Photo: Fairfax County Park Authority

Hidden Oaks 50th Anniversary Celebration, Oct. 19th

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Hidden Oaks Nature Center
7701 Royce St., Annandale VA
Saturday, 19 October 2019
11 am – 4 pm

Visit for a day of fun, music and special activities in honor of Hidden Oaks Nature Center’s 50th anniversary! Opened in 1969 as the first nature center in Fairfax County, Hidden Oaks now serves over 30,000 visitors a year. Enjoy a Reptiles Alive presentation, music from the School of Rock honoring Woodstock’s 50th year and other children’s music groups, go on a Hidden Treasures of Hidden Oaks hunt, see demonstrations of Monarch butterfly tagging and release and enjoy the new playground and chainsaw tree art. Fun for all ages!  Parking in Annandale Community Park except for special permit parking.  Free.

Have some natural knowledge and can assist with a learning station?  To volunteer, contact Suzanne Holland, [email protected]. Master naturalists, record your hours as E110: FCPA Nature Programs.

FMN quarterly chapter meeting Sept. 16th, Fairfax County recycling program

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Hidden Oaks Nature Center
7701 Royce St., Annadale VA
Monday, 16 September 2019
7:30 – 9 pm

Our chapter will have a brief meeting, enjoy some food and drink, and learn from a presentation on recycling in Fairfax County by Erica Carter, Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Program, Recycling Coordinator.

There’s been a lot of talk about recycling these days – what can we recycle? Where does it go? Is China still buying? More importantly, what can you do to minimize the amount of waste that you and your family create? We’ll take a quick look at the current state of waste management in Fairfax County and answer everyone’s questions about what they can and cannot recycle.

Fairfax Master Naturalists earn one hour of continuing education credit for this event.

Celebrate the Diversity of the Piedmont: Virginia Native Plant Society Annual Conference

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Friday, Sept 27-Sunday, Sept 29, 2019 

Hikes, lectures, and classes are scheduled for all day Saturday and half day Sunday, with check-in, dinner, and speaker on Friday night.

One price for the whole weekend, to include meals from Friday dinner to Sunday lunch. This year, it is based in Front Royal.

Go to the VNPS website here for everything you want to know, and to register.

Questions? Contact:

Email [email protected]

Phone: 540-837-1600

Wildlife Corridors and Crashes: Research and Efforts to Facilitate Safe Wildlife Movement across Roads

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Webinar Details

Wednesday, August 28, 2019, 12:00 pm
Meeting Number: 306-718-517
Link to Join: Join Webinar
Link for recordings of this and past webinars: VMN Continuing Education Webinar page

Description

As wildlife move across the landscape or through our waterways, they increasingly find their habitat shrinking or carved up by human development and infrastructure. The road network was built with a focus on providing safe and efficient transport, with little regard for ecology. Roads not only threaten the viability of certain species’ populations, but also pose a substantial risk to driver safety. Virginia is consistently among the 10 states with the highest number of deer-vehicle collisions, with more than 60,000 reported each year.

Today, the transportation and scientific communities increasingly seek to reconnect fragmented habitat and avoid further disruption to wildlife movement. It is now more widely recognized that prioritizing wildlife corridor protection and helping wildlife move safely through the landscape is a benefit to both wildlife populations and drivers.

This webinar focuses on three road ecology efforts underway in the Commonwealth:

  • Wildlife crossing research conducted by the Virginia Transportation Research Council (the research division on VDOT)
  • A newly established Virginia Safe Wildlife Corridors Collaborative that seeks to implement solutions to address driver safety and habitat connectivity, and
  • The development of wildlife corridor legislation to identify corridors in the Commonwealth and encourage the implementation of measures to ensure safe wildlife passage across roadways.

Presenters

Misty Boos received a Master of Environmental Planning degree from the University of Tasmania in 2006 and a BS in Sociology with emphasis on Environmental Studies from Southern Oregon University. She has extensive experience in the non-profit sector working on research projects and in the field for many environmental organizations. She has been an active participant and leader for Wild Virginia outings and completed training as a Virginia Master Naturalist.

