Want to connect with other environmental educators? The Virginia Association for Environmental Education (VAEE) is offering a virtual mini conference series! Each day will highlight one of Virginia’s different regions, seasonal changes, and the educators that work within that area. February 20 – Winter in the WestJuly 17 – Summer on the ShoreOctober 23 – […]
Photo and article by Plant NOVA Natives When developers build a neighborhood, they almost always add some shrubs against the foundations of the houses to soften the lines of the buildings. Just as they paint all the interior walls white, they use just a few conventional plant species for a uniform look until all the […]
Photo by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Wednesday, January 27, 20216:30 -7:30 pmHosted by the Great Falls Group of the Sierra ClubLearn more and register. Richmond-based journalist Stephen Nash has been looking into proposals to reintroduce red wolves, Canis lupus rufus, to Virginia. In the 1970s, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service caught the last […]
Reviewed by Michael Reinemer In the midst of an accelerating mass extinction where we are losing species much faster than science can identify them, this is an engrossing look at taxonomy, or how we organize life on earth. Yoon laments our disconnects from nature. A child living among the Indigenous Tzeltal Maya people in Mexico […]
Article by Joe Gorney; Photo by Ann Fossa on Unsplash The use of salt during the winter provides benefits, such as making roads and sidewalks safer and keeping businesses and services open. However, winter salt use also impacts the following: • Drinking water (which is especially challenging for people on salt-restricted diets)• Infrastructure and property (through corrosion)• Freshwater […]
Article and photos by Barbara J. Saffir (c) Don’t hibernate! Winter is for nature lovers. You can glimpse Bald Eagles nesting, self-heated skunk cabbage wildflowers that resemble Georgia O’Keefe paintings, perky kinglets that pop up their ruby-red crests when they’re excited, sly foxes hunting for a mate, and many other winter wonders mentioned below. It’s enough […]
Photo (c) by Barbara J. Saffir Friday, February 19, 20219:30am – 4pmEarly Bird registration fee of $45 ends on Friday, January 8thStandard fee is $55Register using this link ActiveMontgomery.org (Course #87621) or call 301-962-1470. Join industry experts as they tackle the native vs. non-native plant debate: Is a native plant-only prescription necessary? Under what conditions […]
Huntley Meadows, photo by J. Quinn Saturday, January 9, 20219 amFree To register for this webinar or learn more, please email conservationdistrict@fairfaxcounty.gov. Recently, Fairfax County adopted the updated Tree Action Plan unifying many program efforts to enhance Fairfax County’s urban forests. At the same time new climate and pest stressors have been discovered. Grab the breakfast of […]
Photo courtesy of Virginia Native Plant Society 3rd Annual Native Plant Symposium Webinar for BeginnersSaturday, February 6, 20219am – NoonRegistration fee $5Register here. Create a beautiful yard, save time and money, improve water quality, AND build habitat for pollinators and birds. The keynote speaker is Alonso Abugattas, The Capital Naturalist on social media and the […]
Hooded Mergansers, photo by Bill Young Two sessions:Monday, January 11, 2021 7-8 pmTuesday, January 12, 2021 7-8:30 pmFee: $25Limit: 150To register, click here. Waterfowl can be easy to see, but difficult to tell apart. This two-part program, presented by Audubon Society of Northern Virginia, will provide techniques for identifying ducks, geese, and swans. It will […]