RAPTOR RAPTURE, September 12th

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Photo: Courtesy of the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy

 

Saturday, September 12, 2026
1:00 p.m.

Fort Hunt Park Pavilion A
8940 Fort Hunt Rd, Fort Hunt, VA

Free event no registration required – Spead the word

Learn about and get close-up looks at raptors, a family that includes owls, hawks and falcons when Secret Garden Birds and Bees will bring live birds to Fort Hunt Park. The birds were injured and have been rehabilitated but cannot survive on their own. This event is sponsored by the Friends of Dyke Marsh, and the U.S. National Park Service. This is a great event for kids of all ages.

Aprenda sobre las aves rapaces y disfrute de una experiencia de cerca con ellas. Las rapaces incluyen búhos, halcones y falcones. La organización Secret Garden Birds and Bees llevará aves vivas al Fort Hunt Park. Estas aves fueron rescatadas tras sufrir lesiones, rehabilitadas con éxito, pero ya no pueden sobrevivir por sí solas en la naturaleza. Este evento es patrocinado por Friends of Dyke Marsh y el Servicio de Parques Nacionales de los Estados Unidos. ¡Es una actividad excelente para niños y personas de todas las edades!

 

Freind’s of Dyke Marsh(FODM) Presents, Freshwater Fish and More, October 21

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Photo: Courtesy of Mike Pinder, Various Minnow Species Gather to spawn on the nest of a bluehead chub.

 

Wednesday, October 21, 2026
7:00 PM

Virtual Learning Session

Registration is required but the event is free (see link below)

At FODM’s free, online member meeting on October 21, Mike Pinder will explore Virginia’s diversity of freshwater fishes, major family groups,
distribution, habitats and the unique behaviors of certain species.   He will also help participants learn how to see and identify this often
unnoticed and underappreciated group of Virginia’s wildlife. Pinder is the Aquatic Biologist for the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.   Pinder is the Aquatic Biologist for the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.

Register for this Zoom presentation at:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/dpyqnOJqRKC69xcYs6g0kQ#/registration.

 

 

Firefly Walk, July 5th

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Photo credit: Terry Priest

Sunday, July 5, 2026
Time: 8:00–10:00 p.m.
Location: Huntley Meadows Park, Alexandria
Cost: $12 per person

The program is open to participants ages 5 and older.

Join naturalists at Huntley Meadows Park for an evening Firefly Walk and discover the fascinating world of these bioluminescent insects. Participants will explore park trails at dusk while observing fireflies and learning how they use flashes of light to communicate, attract mates, and navigate their environment.

Additional details and registration information can be found on the Fairfax County Park Authority website.

 

 

Native Bees and Native Plants: Partners in Pollination, A Zoom Presentation with Barb Abraham, July 23rd

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Photo credit: Jane E. Ogilvie

Thursday, July 23, 2026
7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Location: Zoom

Join the Virginia Native Plant Society for an engaging online presentation exploring the fascinating relationship between native bees and plants. Dr. Barb Abraham will introduce participants to Virginia’s native bee families, their life cycles and nesting habits, pollination behaviors, and the challenges these important pollinators face. The program will also cover practical principles for creating bee-friendly gardens that support native pollinators.

Dr. Abraham is an ecologist, educator, and longtime advocate for pollinator conservation. After more than three decades of teaching biology and conducting research on spiders and native bees, she helped lead Hampton’s designation as a Bee City USA affiliate in 2019. This presentation is a great opportunity for naturalists, gardeners, and anyone interested in supporting native pollinators in their own community.

Additional details can be found on the Virginia Native Plant Society website. 

 

Friends of Dyke Marsh Bat Walk, September 10th

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Photo: Courtesy of Friends of Dyke Marsh

Thursday, September 10, 2026
7:30 p.m.

Registration required

Event is free

Location: Dyke Marsh, entrance to Haul Road trail

Join Deborah Hammer, an educator with Bat Conservation and Rescue of Virginia, and learn about our local bats on September 10, 7:30 p.m.