Bridget Donaldson is an associate principal research scientist at the Virginia Transportation Research Council. She holds a BS in Ecological and Populational Biology from the University of Colorado and an MS in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Tennessee. While her research covers a variety of environmental topics, ranging from climate change to roadkill composting, she has been involved in the research and implementation of measures to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions for over 15 years.

2019 4th Annual Farm to Table Dinner for Environmental Education, Aug. 24th

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Windy Knoll Farm
11602 Kettle Run Rd, Nokesville, VA 20181
Saturday, 24 August 2019
3-7 pm

The Prince William Environmental Excellence Foundation will be hosting their 4th annual Farm to Table fundraiser dinner to support environmental education. Windy Knoll Farm is a working farm in addition to being an event center that hosts a variety of the education programs that the Foundation funds for county residents. The event will run from 3 – 7 p.m. The meal will be served from 4:00-5:30 with the ability to eat anytime within that time frame. Tickets for the meal are; $35 for adults, $15 for children ages 13 – 18, and free for children 12 and under. Following meal time, a live auction and speaker on rural development, Chris Price PWC Planning Director, will commence. In addition to the meal and live auction, there will also be a silent auction, photo sessions, opportunities to meet local artisan & farm sponsors, view vendor displays, farm hayride tours, and antique equipment displays.

All proceeds from the event go towards the implementation of beyond the walls of the classroom environmental and agricultural education for the Prince William County Community. This mission is achieved through educational programs: Farm Field Days, Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEE’s), Arbor Day activities, Water Quality Monitoring, and Adopt-A-Stream, to name a few. Your support of the Foundation and the community enable them to provide these outreach programs.

Purchase your tickets early and bring a friend or neighbor to a dinner that highlights the wonderful agricultural products produced in Prince William County. All ticket sales for this event are final. If you are unable to attend this wonderful event we ask that you consider making a tax exempt donation through this site to help us expand the learning environment of Prince William County youth. Register for the event here.

For the event menu or more information about the event, visit their website.

 Learn how to plant a riparian forest

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September 11, 9:00-2:00pm

Virginia Department of Forestry Training Room                                                                           

900 Natural Resources Drive Suite 800

Charlottesville, VA 22903                                                                                                           

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This training is being offered to 

Master Naturalists and Tree Stewards.

There is no cost to you and lunch is included.

Learn from professionals with years of experience 

  • Techniques used to plant forest buffers that can be applied to the Virginia Total Maxiumum Daily Load commitment to the Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts.
  • Why planting in riparian areas takes a unique skill set than other tree plantings.
  • How to select a site and species that will result in a successful riparian planting.
  • How the professionals handle seedlings, draw up plans for planting sites
  • Little tips that save dollars but don’t compromise results
  • Learn outreach words and techniques that speak to landowners’ needs, concerns, and stewardship ethics.

The desired outcomes of the training are: 

There will be Master Naturalists and Tree Stewards willing to select planting sites, recruit groups of citizens to help with plantings, and shepherd planting projects from start to finish.  You will have the assistance and support of those who have the experience to produce sustainable tree planting projects in riparian areas.  All trees, and needed supplies will be supplied and available for plantings. 

**Continuing education credits will be made available

Chesapeake Bay Ecology trip, August 17-18, 2019

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Calvert County, MD
Saturday, August 17, 9:30 a.m.
Sunday, August 18, 11:00 a.m.

Fee: $95 Audubon Society of Northern Virginia members, $115 non-members, includes guided tour of Battle Creek Cypress Swamp, lunch on Saturday, admission at the Calvert Marine Museum, and a two-hour private charter on the Dee of St. Mary’s.

Group Limit: 15 participants.

