Volunteers as Chesapeake Stewards (VoiCes) virtual course, October 6-November 17th

Tuesday Evenings*
October 6–November 17, 2020
7–8:30 pm
Zoom links will be sent ahead of each class
*except Tuesday, November 3

Register here.

Join Chesapeake Bay Foundation and advocates from across Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania for their first ever virtual Volunteers as Chesapeake Stewards (VoiCes) course.

In the weekly class, you’ll hear from speakers about topics ranging from the challenges facing Bay restoration to steps you can take in your own community to improve the health of your local waterways.

The course will include 1–2 hours of pre-recorded materials to watch at your leisure each week before coming together as a class over Zoom for a brief overview and Q&A with speakers. Some classes will be watershed-wide, while others will be region specific.

Free Event: An Afternoon with Dr. J. Drew Lanham, October 2nd

Friday, October 2, 2020
1-30 — 2:30 pm
Register here

Virginia Conservation Network is proud to invite you to An Afternoon with Dr. J. Drew Lanham. The virtual event is FREE to the public and space is limited. 

A native of Edgefield, South Carolina, J. Drew Lanham is the author of The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature, which received the Reed Award from the Southern Environmental Law Center and the Southern Book Prize, and was a finalist for the John Burroughs Medal. He is a birder, naturalist, and hunter-conservationist who has published essays and poetry in publications including Orion, Audubon, Flycatcher, and Wilderness, and in several anthologies, including The Colors of Nature, State of the Heart, Bartram’s Living Legacy, and Carolina Writers at Home. An Alumni Distinguished Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Master Teacher at Clemson University, he and his family live in the Upstate of South Carolina, a soaring hawk’s downhill glide from the southern Appalachian escarpment that the Cherokee once called the Blue Wall.

VNPS Potowmack Chapter End of Season Plant Sales Reduced Prices

Photo by Laura Beaty

The best time of year to plant is Fall. The soil is warm and the cooler air temperatures help new plantings overcome transplant shock, roots have time to grow before the cold sets in — and even longer before plants will start to grow again in the spring — when early spring bloomers will sustain early pollinators if planted now.

Due to the pandemic, the Potowmack chapter of Virginia Native Plant Society has not been able to hold their in-person plant sales this year. They count on selling plants that don’t over-winter well in pots. In order to make room and to find homes for our plants, they have decided to have an end of season sale so their loyal customers can enjoy our bounty.
 
All of their potted plants may be purchased, but they have reduced the price of 24 species to $3 each or 2 for $5. In addition, they are offering 11 other species at the rate of 1 free plant for each plant you purchase. They have sale prices for Milkweed, White Wood Aster, Great Blue Lobelia, Wild Bergamot, Orange Coneflower and New England Aster, to name a few.
 
The sales prices will be in effect for the remainder of the season. They are open for sales every Wednesday morning in October from 10 am until 1 pm until we close down the beds for the winter.
 
They have also marked down almost all their grasses, sedges and rushes, and many of their small trees are FREE, so here’s a good opportunity to give them a try! Come see what they have!
 
Please bring a box to carry your purchases home.

They will happily accept empty pot donations in the 1- to 2-gallon size. 
Cash or check only, please. Their sales take place behind the Horticulture Center at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, VA.
 
They observe Fairfax County COVID-19 Guidelines.

VDOF Seeks Acorns/Nuts from Virginia Landowners, deadline October 16th

Photo by Dcrjsr – Own work, CC BY 3.0

The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) is again seeking 12 species of acorns and nuts that can be planted at its Augusta Forestry Center [Crimora, Virginia] to grow into tree seedlings that will become the forests of tomorrow.

Each year, VDOF asks the public from across the state to collect and donate nuts of select species to be planted at the state nursery. These seeds will produce next year’s hardwood seedling crop, which will be sold to Virginia’s forestland owners. Seedlings grown from Virginia-grown seed generally produces trees that will best thrive in our state’s climates.

In 2019, Virginians did a tremendous job collecting acorns for the nursery. “The public supplied us with tons of acorns and walnuts last year. I am always amazed at the output by Virginians every year,” says Assistant Forestry Center Manager Josh McLaughlin.

