William Ramsay Science Night

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 Cover photo – Jerry Nissley

William Ramsay Elementary in Alexandria is an interesting facility, housing the school, a recreation center, and the Buddie Ford Nature Center. Hosting the first annual Science Night was a natural neighborhood outreach for the school. They were indeed a gracious host too providing dinner, signage, and setup assistance for all the volunteers.

FMN’s connection to the event is Peter Jones, an FMN member and science teacher at William Ramsay. FMN responded to Peter’s call for volunteers with two nature related topics.

FMN Tom Blackburn with Audubon display – Photo Peter Jones

Tom Blackburn donned his Audubon hat and provided a colorful interactive presentation on “Birds and Beaks”. Jerry Nissley was there with “Turtle Talk”, a fun-fact-filled show and tell display focused on Woodland Box turtles.
The event was set up in the rec-center gym and included tables on a myriad of environmental topics such as Energy Concepts, Water Cycle, Climate Action, and Air Quality Technologies. On the nature side, Buddie Ford Nature Center, Geology and Minerals, Entomology (drawers of awesome bugs from USDA collection housed at Natural History Museum), Pollinators, Spotted Lantern Fly, and the aforementioned Birds and Turtles all had tables.

FMN Jerry Nissley talkin turtles – Photo Peter Jones

Vesta Nelson, Science Coach at Ramsay followed up with a message to the volunteers saying, “WOW! We had over 300 visitors last night.  We weren’t getting a lot of feedback about kids attending, so I really didn’t think it was going to be that big.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! Words cannot express how thankful I am because you all really did an AMAZING JOB! The kids learned a lot!  I couldn’t believe what they remembered. We do shout outs at our school and the 4th and 5th graders gave us a lot of shout outs! WOO HOO! I’m so pleased with how it turned out.”

Ethnobotany and Floral Folklore with Alonso Abugattas, May 16

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Photos by Alonso Abugattas

Thursday, May 16, 2024
7:00 – 8:00 PM

Virtual Seminar
ASNV Member ticket: $15 (Non-member ticket: $25)

Registration required!

Ethnobotany is the study of how people relate to and use plants in their lives, be it for food, medicine, tools, and many other ways. Learn about plant folklore and how people here used locally native and commonly available plants in the past. Alonso Abugattas will review the natural history of various plants, and provide some tips and references for finding out more about the various native plants.

Alonso Abugattas (The Capital Naturalist) is a well-known local naturalist, environmental educator, and storyteller in the Washington, DC area. He is the Natural Resources Manager for Arlington County Parks and the long-time Co-Chair for the Beltway Chapter of Region 2 of the National Association for Interpretation, the professional association for naturalists, historians, and docents. He is a former officer with the Virginia Native Plant Society, including past president of the Potowmack Chapter. He was awarded their Regional Outstanding Interpretive Manager Award in 2018 and the national Master Interpretive Manager in 2018.

Common Plant Family Identification Workshop, June 15th

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Image: Courtesy of the Clifton Institute

Saturday, June 15, 2024
10:00 am – 12:00 pm

The Clifton Institute
6712 Blantyre Rd
Warrenton, VA 20187

Cost: FREE

Registration is REQUIRED.

If you’re learning to identify plants, learning the common families can really help narrow down your options when you’re faced with an unfamiliar specimen. If you already know a few plants, learning their families can provide a useful framework to help organize all the species rattling around in your brain. Whatever level you’re at, learning to identify the plant families around us is a really fun way to get to know the natural world. In this program, Managing Director Eleanor Harris will give a brief talk on the ways to identify the most common plant families in Virginia. Then she will lead a short walk in the Institue’s fields to practice your plant family identification skills!

 

 

Dragonfly Identification Workshop, June 14th

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Image: Courtesy of the Clifton Institute

Friday, June 14, 2024
10:30 am – 12:30 pm

The Clifton Institute
6712 Blantyre Rd
Warrenton, VA 20187

Cost: FREE

Registration is REQUIRED.

Dragonflies and damselflies are some of the most mysterious and beautiful animals that live at the Clifton Institute, and June is the perfect time to search for them. Join participants for a workshop that will cover the basics of dragonfly identification and biology. They will then practice what they learned by visiting lakes, streams, and fish-free vernal pools, each of which host distinct dragonfly communities. You are welcome to bring a lunch and eat on picnic tables after the program.

