Tree Swallow Residents of Box 11 (June 22, 2023). The tree swallows would generally survive better than their bluebird competitors at Langley Fork Park in 2023. Article and photos by FMN Stephen Tzikas As Bluebird Trail Monitoring Leader at Langley Fork Park in McLean, I have been trying to optimize the environment for the bluebirds […]
Photo: SERC Tuesday, October 24, 2023 7 pm Zoom, hosted by Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) Register here. Our food systems have become increasingly fragile in the face of climate change, ongoing conflicts and the long-tail of the COVID-19 pandemic. More frequent—and more intense—extreme events challenge food production, storage and transportation. At the same time, […]
Photo: SERC Tuesday, September 19, 2023 7 pm Zoom, hosted by SERC Register here. Cownose rays are enigmatic, and sometimes controversial, summertime inhabitants of Chesapeake Bay. Smithsonian Environmental Research Center’s Fisheries Conservation Lab has been tagging cownose rays and tracking their long-distance migrations since 2014. On Sept. 19 Dr. Matt Ogburn, head of the Fisheries […]
For 30 years, National Public Lands Day has mobilized volunteers of all ages to engage in a celebration of service and stewardship of America’s public lands. The event is the largest single-day national volunteer effort to preserve, restore, improve and enjoy America’s public lands. Fairfax County Park Authority invites you to be a part of […]
Feature photo: The Mighty Potomac on June 2, 2018 Article, photo and images provided by FMN Stephen Tzikas A watershed is a common geographic area that drains all streams and rivers into a common outlet, like a bay. The Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District has a macroinvertebrate stream monitoring program that helps protect […]
Article and photo by Plant NOVA Natives Most corporate properties have pretty “standard” landscaping, meaning the plants do very little if anything to support the local ecosystem. More and more, though, we are seeing innovative landscape designs on commercial properties that demonstrate the potential for corporations to be leaders in the effort to save the […]
Feature photo: Author’s covered bridge in nature setting (1970s), as self taught via the Jon Gnagy art set. Article and illustrations by FMN Stephen Tzikas We all have a bit of an artist in us when we learned to draw and use coloring books as children. Some of us went further. I started self-learning art […]
Photo: Plant NOVA Natives Article by Cindy Speas, Chair, Fairfax County Tree Commission In summer many folks travel to the Shenandoah Valley and beyond for recreational opportunities. Driving in any direction from Northern Virginia in the growing season, there is a tree that can be seen everywhere along the highways and byways. The dramatic clusters of […]
Andrew Eberly (L) holds a turtle while FMN David Gorsline (R) carries the radio receiver and transmitter, photo by The Clifton Institute Article by FMN Janet Quinn, photos as marked In mid-May I joined a group of citizen scientists gathered at The Clifton Institute (Clifton) in Warrenton, Virginia, equipped with a radio receiver and antenna. […]
Illustration 1: With Permission from www.LiveMeteors.com. A meteor trail is capable of reflecting radio waves from transmitters located on the ground so that they can be detected by amateur radio antennas. Article by FMN Stephen Tzikas We have all seen “shooting stars” or meteors. They are rocky fragments that collide with the Earth and […]