Audubon Afternoon: Raptors of Virginia, Maryland, and DC, June 9

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Sunday, June 9, 2019
2:30-5:00 PM
National Wildlife Center, 11100 Wildlife Center Drive Reston, VA, 20190

Please join the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia for an exciting Audubon Afternoon.

As Secret Garden Birds and Bees presents “Raptors of Virginia, Maryland and DC,” they will have with them five live raptors for us to see and photograph, including a Red-tailed Hawk and a Red-shouldered Hawk.

The audience will gather for refreshments at 2:30 p.m., have a brief Annual Meeting to elect officers and directors at 3:00, and begin the main program at about 3:15.

This is an event the whole family will enjoy!  As always, they welcome any food and drink that you would like to share with everyone.

Lake Barcroft Earth Day volunteers needed, April 28

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Earth Day weekend provides the opportunity to promote nature and the environment!

Hidden Oaks especially needs nature table hosts for Lake Barcroft Earth Day on Sunday April 28, 2:00pm – 5:00 pm at Lake Barcroft Beach 5.

Host the table for Hidden Oaks Nature Center with all training, materials and displays provided. Shorter hours are ok, if needed. In past years have shown tadpoles, benthic macroinvertebrates, toad, turtle, variety of backyard bugs. Flexible to volunteer’s interest. Always a warm reception. Outdoor free activity for all ages. Typically 200-300 attend. 

To volunteer, contact Suzanne Holland, Hidden Oaks, at [email protected] or call 703-941-1065.  Record service hours as E110: FCPA Nature Programs.

SpringFest Fairfax nature volunteers needed, April 27

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SpringFest Fairfax

Saturday, April 27, 10 am – 3pm

Sully Historic Site, Chantilly

Assist Hidden Oaks naturalists at backyard bugs nature table and distribute live ladybugs for release. Typically many hundreds attend this free outdoor Earth Day celebration for all ages. Training provided. Parking pass provided.  

To volunteer, contact Suzanne Holland, Hidden Oaks, at [email protected] or call 703-941-1065.  Fairfax Master Naturalists can record their service hours as E110: FCPA Nature Programs.

Flyer

Help out at Culmore Multicultural Day, April 27

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Hidden Oaks urgently needs nature table volunteers for Culmore Multicultural Day on Saturday April 27, 9:30am – 2:30 pm at Woodrow Wilson Library, Falls Church.

Culmore Multicultural Day promotes Healthy Environment and Healthy Community.  Children’s activities, live music and folklore dancers are featured. See attached flyer.

Naturalists needed to host or assist at Hidden Oaks Nature Center table with live animals- your choice back yard bugs or amphibians, possibly a turtle. All training, materials and supplies provided. Ideal for multi-lingual volunteer. 

To volunteer, contact Suzanne Holland, Hidden Oaks, at [email protected] or call 703-941-1065.  

Record service hours as E110: FCPA Nature Programs.

Flyer

Save Blake Lane Park Spring Party

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Blake Lane Park
10033 Blake Lane, Oakton
Saturday, April 27th
11 am – 3 pm

You are invited for a day filled with fun!
Family and friends are welcome.

What to expect:
Games for young and old.
Nature walk by naturalist Laura Beaty of the Virginia Native Plant Society scheduled for 12 o’clock in the afternoon.
Theater Games and Art for children and parents proudly offered by WonderGo.
Face Painting – Photo Corner – Snacks – Fun.
Dog park remains open and welcomes all dogs with a little treat.
Find out how you can help Save Blake Lane Park.
Optional:
Bring a snack or baked goods to share.

For more information and to let the organizer know you will attend.

FMN quarterly meeting, graduation, and presentation on permaculture, May 19

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St. Dunstan’s Church
1830 Kirby Rd., McLean, VA
Sunday, 19 May 2019
2-4 pm

All are welcome to join our Fairfax Master Naturalist chapter for a brief chapter meeting, a chance to win door prizes, celebrate our Spring 2019 graduating class, and enjoy Christine Harris’s presentation on Permaculture Design.

Bill Mollison coined the term permaculture in the 1970s, and then wrote the book Permaculture: A Designer’s Manual to share the concepts.  In his words: “Permaculture is about designing sustainable human settlements. It is a philosophy and an approach to land use which weaves together microclimate, annual and perennial plants, animals, soil, water management, and human needs into intricately connected, productive communities.”  Learn more here.