The group will explore Calvert County, MD. They’ll meet at 9:30 a.m. at Battle Creek Cypress Swamp, where they’ll explore one of the northernmost naturally occurring bald cypress stands in North America. Then they’ll head to Solomon’s Island for a guided tour of the Calvert Marine Museum and private charter on the Dee of St. Mary’s, one of the few remaining skipjacks on the Chesapeake Bay. We finish our visit with an early Sunday morning visit to Calvert Cliffs State Park (state park fee $7/car), the site of astonishing quantities of prehistoric marine fossils. Although Calvert County is close by, it still seems remote and is a treasure to visit.

The Chesapeake Bay provides the ecological, cultural and historic foundation of our region. To understand the bay, its seasonal narration, complex history, and stewardship needs each of us should be grounded in this place. For over 150 years, our stewardship of the bay region has been disrespectful to the complex natural systems. Water quality, indigenous species, and even people living around the bay have suffered from the impacts of mistreatment. With increased public awareness, public policy has slowly changed, and some progress has been made. Join Dr. Tom Wood on this experiential learning weekend to explore this national treasure.

Dr. Wood is an Associate Professor of Integrative and Interdisciplinary Studies in the School of Integrative Studies at George Mason University. He conducted his doctoral research at the Smithsonian and helped create the Smithsonian-Mason Semester and directed the development of Mason’s joint program with the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.

Hotel Reservations: A block of rooms has been reserved at the Holiday Inn Solomon’s Conference Center and Marina at a rate of $109 (not included with fee.) Please make your reservation no later than July 26. Group rate code will be included in the confirmation email sent from EventBee.

Register here.

Healthy Parks, Healthy People 5k Fun Run/Walk

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July 20, 2019

7:30 am – 11:00 am

(MD) Join Brookside Gardens, Latino Outdoors, Latino Health Initiative and Montgomery County Councilmember Gabe Albornoz in celebrating Latino Conservation Week at the Second Annual Healthy Parks, Healthy People 5k Fun Run/Walk!

Full details here

2019 Green Spaces for DC Meet + Greet

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Thursday, July 18th
5:30-7:30pm
Historic Earth Conservation Corps Pumphouse

Join the GSDC Board of Directors for a summer evening of networking and celebration on the Anacostia River. Capital Nature is a proud member of the Green Spaces for DC (GSDC) alliance of organizations that support healthy and accessible green areas for the Washington DC area. Come hear about their advocacy. See old friends and make new ones. Special guest, naturalist and author Melanie Choukas-Bradley, will talk about her latest project!

Refreshments provided by The Green Bee Cafe and friends.

Free. To attend, please RSVP.

Service opportunities with Plant NOVA Natives

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Photo by Barbara J. Saffir

“Art Director” needed – Some concepts are expressed better with art than with photos or words. If you would like to coordinate the work of artists who might enjoy donating artistic interpretations for the PNN website and other purposes of things like  “Baby birds need insects, and insects need native plants,” email [email protected].

A second website manager needed – The work is light, but it is good to have more than one person doing updates to the PNN website.

Know of any good lawn and garden maintenance companies? PNN would like to compile a list of vendors that have experience in maintaining native plantings and/or environmentally friendly landscapes. Email your recommendations to [email protected]. PNN will then email the companies and ask them if they would like to self-identify as ones that have that kind of experience.

Help label plants at garden centers – There are now 16 garden centers where we are putting red stickers on the Virginia native plants. PNN needs more volunteers at several of those nurseries (particularly Lake Ridge Nursery in Dumfries, Merrifield Fair Oaks and Burke Nursery, but there are others as well). It is a great way to get to know your native plants, and very fun as well! PNN tries to have someone visit each nursery a couple times a month and to have at least two volunteers at each place. They also need help approaching garden centers that are not yet participating.

Another volunteer opportunity – Sept 29: NatureFest, Herndon. Sign up here.

Next Steering Committee meeting – All are welcome! The next meeting is scheduled for August 13 at 10:30 am, but please always check the Event Calendar in case there is a change.