Entries by vmnfairfax

Michelle Prysby’s December Keynote Highlights Virginia Master Naturalists’ Response to State and National Needs

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As wild habitat disappears across the United States, and funding for natural resource conservation recedes, the need for conservation volunteers has never been greater. According to Michelle Prysby, Virginia Master Naturalist Program Director, master naturalist programs help buffer natural and man-made threats in measurable ways. Since the 1990s, master naturalist programs have sprouted up in more […]

Alonso Abugattas speaks on interconnectedness of natural world, Saturday, 20 January, Frying Pan Park

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Alonso Abugattas, the Natural Resources Manager for Arlington County Parks, VA, and the Co-Chair for the Beltway Chapter of Region 2 of the National Association for Interpretation, will speak on behalf of the Annual Invasive Management Area meeting. Alonso writes the Capital Naturalist blog, found at http://capitalnaturalist.blogspot.com/ . Brunch fare and drinks will be provided. Saturday, […]

Charles Smith speaks on relationships between plants, fungi, bacteria, and insects, Thursday 11 January, Green Springs

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Charles Smith kicks off the 2018 Green Springs Gardens lecture series with a talk on the interactions and relationships in plant communities. Learn about organisms that interact with plants, such as insect larvae, lesser known pollinators and bacterial and fungal allies. Thursday, 11 January 2018 7:30 – 9:00 pm Green Spring Gardens 4603 Green Spring […]

Review of Dire Predictions: Understanding Climate Change (2nd ed.), by Michael E. Mann and Lee R. Kump

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Reviewed by Jim Wilcox The facts about global warming and climate change are indisputable at this point, but all good naturalists still do their own research. To this end, for the past five years, I’ve completed more than 20 online courses and read about 30 well-researched books (references coming in a related post). If you […]

Fairfax County Park Authority Certified Interpretive Guide classes, 5-8 February 2018: Register now

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This FCPA certification workshop teaches the skills you need to interpret natural and cultural resources to any audience you choose. You will graduate understanding how to connect learners to the value of natural resources so that they care about them and pay the message forward. This is a national certification program offered by the National Association […]

Review of Crash Course, by Hank Green and John Green

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Reviewed by Marilyn Kupetz Let’s suppose that you are a master naturalist charged with setting up classes in ecology, biology, evolution, and genetics. A clever person, you are opting for flipped classes so that participants can do the fact-based parts of the learning beforehand, while you use class time for hands-on collaboration. Where do you […]

Stream monitoring sessions in January: Plan now so that you can attend

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Saturday, January 6 Stream Monitoring Workshop: Chantilly Time: 1:30 – 4pm Location: Big Rocky Run Stream Valley Park, Chantilly Help monitor Big Rocky Run as it flows through a sliver of forested parkland between the residences of the Greenbriar neighborhood. Please RSVP to Dan Schwartz for directions and instructions.   Sunday, January 7 Stream Monitoring […]

Reston Association’s Environmental Advisory Committee looking for volunteers

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Reston Association’s (RA’s) Environmental Advisory Committee is looking for volunteers to help prepare the 2018 Reston Annual State of the Environment Report (RASER) What is RASER? It is an environmental report card that evaluates the condition of several environmental attributes of the Reston community and makes recommendations to protect or improve their conditions. The 2017 […]

Thomas Edison Science Fair needs judges

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Edison High School in Fairfax County (5801 Franconia Rd. Alexandria, VA 22310) is looking for judges for their science fair. Schedule for Saturday, January 20, 2018 Judges Training: 8:15am – 9:00am (please follow signs posted at the main entrance) Fair Judging: 9:00am – 1:00pm Snow Date – January 27 (you are not required to be available for this date) Judges […]

Review a resource for the FMN site

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Share a review of something that nourishes naturalists and that you love (nonfiction, novel, children’s book, magazine article, podcast, website, tool, TED Talk, Coursera class, puzzle, game…), and get service hours at the same time (if you are a master naturalist). Aim for about 300 words in a friendly first- and second-person voice; please don’t […]