Latino Conservation Week Celebrates Community and Nature, July 16th – 24th

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Image: Courtesy of the Fairfax County Park Authority

Latino Conservation Week is from July 16-24, 2022. Fairfax County will be celebrating the Latino community’s love of nature. Modeled after the Hispanic Access Foundation’s Latino Conservation Week, the Fairfax County Park Authority together with Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik, Defensores de la Cuenca, Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District, and other community partners will provide free bilingual (English/Spanish) conservation-themed programs, nature activities and recreational opportunities at parks around the county throughout the week.

To kick off the week, there will be activities at three parks on July 16, 2022, including Hidden Oaks Nature Center, Frying Pan Farm Park and Eakin Park. There will be a capstone event at Justice Park on July 24, 2022. Other Fairfax County Park Authority parks and partners will also offer programs that embrace Latino Conservation Week themes, while working with the Latino community.

Highlights include:

To find additional information about the Latino Conservation Week events, please visit the Latino Conservation week webpage.

Click here for event flyer in Spanish. 

Click here for event flyer in English.

North American Butterfly Association(NABA) Butterfly Count, July 23rd

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Image: Courtesy of The Clifton Institute

Saturday, July 23, 2022
9:00am – 3:00pm
Where: The Clifton Institute
6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA
Cost: Free
For more information and Registration click here.

Every year community scientists help count the butterflies in 15-mile-diameter circles all around the country and contribute their data to the North American Butterfly Association. This summer The Clifton Institute will host their 27th annual butterfly count and celebrate their 20th year contributing their data to NABA. Butterfly enthusiasts of all levels of experience are welcome! If you feel like you don’t know many butterflies, this is a great way to learn and it’s always helpful to have more eyes pointing out butterflies.

Stream Monitoring: Citizen Science & Training Opportunities

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Photo by J. Quinn

 

Below is a list of the various Stream Monitoring workshops and other monitoring opportunities in the area throughout June and July.

 

Accotink Creek Stream Monitoring

When: Saturday, June 11, 9:30 – 11:30am

Where: Accotink Creek, Springfield

Join Friends of Accotink Creek to monitor the health of the stream. For more information and to register, click here.

 

Little Hunting Creek Stream Monitoring Workshop

When: Sunday, June 12, 10:00am-12:30pm

Where: Paul Spring Stream Valley Park, Alexandria

This workshop was originally scheduled for April but was rained out… twice! Take this opportunity to join us as we visit the Paul Spring Branch of Little Hunting Creek for the first time in many years! Space is limited, please register for the workshop here.

 

Sugarland Run Stream Monitoring Workshop

When: Tuesday, June 21, 4:00-6:30pm

Where: Sugarland Run Stream Valley Park, Herndon

This site is close to one of the largest great blue heron rookeries in the area at Kincora along Route 28, and seeing these beautiful birds along Sugarland Run isn’t uncommon. What a nice bonus to complement Sugarland Run’s big crayfish and other mighty macros! Space is limited, please register for the workshop here.

 

Pohick Creek Stream Monitoring Workshop

When: Sunday, July 17, 10:00am-12:30pm

Where: Hidden Pond Nature Center, Springfield

This is the workshop site of a recently-retired stream monitor and is currently up for adoption. Come join us at this beautiful county park! Space is limited, please register for the workshop here.

 

Holmes Run Stream Monitoring Workshop

When: Saturday, July 23, 9:00-11:30am

Where: Holmes Run Stream Valley Park, Falls Church

This workshop site is ae easily-accessible location just downstream of Lake Barcroft. Come explore this beautiful spot in the Cameron Run watershed! Space is limited, please register for the workshop here.

More Training and Stream Monitoring Opportunities

 

The Northern Virginia Water and Soil Conservation District(NVSWCD) is very excited to contribute their stream data to state and national datasets. If anyone would like to see data from all the NVSWCD regional stream monitoring team’s active sites, the NVSWCD organization can be found on the Clean Water Hub. Keep in touch with NVSWCD on our Facebook and Instagram.

Madagascar: Exploring a Biodiversity Hotspot through its Lemurs and Birds, May 17th

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Photo: Collared Nightjar, Elizabeth Lyons

Tuesday, May 17, 2022
7 – 8:00pm
Where: ONLINE
Cost: Free
Register here.

The Audubon Society of Northern Virginia presents, Madagascar: Exploring a Biodiversity Hotspot through its Lemurs and Birds.

