Welcome Fairfax Tree Stewards

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Cover photo: Public Domain

In January 2023, the FMN board approved a chapter partnership with Fairfax Tree Stewards (FTS). FTS is an educational, non-profit, volunteer organization providing specialized training and certification focusing on trees. It is a program under the auspices of Trees Virginia, registered with the state as Virginia Urban Forest Council and is a private, non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance the quality of life through the Stewardship of our Commonwealth’s urban and community trees. Founded in September 1990 and incorporated in June 1991, the organization works to promote an awareness of our community forests and the value of trees. Approved chapters, such as FTS, use the newly updated Manual to form the basis of training classes, and FTS will supplement book learning with hands on field classes on tree selection, tree planting, tree pruning and tree ID by season.
The first FTS certification class, scheduled for February 2023, is full and includes a few FMNs. FTS is an approved CE organization and service codes for collaborative projects have been created in BI for use by FMN volunteers as projects develop.

Habitat creation and restoration – E405: Educational Projects Fairfax Tree Stewards – – FTS
Educational project code for Fairfax Tree Stewards (FTS).
Educational Projects could be advising a homeowner or association on proper tree selection and planting, education about maintenance, developing resource lists, or FTS tabling events at selected locations in Fairfax County.
When recording these hours in BI, ‘FTS’ should be entered as the Project Organization.

Habitat creation and restoration – S405: Stewardship Projects Fairfax Tree Stewards – – Department of Forestry (VDoF)
Stewardship project code for Fairfax Tree Stewards (FTS).
Stewardship Projects could be helping a homeowner or association with proper physical design, planting, tree pruning, or maintenance, at selected locations in Fairfax County.
When recording these hours in BI, ‘Department of Forestry (VDoF)’ should be entered as the Project Organization.

To participate in FTS projects, one must be a certified Fairfax Tree Steward along with being an FMN member.

Please see FTS website for more information.

FMN and FTS contact is Jeanne Kadet: [email protected]

5th Annual Prince William Native Plant Symposium, February 11th

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Photo: Butterfly Bush Pollinators by FMN Ana Ka’ahanui

Saturday, February 11, 2023
9:00 am – 4:00 pm

This is a hybrid event.
Participants can either choose to join in-person, or online.
Location: Verizon Auditorium 
George Mason University
George Mason Circle
Manassas, VA 20109

Cost:
In-person tickets: $30
Online tickets: $15

Click here for more information and registration details.

Whether you are new to native plants and what they can do for your property or you are looking for alternative landscaping ideas, this event is for you! Native plants can:

  • Create a beautiful yard
  • Save time so you can enjoy other activities
  • Create habitat for birds & pollinators
  • Save money on fertilizer & pesticides
  • Improve water quality
  • Curb Erosion

 

 

Ducks and Waterfowl Identification with Greg Butcher, February 2nd

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Photo: FMN Ana Ka’ahanui

Thursday, February 2, 2023
7 – 8:30 pm
Online
$10 ASNV members/$15 Nonmembers

Register here.

Join Greg Butcher, Audubon Society of Northern Virginia board member and recently retired migratory species coordinator for the U.S. Forest Service International Programs, for an introduction to waterfowl identification. Get to know many of the species that winter in the open waters of our region. You’ll learn how to tell a Bufflehead from a Hooded Merganser, and, you’ll learn the features (and hear the call) of the beautiful Tundra Swans that winter in Northern Virginia. Strategies will include identification by shape and color pattern. After the presentation, test your identification skills with a Kahoot!

This event will be helpful for those participating in the Winter Waterfowl Count on Feb 11-12 but is open to anyone who would like to know how to identify winter waterfowl!

There is an optional field trip for a limited number of participants, but you are encouraged to do your own independent field trips to see winter waterfowl! Some good locations to see waterfowl in NoVa are Huntley Meadows, Dyke Marsh and Mason Neck State Park.

