Landscape professionals supporting our local wildlife

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article by  Plant NOVA Natives staff

On August 7, over a hundred people attended Plant NOVA Natives’ first conference on native plants for professionals, including representatives from 39 professional landscaping companies. Although homeowners can drive demand for native plants, most residential and commercial landscapes in Northern Virginia have been designed and installed by professionals. If our neighborhoods are to evolve in a way that supports the local ecosystem, landscaping industry leadership will be critical.

The Plant NOVA Natives campaign is not just about educating citizens about why and how to use native plants as a first step toward creating home habitat. The campaign also creates resources that are tailored to the needs of professionals. This has included the development of a reference guide that identifies locally native plants that are reliable, widely available, beautiful, and suitable for conventional landscape settings. Curb appeal is important to customers and can be easily obtained using the right native plants. This guide and other resources can be found in the professionals section of the Plant NOVA Natives website.

The conference agenda included three hour-long presentations. Brad Motter from Gone Native Landscapes reviewed the critical role of insects to our ecosystem and the ecological benefits of native plants in the food web supporting wildlife, and discussed how to promote them to customers. One of the examples he showed was the beautiful landscaping around Caboose Commons beer garden and coffee house in Fairfax. By coincidence, a landscape designer in attendance raised his hand to mention that he had been responsible for that design, news that was received with applause! Ginger Woolrich then highlighted the landscaping value of various trees and shrubs, information which can be found in her highly practical book Essential Native Trees and Shrubs, which she co-authored with Tony Dove. Ginger and Tony have included a wonderful cross reference of landscape usage and growing conditions to identify trees and shrubs for many different situations. Elisa Meara wrapped up the conference with a talk on the native perennials which she uses the most in her business, Native Plant Landscape Corp.

The conference was made possible by seed money provided by Transurban’s Express Lanes Community Grant Program and by the collaboration of several organizations. Merrifield Garden Center provided the venue, and the Northern Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association and the Audubon-at-Home program contributed essential logistical support. Meadows Farms and the Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professionals publicized the event on their email lists for professionals. The resulting turnout was very gratifying and demonstrated the need for further conferences in the future.

The fate of the birds, butterflies flies and other native creatures of Northern Virginia is in human hands, and in large part that depends on the actions of members of the landscape profession and their ability to educate their customers on how to become environmental stewards. This is a wonderful opportunity for them to make an important difference to the quality of life of all of us as we work together to protect the ecosystem and mitigate the climate crisis.

Citizen Science: Leaf Survey

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Participate in this component of the Fossil Atmospheres project with the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History

In order to understand how well the features of ginkgo leaves reflect the climate they grow in, scientists need to study leaves from trees growing in many different climates.

Ginkgos are the perfect plant for this. While their natural range is restricted to China, ginkgo trees can now be found all over the world, transported to new places by humans. Ginkgos also have a rich fossil record dating back to the Jurassic Period, meaning scientists can apply what they learn about reconstructing climates from today’s ginkgos to the past hundred million years through beautifully preserved fossil leaves.

How can you help?

The Smithsonian is looking for citizen scientists to send them leaves from their communities!

What you will need

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A Ginkgo tree that is at least 10 feet tall

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A smartphone or computer + camera

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A free account on iNaturalist

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Materials to mail in your leaves: a large envelope, cardboard, newspaper and tape

Watch the video or follow the instructions below to join in with the research. A PDF of the complete instructions is also available for download here and a one page version is available here.

If you are sending a sample from outside of the United States please follow this additional protocol to ensure the sample reaches us.

Questions? Email [email protected]

Read more from the Smithsonian Magazine

Job opening: Huntley Meadows Park E-Status Naturalist

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Part-Time: 1560 hrs/year
$14.50 – $15.00/hour Benefits eligible*

