“Restoring the Little Things that Run the World,” webinar with Doug Tallamy, September 25th

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Photo: Doug Tallamy

Sunday, September 25, 2022
3 – 5pm
Virtual
Fees: $10 + fees
Register here.

Doug Tallamy is an entomologist, ecologist and conservationist, a professor in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware, and a successful author. Tallamy will deliver a talk for us titled, “Restoring the Little Things that Run the World.” A recent UN report predicts that as many as 1 million species will disappear from planet earth because of human activities. Many of these are insects and nearly all species at risk rely on insects. A world without insects will be a world without humans! So, how do we create beautiful landscapes brimming with life – landscapes that support the butterflies, caterpillars, bees, beetles and other insects that run the ecosystems we depend on? Tallamy will remind us of the essential roles insects play, and describe the simple changes we must make in our landscapes and our attitudes to keep insects on the ground, in the air and yes, on our plants.

Grand Reopening of Hidden Oaks Nature Center, July 16th

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Photo: Courtesy Fairfax County Park Authority, renovated Hidden Oaks Nature Center

Saturday, July 16

10:00am – 1:00pm



Join the Fairfax County Park Authority on Sat. July 16 for festivities celebrating a bigger and better nature center! The event runs from 10 a.m.- 1 p.m. and is free to the public. All parking, other than ADA, is at the Packard Center and Annandale Community Park playground, 4030 Hummer Rd. Hidden Oaks’ Grand Reopening is sponsored by the Fairfax County Park Foundation and Friends of Hidden Oaks Nature Center.

  • 10:00-10:30 a.m.
    • Opening Remarks in the Pond View Classroom
    • CAFÉ South Korean Children’s Chorus
    • Mason District Board of Supervisor Penny Gross
    • Mason District Park Authority Board Supervisor Ron Kendall
    • Fairfax County Park Authority Management Team
  • 10:30-10:45 a.m.
    • Ribbon Cutting at New Pond
  • 10:45 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
    • Community Activities
      • 3-D Microscope: Supported by Transurban 495-95-395 Express Lanes, Rotary Club of Bailey’s Crossroads and Department of Public Works and Environmental Services
      • What’s New? Scavenger Hunt
      • Origami: Sponsored by Artisans United
      • STEM Fun: Bubbles in Nature Place
      • Make a Bug Jar and meet friendly insects in Nature Place
      • Diva Crows
  • 10:45-11:20 a.m.
    • Storytelling in A-Corner Area
  • 11:30-11:45 a.m.
    • Just Four Grins Barbershop Quartet by pond
  • 11:25-11:55 a.m.
    • Nature Puppet Show by Caroline Sietz in Forestview Classroom
  • 12:00-1 :00 p.m.
    • Kick off Latino Conservation Week in Pond View Classroom
    • Announcement of the Tri-Lingual Storybook Trail sponsored by Transurban 495-95-395 Express Lanes.
    • Announcement of the Bi-Lingual QR coded Old Oak Trail
    • Fraternidad Folclórica Cultural Bolivian Children Dancers
  • 1:00 p.m.
    • Cupcakes in the Program Shelter next to the Woodland Wildlife Tree Sculpture

 

Cost: Free

Registration: Register Online

Hidden Oaks Nature Center Grand Reopening Celebration flyer

Help Tackle Invasive Plants with Friends of Dyke Marsh (FODM), July & August

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Photo: Janet Quinn, Invasive plants
Saturdays, July 16 and 30, August 13 and 27, 2022
9:00-11:00am

Dyke Marsh, Alexandria
Haul Road Trail directions and parking information – click here.
(GPS coordinates: 38.777739, -77.050540)

For more events and information click here.

Help protect native plants by pulling and clipping invasive plants. FODM will train volunteers to identify the five or so target plants. Sign up by sending an email to [email protected]. Put “invasive plants” in the subject box Invasive plants can threaten and outcompete native plants.

Eakin Park Habitat Restoration, July 16th & 23rd

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Photo: Courtesy of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Saturdays July 16 and 23, 2022
9:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Eakin Park
8515 Tobin Road,
Annandale 22003

For more information and to sign up click here.

Help with habitat restoration by removing exotic invasive species from the trees and ground within this neighborhood park.

Butterfly and Dragonfly Survey, April – October

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Photo: Courtesy of Plant NOVA Natives, Mourning Cloak Butterfly
Every Friday, April-October, 2022
8:30am-12:00pm

Various locations:
Meadowood Recreation Area10406 Gunston Road
Lorton, VA, 22079

Occoquan Bay NWR13950 Dawson Beach Road
Woodbridge, VA, 22191

Metz Wetlands15875 Neabsco Road
Woodbridge, VA, 22191

Occoquan Regional Park9751 Ox Road
Lorton, VA, 22079

Registration is required, to learn more and to register, click here.

Butterfly and dragonfly surveys are carried out in temperate months (April-October), normally on Friday mornings, at one of four sites around Occoquan Bay, all within the 15-mile diameter circle established for the annual North American Butterfly Association‘s Annual Count.

