Manassas Bee Festival Saturday, 6/21/25

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Photo: Courtesy of Jane E. Ogilvie

Saturday June 21, 2025
10:00am – 2:00pm

FREE annual event!

Location: Liberia House and Grounds
8601 Portner Avenue
Manassas City

Join thousands of visitors and buzz on by to have fun and learn about honeybees, native pollinators, and planting native plants at this FREE annual event!

Look at the fun and educational activities that are planned in the City of Manassas!

Sign-up to join as a vendor, sponsor, speaker, or volunteer:

. Dress like a pollinator and join the costume parade
. Learn the waggle dance and try the spelling bee for prizes
. Local honey
. Community apiary of honeybee hives plus native bee houses
. Vendors galore
. Farm animals
. Food trucks
. Mead garden
. Bounce house, games, crafts
. Live music
. Bee, pollinator, healthy living, and native plant experts
. Plenty of parking with tractor and wagon rides
. Historic Liberia House with large trees, native gardens, park trails
. NEW 2K Honey Hike starting at Manassas Museum Lawn. Donate $20 to hike, local honey, and Adopt-a-Bee. Or just join for a walk (No sign-up required)!

Thank you to the City of Manassas, Liberia House and Grounds, and Sponsors, Supporters, Partners and Friends for their support!  Bee City USA!

Fairfax County Park Authority Awarded Grant To Enhance Invasive Species Management

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Photo: Fairfax County Park Authority – Invasive vines and plants

The Fairfax County Park Authority FCPA, a core member of the National Capital – Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (Nat-Cap PRISM), has been awarded a grant from the Virginia Department of Forestry. The grant, part of the FY25 Virginia PRISM Support for Invasive Species Program, will provide $60,827 to manage invasive species across FCPA parkland. The funds must be used by the end of June 2025.

The funding will support the Early Detection Rapid Response (EDRR) program, an initiative designed to identify and control new populations of invasive plant species before they become established and cause ecological harm. Target species include fountain grass (Cenchrus purpurascens), yellow archangel (Lamium galeobdolon), Java water dropwort (Oenanthe javanica) and floating primrose willow (Ludwigia peploides).

The EDRR approach focuses on surveys to detect newly arriving, rapidly spreading invasive plants. Once identified, these species are quickly targeted for removal by volunteers or contractors, preventing them from outcompeting native flora and disrupting local ecosystems. The project Invader Detectives, using the iNaturalist app, allows anyone to add observations of plants, alerting FCPA ecologists to new invasive species.

This grant will enable FCPA and its partners to expand surveys, map occurrences of priority EDRR invasive species and conduct timely eradication efforts. The initiative builds on the ongoing work of the Invasive Management Area Program, which is primarily a volunteer-based habitat restoration program.

For more information about the EDRR program and how to get involved, visit the Fairfax County Park Authority’s IMA webpage. 

 

River Farm – Spring Garden Market

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American Horticultural Society (AHS) HQ at River Farm
Spring Garden Market – American Horticultural Society

Grab a rocker and take in the back porch view – photo Jerry Nissley

In 2024 AHS contacted VMN – Fairfax Chapter (FMN) specifically to help rebuild the nest boxes along their bluebird trail. FMN Susan Farmer became the liaison for this and other activities on location. She organized a team of stalwart FMN volunteers to help River Farm rebuild their bluebird box trail. Eight new boxes replaced ten sad old boxes, which were then salvaged for parts. She organized trail monitoring training and managed the seasonal monitoring schedule. The monitors observed/reported 11 eggs. Eleven volunteers reported 90+ hours in 2024 to River Farm opportunities.

Combined FMN and NVBS table – photo Jerry Nissley

In 2025, River Farm asked FMN to continue trail support, which started in March. FMN was also invited to set up a chapter table and participate with approximately 35 vendors and organizations at their annual showcase event, “River Farm Spring Garden Market” April. We were able to provide information on VMN, the bluebird trail, and Northern Virginia Bluebird Society (NVBS) in general. We emphasized the importance of native plant habitat, and enlightened the community to VMN’s mission of conservation of natural resources in Virginia, Fairfax County, and the Potomac River.