Location: Huntley Meadows Park and Historic Huntley located in Alexandria Virginia.
Over 1500 acres of forest, meadow and wetland habitat.
Instructor Description: Plan, design and present interpretive programs in natural and
cultural history and science topics for age groups ranging from preschool to adults
(preschool aged children on a regular basis). Groups can include: school groups, scout
groups, general public, thematic class series, birthday parties, camps, wagon rides,
events and special request programs. Responsible for RecDynamics functions.
Front desk, administrative, manager on duty, historic house tours, animal care and other
variable jobs included.
Hours: Variable. Hours will include mornings, afternoons, evenings, weekends and
holidays.
Preferred Qualifications: Any combination of education and experience equivalent to a
bachelor’s degree in natural, life, or physical sciences, natural history, education or a
closely related field and six months experience creating and presenting interpretive
programs for children aged 2-5 years old. Ability to communicate effectively, both orally
and in writing. Ability to deal effectively with citizen inquires and questions.
Note: *Individuals in these positions are eligible for limited employee benefits,
including medical, vision and dental insurance coverage, and participation in flexible
spending programs, but are not eligible to earn leave or receive holiday pay. This
position cannot exceed 1,560 hours per calendar year.
To Apply: Please send cover letter and resume to [email protected]

Birding and binocular fundamentals, Aug. 10th

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LL Bean – Tysons Corner Mall
8095 Tysons Corner Center, McLean, VA 22102
Saturday, 10 August 2019
10 – 11 am

Birding is one of the fastest growing hobbies around and a great addition to any outdoor activity. It’s a wonderful way to connect to nature and fun for the whole family. Join Audubon Society of Northern Virginia’s good friend Larry Meade at LL Bean for a FREE one-hour clinic on birding and binocular fundamentals. Questions? Please contact the store at (888) 552-9876.

Edible Landscaping Plants with Fairfax Food Council, Sep. 10th

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Daniels Run Peace Church
3729 Old Lee Hwy., Fairfax VA
Tuesday, 10 September 2019
6:30- 8 pm

Are you trying to figure out how to grow food without upsetting your HOA or subtracting from the beauty of your existing landscaping? Do you want a garden that delights all five of your senses? Permaculture farmer, Cory Suter, will lead a tour of Daniels Run’s edible landscaping and then discuss selecting edible perennials for challenging conditions such as shade, clay soil, and hungry deer. He will introduce dozens of successful edible landscaping plants for Fairfax County, including beautiful evergreens, and deciduous plants with multi-season interest that produce food.
Hosted by the Virginia Cooperative Extension and Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth. Registration is required. Learn more and register here.

2019 4th Annual Farm to Table Dinner for Environmental Education, Aug. 24th

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Windy Knoll Farm
11602 Kettle Run Rd, Nokesville, VA 20181
Saturday, 24 August 2019
3-7 pm

The Prince William Environmental Excellence Foundation will be hosting their 4th annual Farm to Table fundraiser dinner to support environmental education. Windy Knoll Farm is a working farm in addition to being an event center that hosts a variety of the education programs that the Foundation funds for county residents. The event will run from 3 – 7 p.m. The meal will be served from 4:00-5:30 with the ability to eat anytime within that time frame. Tickets for the meal are; $35 for adults, $15 for children ages 13 – 18, and free for children 12 and under. Following meal time, a live auction and speaker on rural development, Chris Price PWC Planning Director, will commence. In addition to the meal and live auction, there will also be a silent auction, photo sessions, opportunities to meet local artisan & farm sponsors, view vendor displays, farm hayride tours, and antique equipment displays.

All proceeds from the event go towards the implementation of beyond the walls of the classroom environmental and agricultural education for the Prince William County Community. This mission is achieved through educational programs: Farm Field Days, Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEE’s), Arbor Day activities, Water Quality Monitoring, and Adopt-A-Stream, to name a few. Your support of the Foundation and the community enable them to provide these outreach programs.

Purchase your tickets early and bring a friend or neighbor to a dinner that highlights the wonderful agricultural products produced in Prince William County. All ticket sales for this event are final. If you are unable to attend this wonderful event we ask that you consider making a tax exempt donation through this site to help us expand the learning environment of Prince William County youth. Register for the event here.

For the event menu or more information about the event, visit their website.

Stream monitoring events, August 14-24

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Reston Association (RA) Stream Monitoring Workshop

Walker Nature Center
11450 Glade Dr., Reston VA
Wednesday, 14 August 2019
1-4 pm

It’s hot! What better way to enjoy summer than to get your feet wet in one of Reston’s streams? RA welcomes new volunteers to assist with stream monitoring at several locations. Get involved with a small team to collect data and identify insects with the goal of assessing the health of Reston’s streams. Not only do you get to learn about streams, it also provides an opportunity to make new friends! Learn more and register.