Certain nuts can be difficult to find regionally, and availability can change year to year. At times, one species of tree in a region may produce minimal acorns, while others are abundant with “acorns hanging like bunches of grapes,” says McLaughlin. This is why VDOF puts out a call-to-action for landowners across the state. The more trees that can be identified for collection, the more nuts can be potentially planted in the nursery.

Protocols and guidelines for acorn collection remain mostly the same as last year, with some minor adjustments to the collection deadline and species list. Virginia landowners interested in sharing their acorns or nuts are asked to follow these guidelines.

During September and early October, it is easy to pick up nuts in many yards and parking lots. Try to avoid trees in more heavily forested areas because there may be different species of trees nearby, making it difficult to sort the nuts by species for proper planting.

The species the tree nursery needs this year are: black oak, black walnut, Chinese chestnut, chestnut oak, live oak, northern red oak, pin oak, southern red oak, swamp chestnut oak, swamp white oak, white oak and willow oak.

Place the nuts in a breathable sack or bag (no plastic, please). Minimize debris in the bag (e.g. leaves, sticks, gravel). On the bag, please label the species and date of collection.

Once the nuts are collected, place in a cool area (like a fridge or basement) until you are ready to drop them off at a VDOF office. In Fairfax County, bring the acorns to the bins on the first floor of the parking garage behind the Virginia Department of Forestry office at 12055 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, VA. Nuts must be delivered by October 16, 2020.

Collectors can find more detailed information about collection procedures, nut identification and frequently asked questions on VDOF’s website: https://dof.virginia.gov/tree/acorn-collect.htm

If you have questions, or if there is a tree that needs to be identified before you collect the nuts, please call the Augusta Forestry Center: 540-363-7000.

Master naturalists receive service hour credit for collecting, packaging, and travel to deliver the acorns at code S035.

Fascinating Facts about Bears (Virtual), October 15th

Photo (c) Barbara J. Saffir

Thursday, October 15,2020
7 pm
Register and learn more.

Join Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy’s Jenny Swiggart as she discusses the many fascinating and interesting facts about bears native to the area. Registration required. Participants will receive a link via email to this live-streamed program.

A New Take on “Curb Appeal”

Article by Margaret Fisher, Photo by Plant NOVA Natives

A strip of lawn is the default landscaping choice for the area right next to a street. But is that the only option? Not necessarily, as gardeners are discovering. In many situations, boring lawn can be replaced with pizzazz.

Lawn has its advantages and disadvantages next to a road. It can be walked on, and short plants help preserve important sight lines. However, turf grass (which is from Europe) does nothing to support the local ecosystem which depends on native plants, and compacted lawn does a mediocre job at absorbing stormwater runoff.

Replacing lawn with native plants is an increasingly popular choice. The results can add a lot of character to a property. Certain native plants are particularly suited to the harsh conditions found next to roads, which often include compaction, salt and reflected heat. Deeper roots soak up and purify water before it ends up in our streams.

There are a number of considerations to take into account before planting. Do you actually own the strip of land next to the street? Does your neighborhood or jurisdiction dictate which plants can be used, or their height? If people park next to the curb, where will the passengers step when getting out of the car? Are underground or overhead utilities in the way? Do you know how to design the plantings so they don’t flop over the walkways? Check out the Plant NOVA Natives page on streetside gardens for details and for examples of how several residents have handled these challenges. Their practical solutions have turned ecological dead zones into an asset for the birds and butterflies as well as for the humans who get to appreciate them.

Author Event: The Bird Way with Jennifer Ackerman, webinar October 15th

Thursday, October 15, 2020
7 – 8:30 pm
Virtual!
Fee: $10 ASNV members, $15 non-members
Register for the lecture here.

Join Audubon Society of Northern Virginia as they welcome author Jennifer Ackerman to discuss the much anticipated follow up to The Genius of Birds. NPR’s “SCIENCE FRIDAY” picks The Bird Way as one of “The Best Summer Science Books of 2020”:

Ackerman brings scientific research alive with personal observations of colorful and fascinating birds, from the kea parrot to the raven to the brush turkey, among others. By showing how each species communicates, plays, parents, works, and thinks, she reminds us that there is no one way to be a bird.

