Feature photo: Luck Stone Quarry. Tilted Upwards Rock layering. Not shown is the East side folding, and a fault at the north metamorphic boundary Photos and article by FMN Stephen Tzikas Mining operations are inherent to the disciplines of geology and engineering. Mines can be open pit (surface), or underground. They can include minerals, coal, […]
Photo: Plant NOVA Natives Article by Eileen Ellsworth One year ago, Plant NOVA Natives launched a Pollinator Pathway initiative. The original program was created by a group of highly credentialed environmentalists and conservationists in Wilton, Connecticut and expanded by PNN into Northern Virginia. Its goal is to address habitat fragmentation caused by human activity that […]
Feature photo: A Calm Day on Lake Audubon. But Thermodynamics still governs geochemistry in lakes such as the status of chemical reactions, temperature, pressure, pH, mineral precipitation/dissolution, and gas exchange. Article and photos by FMN Stephen Tzikas An understanding of thermodynamics as it relates to lakes and streams is an important concept for master naturalists. […]
Dense plantings of native plants capture stormwater Article and photo by Plant NOVA Natives Northern Virginia’s stream and river water quality is not great. Although agriculture is the largest contributor by far of nutrient and sediment loads in Virginia’s streams, rivers, and the Chesapeake Bay, urban and suburban stormwater runoff is the second largest and […]
Diatom microfossil fragments at Brownies Beach, Maryland, magnified under the author’s microscope (Bausch and Lomb Stereo Zoom Microscope DD740). Diatoms are unicellular organisms and can be in various shapes. Article and photos by FMN Stephen Tzikas Fossils can be found on many trails. I have collected them from coal deposits in Schuylkill County, PA, in […]
Photo: Joe Subolefsky – Black Vultures./Audubon Photography Awards PRESS RELEASE: RICHMOND, VA The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) has recently received reports of groups of dead black vultures across the state including several counties in Southwest Virginia. Preliminary testing indicates that the likely cause is H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Although disease activity […]
Photo: FMN Lori Scheibe Article by FMN Elaine Sevy After many years, Su Jewell and Kurt Gaskill are stepping down as Audubon Christmas Bird Count coordinators, and are searching for new coordinators so the count for 2025 can go on. Su was the Sector 10 coordinator, which included boundaries called “Lake Accotink,” described below. Kurt […]
Article and photo by Plant NOVA Natives Ah, the mosquito. It plagues our summers and can ruin our outdoor fun. Is anyone a fan? If so, consider the Asian tiger mosquito, which has no regard for personal space or time. If you happen to have it in your yard, it bites everyone, morning, noon, and […]
Feature photo: Fairfax County Park Authority Article and other photos by FMN Stephen Tzikas Just off Route 7 in Great Falls, Virginia, is a rare working grist mill from the early 19th century. The Colvin Run Mill campus is part of the Fairfax County Park Authority, and is an opportunity to see nature and engineering […]
Photo: Plant NOVA Natives Article by Eileen Ellsworth Imagine the world as it once was. Verdant forests, buzzing meadows, and numerous other natural areas were immense, whole, and pulsing with life. Over time, human activity emerged and carved the natural world into disconnected, even isolated parts. Ecologists refer to this process as habitat fragmentation. You […]