SPARROW IDENTIFICATION WITH BILL YOUNG, February 15th

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Photo: Courtesy of ASNV Savannah Sparrow, Jon Boeckenstedt/Audubon Photography Awards

Wednesday, February 15, 2023
7:00 – 8:00 PM

This is a virtual event

ASNV Members-$15.00 (Non-members $25.00)

Click here for registration details.

Sparrows can be difficult to identify. They are small birds that often skulk in the underbrush, and their plumage shows a very limited palette of colors. This class will help you to tell apart the sparrows you might see in Northern Virginia and to separate them from other small brown sparrow-like birds.

Bill Young is a writer who lives in Arlington. He is the co-creator (with Ashley Bradford) of the MPNature.com website, and he has taught numerous classes for ASNV.

Winter Animal Tracking with Ranger Emily Jones, January 24th

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Photo: Courtesy of the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia, inset – Ranger Emily Jones

Tuesday, January 24, 2023
7:00 – 8:00 PM

Virtual Program

ASNV Members-$15.00 (Non-members $25.00)

Click here for registration details.

Winter is a great time to practice your detective skills. While many mammals are nocturnal, they do leave behind evidence of their activities such as footprints and scat. Join this informative webinar to learn how to identify tracks and scat of our common Virginia wildlife. Ranger Emily will also lead the class through some interactive tracking mysteries to help you practice your observation and naturalist skills. Do you have a photo of some mystery tracks? Email it to [email protected] and iy may be covered during the presentation!

 

Emily Jones is a Natural Resource Specialist at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ John H. Kerr Dam and Reservoir with over 2.5 years’ experience as an Outreach Park Ranger managing partnerships, coordinating the water safety program, and facilitating educational programs for groups of all ages with a range of topics including animal track ID, watersheds, hydropower, wildlife, forestry, and water safety. Emily also is a Virginia Master Naturalist with the Southern Piedmont Master Naturalist Chapter. By focusing on connecting people with nature Emily has been able to put her MA in Natural Resources and Sustainable Development (American University and University for Peace), BS in Environmental Studies, and BA in Civic Innovation (Emory and Henry College) to good use. Over the years, Emily has garnered recognition as an outreach park ranger earning the 2021 South Atlantic Division (SAD) Water Safety Employee of the Year Award and multiple SAD Quarter Environmental Education Awards. When not working as a park ranger or volunteering as a Master Naturalist, Emily enjoys traveling with her friends, gardening, stand-up paddle boarding, and spending time with her cats.

 

Birding the Blue Ridge Center, January 28th

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Photo: Luke High

Saturday, January 28, 2023
8:00 AM

Where: Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship Education Center; 11661 Harpers Ferry Road Purcellville, VA 20132 United States
Members: FREE
Non-members: FREE

Click here for Registration.

The Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship (BRCES) is a beautiful 900-acre preserve in northwestern Loudoun County. With its diverse wildlife habitats, including meadows, streams and heavily forested slopes, BRCES draws a wide variety of birds and other creatures. Join Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy on their monthly walk and see what’s there! Meet at the Education Center; bring binoculars if you have them. BRCES is located just north of Neersville at 11661 Harpers Ferry Road (Rte 671).

Ducks and Waterfowl Identification with Greg Butcher, February 2nd

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Photo: Duck Box by FMN Jerry Nissley

Thursday, February 2, 2023
7:00 – 8:30 PM

Virtual Event

ASNV Members ($10.00 + $2.05 Fee)
Non-ASNV Members ($15.00 + $2.33 Fee)
Click here for Registration and Tickets.

 

Join Greg Butcher, Audubon Society of Northern Virginia (ASNV) board member and recently retired migratory species coordinator for the U.S. Forest Service International Programs, for an introduction to waterfowl identification. Get to know many of the species that winter in the open waters of our region. You’ll learn how to tell a Bufflehead from a Hooded Merganser, and, you’ll learn the features (and hear the call) of the beautiful Tundra Swans that winter in Northern Virginia. Strategies will include identification by shape and color pattern. After the presentation, you will have an opportunity to test your identification skills with a Kahoot!