The weather could have been better but we were honored to be part of River

Walkway from house to outdoor vendor area. Photo Jerry Nissley

Farm’s showcase spring event – and the grounds were spectacular with seasonal blooms. It was encouraging to see the plant vendors offer only organic starter vegetables, Virginia native flowers, shrubs, and trees. In addition, several artisans were on site selling crafts, nature photography,  soaps, and even a mystery writer with his new novel of intrigue in Old Town Alexandria.

FMN and others will be meeting at River Farm to include species found in the new AHS native garden for The City Nature Challenge on Friday, April 25th at 10:30 followed by a picnic lunch. Contact Susan Farmer (susanfarmer6365@gmail.com) for more information. All are welcome!

Thank you to the following FMNs for their continued contributions at River Farm:
Susan Farmer, Donna Stauffer, Sarah Glassco, John Fagan, Monica Hoffman, Rachel Roll, Amanda Kay, Elaine Kolish, and Jerry Nissley.

Urban Forest Photo Contest

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Photo: Courtesy of City of Fairfax Government

Welcome to Fairfax City’s 2025 Urban Forest Photo Contest!

For Details and Submission information click here.

The Urban Forest Photo Contest is an opportunity to showcase the diversity of our urban forest through the perspective of community members.

Whether captured on a digital camera or your phone, we hope you’ll help us celebrate the powerful role trees play in making our City of Fairfax community more beautiful, healthy, and vibrant. Photographers of all skills and ages are encouraged to participate!

All photos submitted to the contest will have a chance to be featured in the future Urban Forest Master Plan. One winner from each of the four categories will receive a $50 Fairfax City Flex Card to spend at city businesses. Photos must be taken in the City of Fairfax, VA.

Categories

Each entrant can submit up to three photos per category. Each photo may only be submitted to only one category. You do not need to submit a photo to all of the categories to participate. Each individual file size must be less than 30 MB. Please do not watermark photos; credit will always be provided to the photographer. By submitting one or more photographs, you are agreeing to the terms and conditions of the contest.

Life in the Urban Forest

The urban forest includes all the trees in the city, from those in parks, yards, and other greenspaces to trees along our streets and sidewalks. Photos in this category should capture the ways people interact with and benefit from trees as we go about our daily lives. How do we live, work, and play in the urban forest? Pets welcome!

Beautiful Trees

Few things enhance a landscape like a magnificent tree. Photos in this category should celebrate the trees that you find beautiful.

Trees & Wildlife

Many wildlife species depend on trees for food, water, cover, or places to raise their young. Photos in this category should depict wildlife in forest habitats. Remember, backyard habitats and street trees are also part of the urban forest!

Treescapes

Fairfax City has been recognized as a Tree City USA since 1986. Photos in this category should highlight the tree-filled landscapes that help define our community’s unique character.

Photo Contest Terms and Conditions

All images must be taken within the City of Fairfax, VA. Images must be obtained legally. The photographer is responsible for obtaining the permission of any individuals depicted in images who are the subject of the photo and/or identifiable (or permission from their parent/guardian if they are under 18). Images must be the original art of the entrant, and the original artwork may be displayed in public and entered into the photo contest. Images do not have to be taken between April 1 and May 31, 2025, to be entered into the contest.

Please reach out to Sophia Chapin, Urban Forestry Stewardship Coordinator, at sophia.chapin@fairfaxva.gov with any questions. Thanks for participating!

 

27th Annual Eagle Festival, May 10th

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Photo: Courtesy of Eagle Fest at Mason Neck State Park

May 10, 2025
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Mason Neck State Park,
7301 High Point Rd.,
Lorton, VA 22079.
Visitor Center Lawn

All events for the festival are free for everyone to enjoy!
Click here for additional information.

Join this full day of live animal shows, hands on educational opportunities, and outdoor recreation clinics that all aim to highlight the rich natural history of Northern Virginia and foster stewardship of our environment.

