Birds, Bugs and Berries: Providing Habitat for Birds and Other Wildlife, December 8th

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Sunday, December 8, 2024
2 pm buffet; 2:45 presentation
Gunston Hall’s Ann Mason Room, 10709 Gunston Road, Lorton, VA
Friends of Mason Neck members $15/nonmembers $20
Register here.

It’s time for the Friends of Mason Neck State Park’s annual Swanfall holiday celebration. It’s an opportunity to socialize with members and friends while enjoying a delicious buffet and a
fascinating talk.

At 2:45 PM, we’ll enjoy “Birds, Bugs and Berries: Providing Habitat for Birds and Other Wildlife” presented by Alonso Abugattas. Alonso is the Natural Resources Manager for Arlington County, and he is best known as the Capital Naturalist, creator of the Capital Naturalist Facebook group with 24,000 members, and the Capital Naturalist You Tube channel. Alonso has had numerous mentions and appearances on television, radio, podcasts and the press, including appearances on Animal Planet, and makes presentations throughout the region.

A Rewarding Day

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National Public Lands Day at Mason Neck State Park (MNSP) was rewarding in more ways than one. The day saw a service commendation presented to our chapter president and the initial planting of a major pollinator garden.

Senator Pekarsky and FMN Sarah Mayhew –  photo FMN Rob Warren

Virginia State Senator Stella Pekarsky (36th district) presented Sarah Mayhew with a volunteer commendation (Senate Resolution number 161). Senator Pekarsky, a member of the Senate Agriculture, Conservation, and Natural Resources committee, presented Sarah with a conservation award recognizing her 20+ years of conservation service in Fairfax County.

Sarah has been the Virginia Master Naturalist – Fairfax Chapter president

FMN crew planting the garden – photo Rob Warren

since 2023 and championed our chapter project at MNSP. The project commits 5 years of service to restore and maintain two large pollinator gardens and the native plants surrounding the visitor’s center. For the Public Lands Day event, 23 FMN gathered to plant the ‘Forest Edge’ garden with native plants appropriate for that specific area. Of course, the pot-luck picnic prior to the work shift, coordinated by FMN Mike Walker, made for happy laborers. The chapter project maintenance phase will continue for the next 3 years. Volunteers can sign up for work days via the BI calendar.

FMN Stephanie Johnson – photo Rob Warren

FMN Stephanie Johnson (owner Green Steeze Landscaping) and landscape architect, designed the garden with Jim McGlone, purchased all the native plants with funds from Friends of Mason Neck State Park, and volunteered many of her own hours along with some of her crew’s hours to help plant it. A very generous contribution of time and resources. Thank you Steph! You’re the best!

Acknowledgments:
– Thanks to Jamie Leeuwrik, Chief Ranger for Visitor Experience at MNSP and a Fairfax Chapter co-advisor, for supporting the chapter project.

– FMN Mike Walker – kudos for coordinating and setting up the picnic.

– Jim McGlone’s significant contributions to the project.

– The Friends of Mason Neck State Park for a wonderful project partnership and major contributions of time and resources.
– FMN Rob Warren for photos of the day.

2024 Virginia Bluebird Society’s Biennial Conference, November 1st – 2nd

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Photo: By Susan Cato, Bluebird at nest box

Friday & Saturday, November 1- 2, 2024
Friday 6:00PM – 10:00PM, Saturday 8:00AM – 4:00PM

Virginia Crossings Conference Center & Hotel
Glen Allen, VA.

Registration and Conference details

The Virginia Bluebird Society is celebrating its biennial conference on November 1st and 2nd.  Whether you are an experienced Bluebird landlord or just beginning and don’t know where to start, there will be sessions for you!

Topics include Nest Box Monitoring 101, nature photography, birding with children, nature journaling and so much more!  There will be a silent auction and fun merchandise to purchase.  

Keynote Speaker Mynra Pearman, biologist, author and nature photographer, will be sharing her expertise. Learn more about Myrna at: https://www.myrnapearman.com/ 

The conference will take place at Virginia Crossings in Glen Allen, Virginia. Registration opens September 9 on the Virginia Bluebird Society website. Contact [email protected]  for more information.

 

Invitation to Participate in Save the Night! Light Pollution Awareness & Dark Skies Day, November 17th

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Photo: Fairfax County Park Authority – Dark Sky Celebration

Sunday, November 17, 2024
3:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Vienna Community Center
120 Cherry Street
Southeast Vienna, VA, 22180

DarkSky NOVA and Dark Sky Friends are hosting a Save the Night!