Cancellation policy: If you register and can no longer attend this event, please let the Clifton Institute know as soon as possible so that they can open your spot to someone else.

 

The Basics of Bird Anatomy with Dr. Kathleen Hunt, May 20th

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Image: Bird Guide Part 2, Chas. K. Reed, Public Domain

Monday, May 20, 2024
7:00 – 8:00 PM

Virtual Seminar
ASNV Member ticket: $15 (Non-member ticket: $25)

Registration required!

Have you ever wondered what a secondary feather is, what a wishbone or a gizzard is for, how an eggshell is made, or why birds don’t have teeth? In this overview of bird anatomy, Dr. Kathleen Hunt (Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation) will explain how a bird’s body is put together and how it all works. Dr. Hunt will go over the visible features that are useful for birding identification, and then take a peek inside at some ingenious internal features like the lightweight skeleton and the avian air sac system. By the end of the class you may be envious of the birds’ design!

Kathleen E. Hunt, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor at George Mason University. She is a physiologist and endocrinologist with a strong interest in applied conservation physiology. Most of Dr. Hunt’s research interests center on impacts of environmental and anthropogenic stress on reproduction and health of free-ranging vertebrates, with an emphasis on applications for conservation. She has studied nest timing, nest success, and the effect of environmental change on Arctic tundra birds and avian malaria on native Hawaiian birds.

Stream Monitoring Citizen Science & Training Opportunities, May

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Photo: FMN Janet Quinn, Hidden Pond stream monitoring

*NVSWCD Workshop*
Sugarland Run Stream Monitoring Workshop

When: Thursday, May 2, 3:00-6:00pm
Where: Sugarland Run Stream Valley Park, Herndon/Sterling

This site is located near one of the largest great blue heron rookeries (breeding/nesting areas) in the eastern US. Volunteers often find plenty of newly hatched young crayfish in the spring. This is also the most accessible stream site, which can be easily reached by wheelchair and/or other assistive tools over a paved path. Learn more and register for this workshop and others here.

*NVSWCD Workshop*
Little Difficult Run Stream Monitoring Workshop

When: Saturday, May 11, 1:00-4:00pm
Where: Fred Crabtree Park/Fox Mill Park, Herndon

This small stream is located in a peaceful wooded park a short hike away from the parking area. Little Difficult Run often scores very highly on the macroinvertebrate index because its watershed lies almost completely within the protected parkland. Reaching this site requires hiking through the woods and over uneven terrain. Learn more and register for this workshop and others here.

*NVSWCD Workshop*
Quander Creek/Dyke Marsh Stream Monitoring Workshop

When: Thursday, May 16, 9:00am-1:00pm
Where: Mount Vernon District Park, Alexandria

Volunteers monitor a small tributary of Dyke Marsh twice this spring in partnership with the Friends of Dyke Marsh. This is the District’s only muddy bottom stream, all others use the rocky bottom protocol. You will see a lot of cool crane fly larva and dragonfly larva here! Reaching this site requires walking through the woods and over uneven terrain. Space at this workshop is limited. If you’re interested in joining us, please email Ashley.

*NVSWCD Workshop*
Horsepen Run Stream Monitoring Workshop

When: Thursday, May 23, 3:00-6:00pm
Where: Horsepen Run Stream Valley Park, Herndon

This site has undergone a lot of change over the last few years! While it had become more challenging to monitor this site in the past, recent changes to the streambed have brought more riffles to monitor and we’re excited to see how this changes the macroinvertebrates we may find! This is an accessible stream site, which can be reached by wheelchair and/or other assistive tools over a paved path (there is a moderate slope). Learn more and register for this workshop and others here.

 

More Training and Stream Monitoring Opportunities

The NoVa Soil & Water Conservation teams are  very excited to contribute their stream data to state and national datasets. If you’d like to see data from all the NVSWCD regional stream monitoring team’s active sites, you can find our organization on the Clean Water Hub.

Spring Creatures of The Night, May 17th

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Image: Courtesy of the Clifton Institute

Friday, May 17, 2024
8:00 – 9:30PM

The Clifton Institute
6712 Blantyre Rd
Warrenton, VA 20187

Cost: FREE

Registration is REQUIRED.