Learn more about Jennifer and her work here. To order an autographed copy of her book, visit our website.

Service Opportunities at Riverbend Park and Scott’s Run Nature Preserve

Photo by Valeria Espinoza

Riverbend Park invites the naturalist community to volunteer at the park and at the nature preserve as staff continue to adapt during the pandemic, while keeping our community safe. Summer volunteers have played an important role in keeping the parks clean, restoring native habitats, and supporting the staff during a time of increased visitor turnout.

Additional volunteers this fall would be a blessing. Here are opportunities to work with the exceptionally nice Riverbend staff.

Option 1. International Coastal Fall Cleanup Day: November 7, 2020

Join Clean Virgina Waterways and the Ocean Conservancy on an International Coastal Cleanup Event to keep our waters clean! Collect trash from streams and trails. Compile and report results on trash collected to contribute to a global snapshot of littered items. Help keep millions of pounds of trash out of our oceans! 

Register below for two different shifts and locations:

Riverbend Park 10:00AM-12:00PM 

Scott’s Run Nature Preserve 9:00-11:30 AM 

Option 2. Natural Resource Projects @ Scott’s Run: Thursday mornings. 

Sign up here.  

Volunteers training and working at Riverbend. Photo: Ana Ka’Ahanui

Option 3. Animal Care Volunteer Program (ACVP): Weekday and weekend openings

Whether you are looking for hands-on experience working with animals or simply love spending time with them, join us for ACVP this Fall! We are recruiting volunteers to help care for our display animals. Duties include feeding, watering, cleaning tanks/enclosures, exersicing and monitoring the animals. Learn about the natural history of native turtles and snakes while helping to care for these rescued/rehomed animals. This is an indoor/outdoor volunteer opportunity. Masks are required. Shifts are set to allow only 1-2 people in a building at a time. A weekly or bi-weekly volunteer commitment is preferred.

Apply here. 

Option 4. Natural Resource Projects @ Riverbend: Every Thursday at 1pm.

Riverbend Park needs your help for an invasive removal project. Help restore and preserve Riverbend’s natural resources. Enjoy a day outdoors and do some good! Sign up here. 

Option 5. Nature Education Volunteer Program

Join the programing team this Fall! Volunteers will assist with outdoor programs such as Field Trips for All, scout programs, and weekend nature programs. A minimum commitment of 2 programs/month is required. Apply here. 

Ecological Landscaping with Charles Smith, September 24th and October 1st

Curleyheads photo by Rusty Moran

Virtual, register here
Thursdays, 24 September and 1 October 2020
$25 fee

Are you ready to put the Audubon at Home principles to action? Then this workshop is for you! In this 2-session workshop, participants will learn to apply ecological principles to creating backyard habitats and restoring ecosystems. Focus will be on looking not only at the needs of animals, but working with nature and using local ecosystems as examples for selecting species, building soils and providing natural structure.Charles Smith is a native of Arlington, VA, and a naturalist and ecologist with 25 years of experience working primarily in natural resource management, including the Fairfax County Park Authority and five years with Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority. He is currently branch chief of Fairfax County Stormwater Planning Division, focusing on stream and natural area restoration.

Invasive Management/Habitat Restoration at Lake Accotink Park

Lake Accotink Park
7500 Accotink Park Rd., Springfield VA
Saturdays in September 2020
8 – 10 am

The Lake Accotink Park Invasive Management group, which has made tremendous gains against non-native invasive plants at a location at Lake Accotink Park, started having invasive management work days again. They would love to have you join them whether you’re experienced or just beginning. They are cutting back invasive Porcelain Berry, digging up the very pervasive Porcelain Berry roots, removing Japanese Stilt Grass, Oriental Bittersweet, Multiflora Rose: the usual suspects.
For a while they couldn’t have any invasive work days, but then they went to having ten volunteers at a site. Now they can have up to fifty volunteers, so they’ve been making a lot of progress working within current safety protocols.
To volunteer, contact Beverly Rivera (571) 314-2107.