FMN members receive one hour of continuing education credit for attending.

 

Clean the Chesapeake Bay Day, June 1st

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Various locations
Saturday, 1 June 2019
9 am-12 pm

Each year, on the first Saturday of June, thousands of Virginians simultaneously descend on the rivers, streams, and beaches of the Chesapeake Bay watershed to remove harmful litter and debris. Thirty-one years strong, Clean the Bay Day is a true Virginian tradition and an annual opportunity for families, military installations, businesses, clubs, civic or church groups to give back to local waterways.

This short, three-hour annual event has a massive cumulative impact. Since 1989, Clean the Bay Day has engaged over 158,200 volunteers, who have removed approximately 6.64 million pounds of debris from nearly 7,750 miles of shoreline in Virginia!

Signing up for Clean the Bay Day is easy! Find a location convenient to you on our locations list or interactive map and register yourself or your group. Your information will be sent to the coordinator for that location, who will get back to you with details about your specific site. When you show up that day, just come prepared to help pick up litter and debris! All clean-up supplies will be provided.

Can’t make it on June 1st but want to help? Check out partners who are hosting their events earlier.

Eagle Festival, May 11th

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Mason Neck State Park
7301 High Point Rd., Lorton, VA 22079
Saturday, 11 May 2019
10 am – 6 pm
(Bird walk at 8:30 am, must register)

Don’t miss Mason Neck State Park’s 22d annual Eagle Festival! They’ll have live shows all day in the Main Tent, including raptors, reptiles and mammals. The Hartwell Children’s Tent will offer children’s activities from our conservation partners. We’ll have Bald Eagle nest viewing tours, hay rides, pony rides, music, food and drink, a live eagle cam, exhibits from more than 20 environmental organizations, including Fairfax Master Naturalists, a youth photo contest and Mini-Clinics from REI.

You can see the entire schedule of activities at Eagle Festival Flyer.pdf

A Bird Walk led by the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia, starts at 8:30 am. You must register to participate in the Bird Walk, which is limited to thirty participants. You can sign up at Register for Bird Walk.

Admission to the Park is free all day, so come on out and enjoy the Park’s biggest event of the year!

Birdathon 2019, Have fun, raise funds, 19 April – 19 May

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Spring is on its way, and so is Birdathon! It’s time to organize your teams and sign up for Audubon Society of Northern Virginia’s annual spring migration birding competition.

The concept is simple: Participants can bird in teams of two to five. Team members then make their own donations or secure pledges from friends,family members, colleagues, neighborhood merchants, etc. Then, during any 24-hour period between April 19 and May 19, teams search Northern Virginia to see how many bird species they can identify. The two principal rules are Have Fun and Raise Funds. For the rest, click here. Click here to register your own team or click here to pledge support for your favorite team.

Whatta deal! Mount Rogers Spring Naturalist Rally, May 10-12th

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Konnarock Community Center, 6635 Whitetop Rd., Troutdale, VA
Friday, 10 -Sunday, 12 May 2019

Three days of exploration & discovery for all ages! 

Bring your family and celebrate Mother’s Day in the most beautiful place on Earth. There is something for the entire family to enjoy with an expert speaker Friday night, trips Saturday and Sunday, and nighttime programs at the campground.

Blue Ridge Discovery Center has assembled a wide variety of field trips with leaders who are experts in their field and who are able to make the subjects understandable and interesting for everyone from inquisitive amateurs to accomplished naturalists.

Rally tickets for the entire weekend are $10. Ticket price includes Friday Night Program, Saturday Field Trips, Saturday Night Program and Sunday Program. Guides and persons 17 years or younger are FREE!

Friday night dinner tickets are $10. Dinner hosted by the Konnarock Community Center. The dinner is limited to 125 total tickets. Dinner tickets available by prepaid reservation only! Reservations due by May 3rd. No dinner tickets will be sold at the door.

For more information and registration, visit the website.
Also, check out the Mt Rogers Naturalist Rally Facebook page for event updates www.facebook.com/MountRogersNaturalistRally or call 276-293-1232.

Blue Ridge Discovery Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring, discovering, and sharing the natural history of the Blue Ridge Mountains.