebrated during a ceremony at SpringFEST Fairfax, on Saturday, April 27, 2019, at Sully Historic Site in Chantilly.

SpringFEST Fairfax is presented by the Fairfax County Park Authority and Clean Fairfax, with support from the Fairfax County Park Foundation. The annual festival is Fairfax County’s official Earth Day and Arbor Day celebration.

Pictured (left to right): Jim McGlone, Urban Forest Conservationist, Virginia Department of Forestry; Roberta Longworth, Executive Director, Fairfax County Park Foundation; Senator Jennifer Boysko, Virginia District 33; Maggie Godbold, Sully representative, Park Authority Board; Delegate Karrie Delaney, Virginia District 67; Kathy Smith, Providence representative, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors; Kirk Kincannon, Executive Director, Park Authority; Cathy Ledec, Chair, Fairfax Tree Commission; Brian Keightley, Urban Forest Management Division Director, Department of Public Works and Environmental Services; and Topper Shutt, WUSA-9 Chief Meteorologist.

Fairfax County farmers markets now open

Local farmers and artisans are excited to provide you with the freshest produce, meats, cheese, baked breads, honey, ice cream, sweets, and cut flowers the region has to offer. All of Fairfax County’s 10 farmers markets are open for the season.

The farmers markets offers the best quality produce around, with everything harvested hours before sale to ensure optimum taste and nutrition.

The markets are producer-only, meaning the farmers and producers must grow or make everything they sell at market. This gives customers the opportunity to meet farmers, and learn more about where their food comes from. There is no better way to support local farmers, businesses, and community than shopping locally.

Bring your family and friends, and join your neighbors at the farmers markets! Don’t forget to bring your reusable bag!

Here’s a printable schedule

Volunteer needed to staff Hidden Oaks table at family festival, June 15

Hidden Oaks seeks a volunteer to staff the Hidden Oaks table at a family festival featuring local environmental and nature groups and displays. 

When? June 15, 11:30am – 2:15 pm

Where? First Christian Church of Alexandria, 2723 King Street Alexandria

What? Parents and children stop by the Hidden Oaks table to see insects, toad, and tadpoles. Hidden Oaks provides all materials. The church offers a child development center for disadvantaged preschoolers and their families who would be participating in this event.  

To volunteer:  Contact Fiona Davies at [email protected]

The Evolution of the National Wildlife Refuge System: One Manager’s Perspective

Imagining “wild” spaces in and around a busy metropolitan area like Fairfax County might feel like an exercise in futility, but we are actually have several wildlife refuges within driving distance: Mason Neck and Patuxent Research Refuge, for example.

How did these areas become protected and what’s next for the National Wildlife Refuge System that cares for them?

On May 11, at the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District’s Green Breakfast in Fairfax, Patuxent Wildlife Refuge Manager Brad Knudsen discussed the evolution of the National Wildlife Refuge System. He told stories about the important wildlife resources the NWRS conserves, how the NWRS has grown in its 116 years, and how legislation and public involvement have impacted the direction of the system.

He closed with a glimpse at what the future holds, including decisions driven by science and a mission to take the refuges to the people. Luckily, he’s allowed us to post his slides so that folks who couldn’t come, can still get a sense of what he talked about, and work to preserve our natural national heritage.

 

Hunting Creek clean-up with canoe & kayak, June 8th

Hunting Creek, Hunting Creek, Virginia, USA
Saturday, 8 June 2019
11 am

Join the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust on June 8 for a canoe/kayak cleanup at Hunting Creek in Alexandria, VA! The goal is to remove debris and trash from Hunting Creek – a tidal wetland which flows directly into the Potomac River and on to the Chesapeake Bay. Help them support a healthy and thriving environment for all the plants and wildlife who rely on this habitat. If you’re interested in attending, please RSVP to Emily Bowman at [email protected] or 703-559-3620. Click here to learn more.

A free cookout will take place after the cleanup for all attendees.

Dragonfly training workshop at Riverbend, May 18

Riverbend Park
8700 Potomac Hills St.
Great Falls , VA 22066
Saturday, May 18
2-4 PM

Instructors: Jerry Peters & Rita Peralta

Participate in a long-term citizen science project that is monitoring dragonfly species in and around the Potomac River above Great Falls. Learn the protocols for collecting exuviae (shed skins) that dragonfly larvae leave behind when they emerge from the river and metamorphose into flying adults. Understand dragonfly life cycles and make the Virginia shoreline of the Potomac river one of your sites for nature appreciation through the seasons.

Learn more

 

 

Beetles of Virginia, with Dr. Art Evans, June 15

Clifton Institute
6712 Blantyre Road
Warrenton, Virginia 20187-7106

Saturday, June 15
7:30PM – 9:30PM

Join the Institute for a program about beetles presented by entomologist and author Dr. Art Evans. After his presentation, Dr. Evans will take everyone outside  to set up several black light sheets to attract nocturnal beetles and other insects. Dr. Evans is the author of Beetles of Eastern North America. He is an adjunct professor and teaches entomology and medical entomology at the University of Richmond, Randolph-Macon College, and Virginia Commonwealth University. $10 a person.

Learn more

Natural history and conservation of Virginia moths, with Dr. Steve Roble, June 29

Clifton Institute
6712 Blantyre Road
Warrenton, Virginia 20187-7106

Saturday, June 29
8:00PM – 10:30PM

Dr. Steve Roble will give a presentation on the natural history about moths and a summary of his agency’s efforts during the past 30 years to study the moths of Virginia. Then we will go outside and use ultraviolet lights to attract moths and other nocturnal insects and discuss some of our finds.

Dr. Steve Roble is the head Zoologist for the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Division of Natural Heritage. He is the editor of Banisteria, the semiannual journal of the Virginia Natural History Society, and a research associate at the Virginia Museum of Natural History. $10 a person.

Learn more