 See live wildlife up close

 Learn about our resident bald eagles and see them fly overhead

 Visit exhibits from our many conservation partners

 Enjoy live music, food, and more

Special thanks to the Friends of Mason Neck State Park for their continued support of the park and this event, and thanks to all our Peninsula partners and sponsors that make this event possible.

Parking for this event will be located off site and free shuttles provided to the festival. 

Follow the Spring Bird Migration with the BirdCast Migration Dashboard!

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Photo: Purple Martins, Keith Kingdon/Audubon Photography Awards

The new BirdCast Migration Dashboard provides summaries of radar-based measurements of nocturnal bird migration, including estimates of the total number of birds migrating, their directions, speeds, and altitudes. This tool depicts migration patterns in near real time or as a summary of a whole night after nocturnal periods end (2021-present); this includes additional historical information (2013-2021) as well as previous nights’ movements. Note that the dashboard currently provides data for counties and states in the contiguous US, complementing the existing forecast and live migration maps but allowing you to explore nocturnal bird migration in ways that were previously impossible. As your explorations begin, discovering interesting, new and previously unknown patterns will be, perhaps, the most exciting aspects of the new tool!

This tool presents a number of different measures of bird migration, and the descriptions below provide some basic information and guidance for interpreting these appropriately. Type in the county or state of your choice in the contiguous United States, select a date during migration seasons in 2021 or 2022, and begin! If you are new to BirdCast, get acquainted with the basics: How to use the BirdCast Migration Dashboard to experience your local migration in detail.

BirdCast is a consortium of interdisciplinary researchers, primarily from three organizations at present, with a growing list of collaborators, supporters, and partners.

Core Partners: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Colorado State University, and University of Massachusetts Amherst
Core funders: National Science Foundation, Leon Levy Foundation, and Amazon Web Services
Other support: NOAA, US Geological Survey, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, NASA, Microsoft
Other partners: Houston Audubon Society, Perot Museum, Dallas Zoo

 

 

Clean the Bay Day, June 7th

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Saturday, June 7, 2025
9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

This short, three-hour annual event has a massive cumulative impact. Since the event began in 1989, this Virginia tradition has engaged more than 165,500 volunteers who have removed approximately 7.18 million pounds of debris from our land and waterways.

The 36th annual Clean the Chesapeake Bay Day event takes place on Saturday, June 7, 2025, from 9 a.m. to noon at sites all across the Chesapeake Bay watershed in Virginia. Volunteer registration will open in April. If you would like to be contacted when registration opens, join the email list.

Clean the Bay Day could not be the huge success that it is without everyone joining together and lending a hand. Check out the photo album. Watch the video to see why so many people participate.

Ready to go one step further? Each cleanup site needs a Zone Captain. It’s easy! You simply check in volunteers and report back data. Webinar training and other resources will be provided. Contact us at ctbd@cbf.org if you would like more information.

In 2024, more than 3,680 volunteers and 60+ CBF partners gathered at over 200 sites across Virginia. Thanks to their hard work more than 82,200 pounds of debris were removed from parks, beaches, rivers, streets, and lakes.

Spring 2025 Native Plant Sales

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Photo: Courtesy of Plant NOVA Natives

Why Native Plants?

  1. Naturally beautiful! Native plants will add beauty to your garden. Not convinced?

  2. Made for here! Native plants are adapted to local conditions. Planted in the right place, native plants need less water and other care than our non-native lawns. 

  3. Good for the Earth! Unlike non-native plants such as turfgrass, native plants support butterflies, birds and pollinators AND healthy water!

If you are looking for particular plants, in most cases you can contact the vendors ahead of time to ask them to bring them for you.