Wolftrap Creek Stream Monitoring Workshop

Wildwood Park, Vienna, VA
Valley Drive SE to Mashie Drive SE
Friday, 16 August 2019
5-7:30 pm

Join the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District as they discover aquatic life in Wolftrap Creek at certified monitor Ho Yeon’s site in Wildwood Park! 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. This workshop will also help to prepare you to become a certified stream monitor. Registration is limited. Send questions to Ashley Palmer and RSVP here.

Holmes Run Stream Monitoring Session

Near Hockett Street, Falls Church VA
Sunday, 18 August 2019
9 am-12 pm

Join certified stream monitor Valerie Bertha at her site in Holmes Run. Registration is limited. Contact Valerie for more information or to register.

Pohick Creek Stream Monitoring Session

Hidden Pond Nature Center
8511 Greeeley Blvd., Springfield VA
Sunday, 18 August 2019
1:30-4 pm

Join certified stream monitor Susan Demsko at her site at Hidden Pond Nature Center. Registration is limited. Contact Susan for more information or to register.

Reston Association (RA) Stream Monitoring Workshop

Reston, VA
Saturday, 24 August 2019
8 -11 am

Cool off by getting your feet wet in one of Reston’s streams! RA welcomes new volunteers to assist with stream monitoring at several locations. Get involved with a small team to collect data and identify insects with the goal of assessing the health of Reston’s streams. Not only do you get to learn about streams, it also provides an opportunity to make new friends! Learn more and register.

Volunteer with the Farmers Market team

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Are you a local food enthusiast?

Love the outdoors and don’t like being tied to a desk? 

Would you like to help bring fresh, healthy, local produce to your community?

Are you interested in supporting local farmers/producers and contributing to their livelihood?

Then this volunteer opportunity is for you!

The primary Market Manager duties include opening and closing the markets, and serving as the face of the Farmers Market Program to customers and vendors. The Market Manager helps promote the markets and answers customer questions. They monitor safety and help resolve minor issues or report incidents. Volunteers should be outgoing, passionate about buying local, and enthusiastic about connecting community members with local farmers and producers. Must offer a three month to one year commitment. We are currently seeking assistance at the following markets:

McCutcheon/Mount Vernon

Wednesdays, 8 a.m. – noon

May 2 – December 19

Sherwood Library

2501 Sherwood Hall Lane

Annandale 

Thursdays, 8 a.m. – noon

May 3 – November 1

Mason District Park

6621 Columbia Pike

 Kingstowne 

Fridays, 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.

May 4 – October 26

In the Giant parking lot

5870 Kingstowne Towne Center

Burke

Saturdays, 8 a.m. – noon

April 14 – December 22

VRE parking Lot

5671 Roberts Parkway

Lorton

Sundays, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

May 6 – November 18

VRE parking lot

8990 Lorton Station Blvd

The primary Market Manager duties includes to open and close the markets, and serve as the face of the Farmers Market Program to customers and vendors. The Market Manager helps promote the markets and answer questions of the customers who visit. They monitor safety and help resolve minor issues or report incidents.

Volunteers should be outgoing, passionate about buying local, and enthusiastic about connecting community members with local farmers and producers. Must offer a three month to one year commitment.

For more information or to join our team please fill out an application through Fairfax County’s Volunteer Management System (VMS). If you have additional questions give us a call at 703-642-0128 or email us at [email protected].

Working together to keep Fairfax County streams healthy

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Valerie Bertha

Front Row left to right: Victoria Skender, Richard Skender. Back row, left to right: volunteer, Bradley Simpson, representing Audubon, Terri Skender

Over three years ago, I started attending stream monitoring sessions with Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District (NVSWCD). I was amazed at how much fun I had learning how to identify the benthic macro invertebrates (tiny spineless bugs) that live on the bottom of the streams in our community. I learned that the type and diversity of the creatures we found would tell us how healthy or impaired the stream was.