Join this family-friendly afternoon dedicated to exploring the effects of light pollution and how it impacts our lives and health.

Engage with astronomers, peer through telescopes, and immerse yourself in the planetarium experience. Discover how artificial light at night affects your health and that of birds, plants, insects and animals.

Light pollution, the excessive or misdirected artificial light that brightens our night skies, is a growing environmental issue with serious consequences. Discover the different forms of light pollution—such as skyglow, glare, and light trespass—and learn how they interfere with our ability to see stars and our everyday lives.

In addition to dimming our night skies, light pollution has far-reaching effects on human health, wildlife behavior, and energy consumption.

Learn how you can be part of the solution and how to stop light pollution!

Find out how you can help reduce light pollution and protect our night environment!

 

Salsa in the Park: A Celebration for Nature Conservation, September 20th

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Photo courtesy of Defensores de la Cuenca

Celebra la Naturaleza y la Salsa con Nosotros el 20 de Septiembre

Friday, September 20, 2024
4:30 pm
Alabama Park Drive, 1100 Alabama Drive, Herndon VA
FREE

  • Groove to the rhythm with Fairfax County Park Authority, Defensores de la Cuenca, and Opportunity Neighborhoods with salsa dancing and making.
  • Celebrate nature and conservation with the Herndon Latino community
  • Dive into fun with green actions and learn how to live a healthy, eco-friendly life
  • Enjoy a family-filled afternoon with great company and exciting educational opportunities

First Annual Fall Festival at Leopold’s Preserve, September 21st

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Saturday, September 21, 2024
11 am – 3 pm
Leopold’s Preserve
16290 Thoroughfare Road, Broad Run, VA

The highly anticipated Fall Festival at Leopold’s Preserve, is proudly brought to you by the White House Farm Foundation and Northern Virginia Conservation Trust.

Here are some of the festivities you can expect:

  • Nature Adventures: Join guided hikes, explore trails, and enjoy the beauty of Leopold’s Preserve.
  • Family Fun: Kids’ activities, face painting, games, and nature-themed raffle.
  • Tasty Treats: Food trucks and unique local vendors.
  • Community Bonding: Connect with fellow environment enthusiasts.
The Old-Growth Forest Network LOGO

St. Peter’s in the Woods Episcopal Church Sanctuary Forest to be Inducted into The Old-Growth Forest Network, September 14, 2024

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St. Peter’s in the Woods Episcopal Church Sanctuary Forest in Fairfax Station, Virginia, will be inducted into
the Old-Growth Forest Network on September 14, 2024 at 10 a.m. Brian Kane, Mid-Atlantic Manager of the
Old-Growth Forest Network will convey the distinction to Stacey Remick, (Creation Care Ministry) and Rev.
Susan Hartzell and Vestry. The forest is the first Community Forest in Fairfax County to be inducted into the
Network, and the third Community Forest in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The church is part of the
Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, a chapter of the Center for Spirituality in Nature (SING) and a member of Faith
Action for Climate Solutions (FACS) and serves as an approved project site for the Fairfax Virginia Master
Naturalist chapter.

The five-acre forest which is part of the church’s certified Northern Virginia Bird Alliance (formerly Audubon
Society of Northern Virginia) wildlife sanctuary campus, consists largely of oak species, tulip poplar, and
American beech and most of the hardwood trees are between 70 and 100 years of age.

This forest is on the ancestral lands of the Manahoac tribe.

Please read more about The Old-Growth Forest Network, the extraordinary St. Peter’s in the Woods Episcopal Church Sanctuary Forest, and the Induction event details.

 

Autumn 2024 Native Plant Sales

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Photo: Courtesy of Plant NOVA Natives

Arlington Native Plants & Edibles;

September: Saturdays 11 :00 AM-3:00 PM; Sundays 11:00 AM-2:00 PM
925 N. Madison St., Arlington
Email [email protected] to request a specific plant.