Friends of Riverbend Park – Saturday, April 5


10:00am

Friends of Riverbend Park Bluebell Sale
Riverbend Park
8700 Potomac Hills Street
Great Falls, VA 22066
Bluebells will be sold on the deck of the Visitor Center in conjunction with the Bluebell festival​​

 – and –

 Saturday, April 12
10:00am

Friends of Riverbend Park – Pickup for Native Plant Sale
Riverbend Park Educational Pavilion
8700 Potomac Hills Street|Great Falls, VA 22066
For presale of native plant orders and details, go to Friends of Riverbend Park

 

Walker Nature Center Native Plant Sale – Saturday, April 12

Saturday, April 12
9:30am-1:00pm pickup

Walker Nature Center Native Plant Sale
11450 Glade Drive
Reston, VA 20191

Pre-orders are due by March 28 at 5pm.
Online form for pre-orders is available.
See naturecenter@reston.org for other details.

 

Town of Vienna Conservation and Sustainability Commission Native Plant Sale –  Saturday, May 3


8:00am-12:00pm

Town of Vienna Conservation and Sustainability Commission Native Plant Sale
Vienna Community Center
120 Cherry St.
Vienna VA 22180
Vendors include Hill House Farm & Nursery

 

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Walker Nature Center Spring Festival –  Saturday, May, 3

1:00pm-5:00pm
Walker Nature Center Spring Festival
11450 Glade Drive
Reston, VA 20191
Features native plant vendor ​Nature by Design

 

Green Spring Gardens Spring Plant Sale – Saturday, May 17

9:00am-3:00pm

Green Spring Gardens Spring Plant Sale 
4603 Greensprings Rd
Alexandria  VA 22312
Native plant vendors include Hill House Farm & Nursery and Seven Bends Nursery

City Nature Challenge – Washington DC Metropolitan Area, April 25th – May 4th

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Image: citynaturechallenge.org, Washington DC metro area

Friday, April 25 – Monday April 28, 2025 take photos of wild plants and animals

Tuesday, April 29 – Sunday, May 4, 2025 identification of what was found

Do you like observing nature? Make your observations count! The City Nature Challenge is an adventure in metropolitan areas worldwide to discover and identify wildlife. You will be looking for signs of life in parks, neighborhoods, and backyards to see what plants and animals share our environment. Join the City Nature Challenge and become a citizen scientist!

Everyone in the Washington DC metropolitan area with access to a camera and the internet can observe wildlife for the Challenge. Anyone worldwide can help with identifying your finds!

You’re Invited! Lahr Native Plant Symposium, March 29th

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Photo: Courtesy of Plant NOVA Natives: Aromatic Aster, Muhly Grass, Rough Goldenrod

Saturday, March 29th, 2025
9:00 AM to 4:00 PM

PAY WHAT YOU CAN REGISTRATION (The suggested registration cost is $95 (or $76 for FONA members), but please pay what you can to attend starting at $50.)

U.S. National Arboretum
Washington, D.C.

 

Dear Native Plant Enthusiast,

I am thrilled to invite you to the 38th Annual Lahr Native Plant Symposium, taking place on Saturday, March 29th, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C.

This all-day event will feature engaging presentations by seven local experts, including horticulturists, scientists, and master naturalists.

Highlights of the symposium include:

  • Discovering how a historic estate is being reimagined with native plants.
  • Exploring research on the benefits of planting straight species versus cultivars.
  • Understanding the environmental impacts of proper backyard stormwater management.
  • A live demonstration of plant-pressing and its role in agricultural research and education.
  • Insights on encouraging native pollinators in your garden.

Engaging with the concept of ethical local foraging to support native landscapes.Your ticket also includes access to the Friends of the National Arboretum Native Plant Sale, where you’ll find local native plant vendors and artisans. Free lunch and snacks will be provided, with gluten-free and vegan options available.

For the full schedule of presentations and additional details, visit our ticketing page here:  38th Annual Lahr Native Plant Symposium

Please feel free to share this invitation with friends and fellow plant enthusiasts and reach out with any questions. I hope to see you there!

Best regards,

Molly Patton
she/her/hers (what is this?)
Public Horticulture and Engagement Unit
U.S. National Arboretum
Washington, DC
(207)415-1286