But the goal wasn’t just for me to learn something, stream monitors are citizen scientists whose work complements that of the NVSWCD. By submitting the data we collect to Virginia Save Our Streams, citizens have the opportunity to identify streams that need help and work with the county to determine a plan of corrective action. Our efforts also provide a baseline for monitoring pending construction projects to prevent any degradation of water quality.

So is the work valuable? Yes, and it’s not overly time consuming. Each session takes a mere 3 hours of the volunteer’s time.

Hellgramites from Holmes Run

But is it fun? Yes, it is! So much fun that I decided to take the next step and become a certified stream monitor. I adopted a site on Holmes Run near my house to monitor quarterly. My goal is to have around 8 volunteers per session. We find a variety of macro invertebrates: net spinners, beetles, hellgrammites, black flies, midges, flat worms and sometimes stone flies.

Anyone can volunteer. I have trained multiple girl scout troops, run workshops for high schoolers, and always accept individual volunteers. You do not need to be an FMN member. I enjoy working with NVSWCD because they provide the equipment and training certification, and they are always helpful.

Are you curious about the water quality of your local stream? Would you like to make a positive difference in our environment? Join me or other volunteers and participate in stream monitoring. Start here. Just search under Fairfax County Stream Monitoring.

If you would like to come to one of my quarterly stream monitoring sessions please send me an email at valerie.bertha@gmail,com. My next session is August 18, 9 am – noon. I will host another in November, time to be determined.

Rain, rain, drain away?

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Article by NVCT staff

Are you as concerned as the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust about the severe storms and flash flooding that have affected our region in recent weeks? These events also impact local wildlife, trees and plants while overtaxing our stormwater infrastructure. Take a look these ways that you can help reduce the impacts of flooding in your own backyards.

How to Reduce the Impact of Flooding

1. Level a sloping yard. To avoid incoming water, the ground should always slope away from your home in all directions. Locate the high and low points of your home and use extra dirt to slope the yard away from your house. This way, melting snow and rain will flow away from your home and basement, preventing flooding in your home. Work with a professional to make sure vents, basement windows, pipes, drains, and other areas aren’t negatively impacted during the grading process.

2. Choose native plants that prevent flooding. Indigenous plants can help to prevent soil erosion while also allowing rainwater to drain more efficiently. Some examples of plants great for this task are shrubs, ferns, wildflowers, and small, native trees. These can often be found at local plant nurseries.

(Ed. note:  Plant NOVA Natives has terrific advice for such plants on their website.)

3. Add mulch to your garden. In garden areas graded away from your home, fill with a few inches of mulch. This will help keep soil in place and hold in rainwater. If mulching near your home, make sure the mulch is at least six inches from your siding to avoid moisture wicking and rotting of your home’s exterior.

4. Plant grass to reduce the impact of floods. The root structure of grass can help absorb water. It’s important to research what kind of grass would be most effective for your area. Once it grows in, avoid cutting your lawn too short, which weakens the roots and can lead to flooding in your yard, and possibly your home.

5. Plant a rain garden. Rain gardens are the perfect solution for curbing erosion and improving water quality. They collect rainwater and water that runs from your gutters and downspouts, and create a runoff, filtering it away from your house. They are often created in shallow, landscaped depressions.

(Ed. note:  Plant NOVA Natives has terrific advice for rain gardens on their website.)

6. Add drainage areas near driveways. Paved driveways can quickly lead to rainwater runoff, which can increase your home’s risk for flooding. Installing a gravel or spaced paver driveway are two options. For something less expensive, consider adding drainage next to your driveway by way of channel drains, pavers, or other landscaping-based solutions.

7. Install a rain barrel. Rain barrels, which are placed at the bottom of downspouts to collect the water, are a great way to redirect moisture and protect your home from flooding. As an added bonus, rain barrels allow an eco-friendly way to water your gardens and lawn when it’s dry out, as well as decrease pollution runoff into lakes and natural waterways.

8. Check your sump pump. A well-maintained sump pump will ensure that your basement stays dry by directing water out of your basement and away from your home. A sump pump can mean the difference between proper water flow and costly water damage. It’s important to check your sump pump to make sure everything is in proper working order. If you don’t have a sump pump, you might want to see if getting one is right for you.