Dr. Sally Bornbusch and Dr. Libby Lyons, a mother-daughter scientist team, will immerse the audience in the fascinating biodiversity of Madagascar. Based on their first-hand experience with Madagascar as a biodiversity hotspot, they will focus on its famous lemurs, a group of primates found only in Madagascar, and its suite of endemic birds. They will discuss some of the recently extinct animals, the human impacts that continue to challenge the island nation, and conservation efforts being undertaken to protect Madagascar’s unique biological richness. They will also reflect on their scientific career paths in hopes of helping young women and girls pursue their own passions in environmentalism and science.

For more information about this event please click here.

Birding by Ear for Beginners with Colt Gregory, May 12th

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Photo: Blackburnian Warbler, Shirley Donald/Audubon Photography Awards

Thursday, May 12, 2022
7 – 8:00pm
Where: ONLINE
ASNV Members: $10
Non-members: $20
Register here.

The Audubon Society of Northern Virginia presents, Birding by Ear for Beginners with Colt Gregory.
Often it is faster and easier to identify a bird by its song. In this program, Colt Gregory will:

– explain the many benefits of birding by ear
– introduce some of the most common birds by their songs and calls
– share resources and apps to help you practice and improve your birding by ear skills.

This program is intended for beginner birders but may be a helpful refresher for more experienced birders. This program welcomes children age 10+ accompanied by a participating adult.

For more information about this event please click here.

Raptor Rapture, April 30th — CANCELED

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UPDATE:  THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELED TO PROTECT THE RAPTORS FROM AVIAN FLU

 

Photo: Stacey Remick-Simkins

Saturday, April 30, 2022
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Where: Belle Haven Park
No Registration required.

The Raptor Rapture event is open to the public and does not require registration.  It will be held in Belle Haven Park, which is located off the George Washington Memorial Parkway just south of Old Town Alexandria.  It is recommended to use a GPS to obtain directions by entering “Belle Haven Park” as your destination.

The event may be cancelled due to inclement weather, in which case we will post a cancellation notice to our website and Facebook page. Sending an email to nfo@fodm.org is the best way to get in touch if you have any additional questions.

Plastic Pollution

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Photo:  Mike Walker

Thursday, May 19, 2022
7pm
Where: ONLINE and In-person at the Mount Vernon Government Center, 2511 Parkers Lane, Alexandria 22306

Register here.

Sarah Kollar, Outreach Manager of Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup, will examine the plastic pollution crisis, the impacts on communities, wildlife and other natural resources and solutions to plastic proliferation

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Cleanup at the Commons

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All photos provided by Katy Johnson.

Spring is a good time to get involved with local stream cleanups to clear watersheds of trash and debris accumulated over the winter. Fairfax Master Naturalist Katy Johnson provided photos and a report on a cleanup in her community. A real family affair.

She reported that the Country Club Hills community hosted the Friends of Accotink Creek and were joined by special guest Delegate David Bulova – a true champion of the environment – for their annual ‘Creek Cleanup at The Commons’.

Prior to the event some of the older children read a book titled, “The Water Walker” by Joanne Robertson, to develop a greater appreciation of water as a resource. The book is about an Ojibwa Native American Nokomis’ (grandmother’s) determination to raise attention to her people’s special relationship with Nibi (water) and to protect it for future generations.

Another afternoon highlight for the kids and adults alike was catching and counting the various macro-invertebrates in the water. This is a good Stream Monitoring technique because benthic macro-invertebrates are affected by physical, chemical, and biological stream conditions. The macro-invertebrate evaluation scored this section of the stream as a 5 on a scale of 1-10 (Macro-invertebrate Community Index – MCI). A midrange MCI score alerts the team that work needs to be done to improve the stream’s health. Creating awareness is the first step towards recovery.

The cleanup crew was large and included families in the community and friends of the community. The crew collected lots of trash, learned about creek critters, and had an overall great time taking care of their precious Nibi.

Katy lauded her community by saying, “Country Club Hills is an amazing place”!

Symphony of Frogs – Families, April 2nd

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Photo courtesy of Fairfax County Park Authority

Saturday, April 2, 2022
Huntley Meadows Park
3701 Lockheed Blvd., Alexandria, VA

Registration: Register Online

Cost $9.00

Come discover Huntley’s amphibian orchestra. Join a naturalist for a discussion and a guided walk to listen for serenading frogs and toads. Learn the calls of a bull frog, southern leopard frog, green frog, tree frog, American toad and more.

Mason Neck Eagle Fest, May 7th

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Photo courtesy of Eagle Fest

Saturday, May 7, 2022
10am – 6pm
Mason Neck State Park
7301 High Point Rd, Lorton, VA

The Eagle Festival will be live and in-person this year! Please mark your calendar for a wonderful day at Mason Neck State Park. There will be live animal presentations all day long, as well as live music, demonstrations, and interactive exhibits from more than 20 environmental organizations.