Join the Clifton Institute for a night-time exploration of their trails and vernal pools while participants listen for frog calls, look for insects, and see what animals swimming in the ponds.

Cancellation policy: If you register and can no longer attend this event, please let the Clifton Institute know as soon as possible so that they can open your spot to someone else.

By registering for this event, you are affirming that you have read and agree to the Clifton Institute liability release policy.

Birding By Ear for Beginners with Colt Gregory, April 23rd

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Photo: Carolina Wren, David Smith/Audubon Photography Awards

Tuesday, April 23, 2024
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Virtual Seminar
ASNV Member ticket: $10 (Non-member ticket: $20)

Registration required!

Did you know you don’t even need binoculars to explore the big world of birds? Often it is faster and easier to identify a bird by its song – if you know how to bird by ear. 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 beginning birders but may be a helpful refresher for more experienced birders. This program welcomes children aged 10+ if they are accompanied by a participating adult.

Colt Gregory is a member of the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia, Northern Virginia Bird Club, and Arlington Regional Master Naturalists, serving on ARMN’s Training Committee. Colt co-leads the weekly Sunday bird walks at Great Falls National Park and leads several routes in regional Christmas Bird Counts. He enjoys hiking, camping, and birding during both. He believes that Audubon programs provide a better understanding of the relationships among plants, animals, and the environment while giving us all opportunities to volunteer, educate, and learn.

Colt will lead an optional field trip in northern Virginia on Saturday, April 27, 2024, at 8:00 AM for up to 15 local Birding by Ear participants. The fee is $30 per person. Click here to register for the field trip. The field trip is first come, first served, and there will be a waitlist. The field trip will be in Great Falls, VA. The exact location will be shared only with field trip registrants.

The Hidden Worlds Within Ice Sheets and Glaciers, March 19th

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Photo: Mouth of the Matanuska Glacier in Alaska (Richard Moore, CC-3.0-BY-SA)

Tuesday, March 19, 2024
7 pm
Sign up on Zoom to watch live or on-demand

The world’s ice sheets and glaciers are melting at unprecedented rates. Meanwhile, one of our best tools to quantify what’s happening beneath the surface remains largely untapped. Geophysicist Dustin Schroeder specializes in ice-penetrating radar: a powerful technique for studying ice sheets and glaciers on Earth and other planetary bodies. In this webinar, he will explore the hidden interiors of ice sheets through radar images and radar sounding data. When brought to their full potential, these tools can help us zero in on some of the most urgent questions surrounding Earth’s ice sheets and glaciers: How do they flow? What controls their behavior, evolution, and stability? And how will they impact sea level rise?

View more SERC Life on a Sustainable Planet webinars

ASNV Presents: Aquatic Ecosystems in Northern Virginia with Professor R. Chris Jones, April 18th

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Photo: Sycamores at Riverbend Park by Ana Ka’ahanui

Thursday, April 18, 2024
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Virtual Presentation
ASNV Member ticket: $15 (Non-member ticket: $25)

Registration is REQUIRED.

Aquatic ecosystems in the Northern Virginia area are subject to a variety of stresses, most related in some way to urban/suburban land use. Professor Jones will present an overview of the major aquatic ecosystems in northern Virginia: the tidal Potomac River, lakes (large and small), and streams (larger and small) and their current status and prospects for improvement.

Dr. R. Christian “Chris” Jones is Founder and Director of the Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center (PEREC) located on the tidal Occoquan River in Woodbridge, VA. PEREC is home to eight faculty researchers from George Mason University’s College of Science and three from its College of Engineering and Computing. Dr. Jones has been a Potomac researcher since 1980 and founded the long-term Ecological Study of Gunston Cove, which has been conducted annually since 1984, making it one of the longest continuous aquatic ecosystem studies in the world. He has published in major journals such as Estuaries and Coasts, Journal of Phycology, Ecology, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, Hydrobiologia, and Inland Waters. He has mentored over 20 Ph.D. students and over 40 Masters students and been awarded the Jack Wood Award for Town-Gown Relations and the Earl C. Williams Presidential Medal for Excellence in Social Impact at GMU.