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Green Spring Gardens

First Wednesdays, April through October, 10:00 AM- 1:00 PM 
Virginia Native Plant Societysells natives at their plot behind the visitor’s center at Green Spring Gardens. Check here for details.https://vnps.org/potowmack/plant-sale/

VNPS Potowmack Chapter Monthly Native Plant Sale

Wednesday, September 4, and October 2: 10:00 AM–1:00 PM

VNPS Potowmack Chapter plant sales are held on the first Wednesday of the month, April through October, at the propagation beds across the driveway behind the Horticulture Center at Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, VA 22312.

https://vnps.org/potowmack/plant-sale/


​The Clifton Institute

Saturday, September 21: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

The Clifton Institute
6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA
The Clifton Insitute Fall Native Plant Sale


Master Gardeners of Prince William Spring Sale

Saturday, Sept 7: 9:00 AM – noon

St. Benedict Monastery
9535 Linton Hall Rd, Bristow, VA

Cash or check only
includes both native and non-native plants.
​https://mgpw.org/plant-sales/.

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Loudoun Native Plant Sale

Saturday, September 7: 9:00 AM-2:00 PM

Morven Park
17195 Southern Planter Ln, Leesburg, VA 

11:00 am presentation: Native Plants for Beginners
This popular presentation will include plant suggestions for a variety of settings. We’ll have plants on hand to take a look at, along with photos of mature plants in native garden settings. Then you can look around at what the nurseries have available.

Plants by Watermark Woods, Hill House Native Nursery, Nature by Design, Seven Bends Nursery

https://loudounwildlife.org/event/fall-native-plant-sale/

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Town of Vienna Fall Native Plant Sale

Saturday, September 14: 8:00 AM – Noon

Town of Vienna Community Center
120 Cherry St. SE, Vienna

​Plants by Hill House Native Nursery

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Northern Alexandria Native Plant Sale

Saturday, September 28: 9:00 AM–2:00 PM
The Church of St. Clement, 1701 N. Quaker Lane, Alexandria, VA 22302

www.northernalexandrianativeplantsale.org/

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Fall Festival and Native Plant Sale

Saturday, October 5: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Christ Church, 7600 Ox Rd, Fairfax Station

https://www.facebook.com/events/1047062647147219/?rdid=3iDnPZbm5sMPqlPd 

 

Earth Sangha’s Fall Open House & Plant Sale on October 6th

Sunday, October 6th, from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the
Wild Plant Nursery

The Wild Plant Nursery is located at 6100 Cloud Dr. Springfield, VA 22150 (The Cloud Dr. entrance of Grove Point Park.
Behind the garden plots.)

Friends of Mason Neck State Park 2024 “Picture the Magic” Photo Contest

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Photo: Randy Streufert

The Friends of Mason Neck State Park (FoMNSP) 2024 photography contest is now open.  They are looking for images taken in the park that highlight its magic.  Winning photos, including honorable mention, will be published in the FoMNSP newsletter, website, and social media.

Eligibility

Anyone other than Mason Neck State Park staff, Board members of the Friends and contest judges, as well as their immediate family (spouses, partners, siblings, and children) and household members is eligible to enter.

Entry Period

The “Picture the Magic” Photo Contest closes on October 15, 2024.  Late entries will not be considered. The FoMNSP will notify the prize winners by October 31, 2024.

What Subjects to Enter

Digital photographs taken in Mason Neck State Park anytime in 2022 through 2024 of: 

Park Scenery and Park Flora– images showing off the park’s landscape, trees, plants, or flowers.

Fauna – images of the park’s mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, insects, or other critters living in the park.  Note:  Dogs, cats, and other pets/animals not native to the park do not qualify.

Aquatic activities – Visitors enjoying Belmont Bay or Kane’s Creek in canoes, kayaks, or other non-powered vessels.

Contest Rules

You can read the contest rules and download an entry form here. 

Bird Hill Grassland Field Trip, September 7th

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Image: Courtesy of the Clifton Institute

Saturday, September 7, 2024
10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Cost: $15 ($10 for Friends of Clifton)

Registration is REQUIRED.

This program will be held at the residence of the Clifton Institute co-directors to experience a remnant prairie, a planted meadow, and a native plant garden. The remnant prairie on the property hosts a remarkable assemblage of native wildflowers and grasses over sandstone bedrock. Bert and Eleanor are managing the prairie with mowing, burning, and invasive plant control. They have also planted a one-acre meadow on an old lawn and they’ve worked with Hill House Nursery to establish a native plant garden.

This program is a case study of how landowners can manage their land to benefit native plants and animals on a relatively small property.

Location: Near Orlean, VA. Registered attendees will be emailed the address and directions.