Article and photos by FMN Barbara Saffir THEY’RE BAAAACCCCCKKK! Flying fairies — ruby-throated hummingbirds — returned to Virginia in April so now it’s time to invite some to your house or apartment. It’s easy and cheap. Just serve up some irresistible food and an inviting home. That means a clean hummer feeder, native plants, and nearby […]
Feature photo: Boozie Tim on point and neither I nor the evaluators are near. He is dragging a line because when out for banding work, once he points, I will tie him to a tree while the actual banding occurs. Article and photos by FMN Melissa Stagnaro My German Shorthair Pointer, Boozie Tim, and I […]
Feature photo: Jerry Nissley; Observatory grounds, located on FCPA land in Great Falls. Article by FMNs Laura Anderko and Jerry Nissley On May 20, 2022, FMN VP Laura Anderko arranged for the Continuing Education event “Stargazing with the Analemma Society” with a visit to the Observatory at Turner Farm in Great Falls. Alan Figgatt from […]
Since 2017, volunteers on a project team of the Reston Association Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC) have produced the Reston Association State of the Environment Report (RASER) to inform residents about the state of various environmental attributes in Reston. Project team leads Doug Britt (who also chairs the EAC) and Robin Duska are looking for additional volunteers with […]
Feature photo: Slag Nuggets line this railroad track near Willoughby Brook, High Bridge, NJ Article and photos by FMN Stephen Tzikas Not too far from Fairfax County is geologic treasure. Engineers love it. It is a by-product of iron ore smelting, one of the oldest chemical engineering processes. The by-product is called slag and it […]
Photo: FMN Barbara Saffir Wednesday, June 8, 2022 7 pm Smithsonian Associates Streaming Program Code 1NV-116 Cost: Members $25; nonmembers $30 Register here. Join naturalist and salamander enthusiast Matt Felperin, Roving Naturalist with NOVA Parks, for an introduction to the fascinating world of herpetofauna, or “herps.” Otherwise known as reptiles and amphibians, these largely misunderstood […]
Tuesday, June 21, 2022 7 pm Register here. Join the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center at their next Earth Optimism webinar and hear from Atiya Wells, founder of the nonprofit Backyard Basecamp in Baltimore City. Atiya will highlight the importance of equity in landscape design, creation and community cultivation. With the Bliss Meadows project, Backyard Basecamp […]
Tuesday, June 7, 2022 4 – 5 pm Webinar Register here. Join American Bird Conservancy’s upcoming webinar for a discussion on the impacts of pesticides, how existing regulations are working – or failing – to protect the environment, and how individuals can reduce pesticide use at home. An estimated 72 million birds are killed by […]
Photo and article by Plant NOVA Natives Native groundcovers are becoming increasingly popular, for good reason: even if they have minimal time for gardening, people want to use native plants to support our local birds and butterflies. To avoid invasive non-native groundcovers such as English Ivy, Vinca, Yellow Archangel, and Japanese Pachysandra, they turn to […]
Sunday, June 5, 2022 3-6 pm Ida Lee Recreation Center 60 Ida Lee Dr. NW, Leesburg Register here. There will be a business meeting, awards presentation, quilt raffle, door prizes and a keynote speaker. The Annual Meeting keynote speaker is Dr. Eric Kershner, Chief of the Division of Bird Conservation, Permits, and Regulations for the […]