You will use sonar detectors that plug into phones to listen to bats echolocate as they hunt for food. Walking will be minimal and this event is accessible for all. You will identify bats by listening to their echolocation, using sonar detectors If you have an iPhone or Android phone and would like to try one out on your own device, contact Deborah ahead of time at deborahkh@netscape.net.

Meet at the Haul Road Trail entrance. Bring a flashlight (red light preferred) and insect repellent.   The walk will be postponed if the weather is problematic at 6 p.m.

To register, click here: FODM Bat Walk Registration. If you have questions or need to cancel your reservation, email Deborah deborahlovesbats@gmail.com.

Citizen Science Project – Caterpillars Count!

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Photo credit: Don Coram, Sawfly larvae observed during CaterpillarCounts!

Greetings Master Naturalists and Biodiversity Enthusiasts!

Volunteers for this Cit Science activity can record hours under:  C254: Caterpillars Count! — National Science Foundation

In 2025 several FMN volunteers contributed 85 hours to this code.Please read below for registration details. Volunteers will use INaturalist as the field tool.
Thank you.

You are invited to learn more about the citizen science project Caterpillars Count!, which aims to better understand:
•        insect declines (and hence bird declines)
•        shifts in seasonal insect activity
•        impacts of climate change and urbanization
•        importance of insect-host plant relationships.

Participants conduct surveys on the branches of trees and shrubs to monitor seasonal variation and abundance of arthropods like caterpillars, beetles, and spiders, and to establish critical baseline data for evaluating long term trends. To date, 2,500 participants have conducted 140K surveys across 37 states and provinces in North America.

The project can be easily carried out ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD with woody vegetation, especially:

•        Nature and environmental education centers
•        Parks and botanical gardens
•        School campuses (used at 14 colleges and universities)
•        Private backyards

The Maps and Graphs page allows anyone to fully explore the dataset, and the team has published a variety of  lesson plans and learning activities surrounding both data collection and analysis.

For more details on the project and what hosting a survey site for Caterpillars Count!entails, watch the short video on our project website, and check out the Frequently Asked Questions page.

In the meantime, do not hesitate to contact the team to answer any questions.  You can reach the team by emailing caterpillarscount@gmail.com.

And, please, forward this email along to any friends, colleagues or local groups you think may be interested in monitoring the biodiversity around them.

Best wishes,

Allen Hurlbert
Professor
Department of Biology
University of North Carolina
Director, Caterpillars Count!

Two Upcoming USGS Programs at Walker Nature Center, June 4th and June 14th

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Photo: Courtesy of Loudon County Virginia – Quarry with Diabase

The Walker Nature Center has two upcoming programs with the U.S. Geological Survey.  Both events are for adults only and offered free of charge.  Registration is required.

Stream Monitoring

Thursday, June 4, 2026
10:30 am _ 12:00 pm

The U.S. Geological Survey maintains several monitoring stations in Reston’s streams.  Join scientists Brendan Foster and Joao Gallotti on a walk along Snakeden Branch.  Discover the importance of stream quality monitoring for safeguarding public health, sustaining aquatic ecosystems and informing water resource management decisions.  The walk will begin at the Walker Nature Center (11450 Glade Drive in Reston) and will involve hiking over uneven terrain.  Register by June 1.

The Rocks Beneath Our Feet

Saturday, June 13, 2026
10:30 am – 12:30 pm

Discover the world beneath your feet with USGS geologist, Mercer Parker.  Begin with a basic overview of geology and then head outdoors to look for landforms that can be observed around the trails at the Walker Nature Center.  Register by June 10.
Walker Nature Center educational programs are eligible for FMN CEUs.
If you are familiar with the reston.org WebTrac system, you can register there.  Otherwise, you can contact the Walker Nature Center directly at naturecenter@reston.org or 703-476-9689.  Note the registration deadline for each program above. 

Cinder Bed Road Bikeway Nature Walks, May 17th or 7th

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Photo: Amberleigh HOA

Sunday, May 17, 2026 or Sunday June 7, 2026
10:30am-12:30pm

Registration is required:  Click this link for registration information

There is room for 20-25 people to join  on these walks. 