Bat Night, August 13th

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Photo by Rick Reynolds on dwr.virginia.gov
Saturday, August 13, 2022
7:30-9:30pm

Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship, Purcellville
11661 Harpers Ferry Road
Purcellville, VA 20132 United States + Google Map

Registration required. Learn more and register here.

Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy is excited to present Bat Night led by The Bat Lady, Dr. Susanne Sterbing, world-renowned bat expert and research professor at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Sterbing will present a fascinating audio-visual presentation followed by a question-and-answer period. You don’t want to miss Dr. Sterbing’s description of the strange feeding rituals of vampire bats! The lecture will be followed by a live bat viewing (hopefully) down at the pond. Family friendly; wear good walking shoes and bring flashlights and bug repellant.

A Planet Full of Insects and Spiders: Friends and Foes, August 6th

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Photo: FMN Kate Luisa
Saturday, August 6, 2022
8:00-10:00pm

Izaak Walton League Chapter House, Leesburg
19237 Mountain Spring Lane
Leesburg, VA 20175 + Google Map

For more information and to register, click here.

Join Dr. Adamski, PhD, member of the Department of Entomology for the National Museum of Natural History, for his presentation on these most abundant of all animals. Learn why they are so successful in all types of environments. From camouflage, warning coloration, and mimicry to sound production, predation, cannibalism, and metamorphosis; all will be explained in family-friendly language.

Birding in the Watershed Webinar, July 28th

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Photo: FMN Ron Grimes
Thursday, July 28, 2022
12:00pm
For more information and to register, click here.


This webinar is part of the Ask the Alliance series hosted by the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay. Curious what birds are flying around your local landscapes? Emily Broich, Pennsylvania Green Projects Coordinator for the Alliance, will share how you can spot and identify birds in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Bees Webinar, August 4th

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Photo courtesy of the Fairfax County Park Authority

Thursday, August 4, 2022
12:00 pm

For more information and to register, click here.

This webinar is part of the Ask the Alliance series hosted by the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay. Bees are all the buzz. Join Savannah Lightcap, Green Infrastructure Projects Assistant for the Alliance, as she shares how you can identify bees, plant bee habitats, and rehome unwanted bees. Then, Brittany Smith, Pennsylvania Agriculture Projects Manager, will share her very own bee colony.

Stream Monitoring: Citizen Science & Training Opportunities

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Photo by J. Quinn

Below is a list of Stream Monitoring Citizen Science, Workshops, and other monitoring opportunities in the area for July and August.

 

 *NVSWCD Workshop 

Pohick Creek Stream Monitoring Workshop

When: Sunday, July 17, 10:00am-12:30pm

Where: Hidden Pond Nature Center, Springfield

This is the workshop site of a recently-retired stream monitor and is currently up for adoption. Come join us at this beautiful county park! Space is limited, please register for the workshop here.

 

*NVSWCD Workshop 

Holmes Run Stream Monitoring Workshop

When: Saturday, July 23, 9:00-11:30am

Where: Holmes Run Stream Valley Park, Falls Church

This workshop site is an easily-accessible location just downstream of Lake Barcroft. Come explore this beautiful spot in the Cameron Run watershed! Space is limited, please register for the workshop here.

 

*NVSWCD Workshop 

Difficult Run Stream Monitoring Workshop

When: Sunday, August 21, 10:00am-12:30pm

Where: Difficult Run Stream Valley Park, Great Falls

This quiet site is known for numerous macros and a relatively high stream score. In spring we found a high number of midges – will we find the same this visit? Space is limited, please register for the workshop here.

 

*NVSWCD Workshop 

Horsepen Run Stream Monitoring Workshop

When: Saturday, August 27, 9:00-11:30am

Where: Horsepen Run Stream Valley Park, Herndon

This stream site parallels the park trail and is a favorite with local runners, bikers, and dog walkers! This site scored higher in the spring monitoring than it had in past years – join us to see if this positive trend continues! Space is limited, please register for the workshop here.

*Northern Virginia Water and Soil Conservation District

Creek Critters Count and Catch Program

When: Sunday, August 28, 1:00pm

Where: Chapman DeMary Trail, Purcellville

Join the Purcellville Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, Purcellville Tree and Environment Sustainability Committee and Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy to get up close and personal with the creek critters living in the South Fork of the Catoctin Creek at the Chapman DeMary Trail. Loudoun Wildlife Stream Team members will discuss the natural history of these critters, help participants learn how to identify them, and explain how they can help us determine the health of a stream. Registration required through Purcellville Parks and Recreation website. Learn more here.

 

More Training and Stream Monitoring Opportunities

 

The Northern Virginia Water and Soil Conservation District (NVSWCD) is very excited to contribute their stream data to state and national datasets. If you’d like to see data from all the NVSWCD regional stream monitoring team’s active sites, you can find our organization on the Clean Water Hub. Keep in touch with NVSWCD on our Facebook and Instagram.