Join Alan Ford, President of the Potowmack Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society, for a nature walk in the beautiful woods and creek area of the Amberleigh HOA.  The walks are scheduled for Sunday, May 17 at 10:30 AM or on Sunday, June 7, at 10:30AM. Join participants for a walk adjacent to an acidic seepage swamp, recognized as a globally rare ecosystem. The walk will take place on the property of the Amberleigh HOA in Alexandria (Fairfax Co), the site of a portion of the planned Cinder Bed Road Bikeway. The walk will highlight the plant communities that live in this threatened ecosystem. This is a unique opportunity to view a healthy ecosystem that is under serious threat within a year or two if the bikeway is constructed.

That’s right! If you live in Amberleigh, those woods behind your homes are owned by your HOA and the area is known as the Newington Conservation Site. Learn about the unique habitat of this area, the plants and animals live there, where water comes from and goes.

FMN’s – Opportunity to Join The Living with Black Bears Team in Fairfax County

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Photo: Courtesy of the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, Black Bear and cubs
For those in the FMN Chapter who may be interested in joining the Living with Black Bears Team in Fairfax County, below is information on upcoming training sessions.

DWR is hosting virtual Part 1 and Part 2 Living with Black Bears training for our chapter.  These training sessions are for new or current members interested in the Living with Black Bears project, those members who were unable to attend the original Part 1 and Part 2 Living with Black Bears training sessions, or those Living with Black Bear project members that are looking to refresh their knowledge. The training is broken into two parts.

For Part 1 training, please watch this prerecorded Bear 101 presentation hosted by DWR Region 2 District Wildlife Biologist Sarah Peltier before June 19, 2026.  The video link is https://youtu.be/T4tgRx4kswg.

For Part 2 training, please register for a live virtual Part 2 training with DWR Black Bear Project co-lead Katie Martin using this link https://www.register-ed.com/events/view/244215 . This training will be held on Monday, June 22, 2026. at 6:00 pm. This training will be hosted on the virtual meeting platform, Teams (it’s like Zoom), and you will receive a meeting link via email the morning of the training. The Part 2 training will NOT be recorded.  If you can not attend this Part 2 training, we will offer another virtual Part 2 training in winter 2027, date TBD.

If you have any questions about these trainings, please reach out to Wildlife Education Coordinator, Courtney Hallacher at courtney.hallacher@dwr.virginia.gov.

Two Birding Day Trips – Warblers of the Blue Ridge (5/5/26) and Birds on the Bay (6/9/26)

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Photo: Cerulean Warbler by Matt Felperin
Reston’s Walker Nature Center has two upcoming birding day trips that are open to all adults:
 Warblers of the Blue Ridge – Tuesday, May 5th:
Travel with us to the G. Richard Thompson Wildlife Management Area in Fauquier County to search for migrating songbirds.  GR Thompson is well known for its Trillium Trail, so we will also keep an eye out for trilliums, lady slippers and other spring wildflowers.  After a morning at GR Thompson, we will head to Sky Meadows State Park for a picnic lunch and more birding. This trip includes walking on uneven terrain and gentle slopes.
Register by May 2nd.  Trip cost, which includes bus transportation and any park fees, is $50 for Reston Association members and $65 for non-members.  We will depart the Walker Nature Center (11450 Glade Drive) at 7:00 am and are scheduled to return by 5:00 pm.
 
Birds on the Bay – Tuesday, June 9th:
On this trip, we will head to Flag Ponds Nature Park on the Chesapeake Bay, where we will look for shorebirds along the bay and songbirds in the forests.  This trip will include walking over uneven terrain and some hills.
Register by June 6th. Trip cost, which includes bus transportation and any park fees, is $50 for Reston Association members and $65 for non-members We will depart the Walker Nature Center (11450 Glade Drive) at 7:00 am and are scheduled to return by 4:00 pm.
Both trips will be led by one of WNC’s naturalists.  The time spent birding and observing wildflowers is eligible for FMN CEUs.
If you are familiar with the reston.org WebTrac system, you can register there (search on the keyword “birding”).  Otherwise, you can contact the Walker Nature Center directly at naturecenter@reston.org or 703-476-9689.