This event will be helpful for those participating in the Winter Waterfowl Count on Feb 11-12 but is open to anyone who would like to know how to identify winter waterfowl!

There is an optional field trip for a limited number of participants , but we encourage you to do your own independent field trips to see winter waterfowl! Some good locations to see waterfowl in NoVa are Huntley Meadows, Dyke Marsh and Mason Neck State Park.

Green Breakfast Events – Medicines from the Soil, presented by Dan Schwartz, Soil Scientist at NVSWCD, January 14th

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Image: Courtesy of the NVSWCD

Saturday, January 14, 2023
9:00AM

Virtual Event

Did you know that many (if not most) of our medically important antibiotics are derived from soil organisms? With antibiotic-resistant “super bugs” becoming an increasingly common and worrying problem, researchers are digging through the soil again in the hopes of discovering the next blockbuster antibacterial. Please join us for the January Green Breakfast, Medicines from the Soil, with guest speaker Dan Schwartz to learn more about these exciting advances in soil science!

Dan Schwartz holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in environmental science from the University of Maryland and Virginia Tech, respectively. Since 2003, Dan has worked as a soil scientist for the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District (NVSWCD). His first years with the District were spent outdoors doing field work to update the Fairfax County soils map. Since then, his work responsibilities broadened to include outreach and education, technical consultation to county agencies, soil and stormwater research, erosion and drainage assistance to Fairfax County homeowners, and implementation of the District’s residential cost-share programs.

No registration is required, you can join the webinar here

Address questions to [email protected]

To receive updates about Green Breakfast speakers or join an upcoming virtual Green Breakfast, please register for the Green Breakfast newsletter. Please direct questions to NVSWCD.

You can view the Green Breakfast YouTube playlist here.

Geology of the Piedmont Driving Tour, February 25th

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Image: Courtesy of the Clifton Institute

Saturday, February 25,2023
9:00 am – 4:00 pm

The Clifton Institute
6712 Blantyre Road
Warrenton, Virginia 20187

Cost: $30 ($25 for Friends of the Clifton Institute)

Registration is REQUIRED

 

Come dig a little deeper into Fauquier County (and beyond) in the 2nd annual Geology Tour guided by The Clifton Institute’s Habitat Specialist, Andrew Eberly! Hitch a ride on the edge of the North American plate as it sails across the globe and watch neighboring continents come crashing in then break free again as mountains and oceans rise and fall. Visit rocks over a billion years old, born when the continents were plantless deserts. Hear stories of buried volcanoes and look for clues written in everyday rocks about landscapes of the long distant past. The forests of Northern Virginia are hiding a rich and varied display of geologic forces. This is an opportunity to practice a new way of reading the landscape and glimpse what lies beneath the trees and soil. For those who attended last year, the tour will be visiting new sites this year. Participants will also be travelling by individual cars (with the opportunity to carpool) instead of by van. Please bring your own picnic lunch, but snacks, hot drinks, and plenty of rocks to smash open will be provided!

For more information and registration details please click here.

ASNV Outreach Volunteer Orientation and Training, February 18th

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Photo: Danny Brown

Saturday, February 18, 2023
1 pm – 3 pm
National Wildlife Federation, 11100 Wildlife Center Drive, Reston, VA 20191
Limited to 30 participants
Apply here.

Do you enjoy speaking to people about your passion for birds and the environment? The Audubon Society of Northern Virginia (ASNV) is currently seeking new volunteers to help them with representing ASNV at community events, leading nature walks for a general public audience, and delivering presentations to audiences of children and/or adults.

Please join them for this volunteer orientation and training if you are interested in helping them and the birds this Spring. Speakers include ASNV board members Stacey Remick-Simkins, Libby Lyons, and Greg Butcher. They will provide information on ASNV’s history and plans for the future, and on what we can do to help birds in Northern Virginia.

After the brief presentations, participants will be split up into three groups to dig deeper into the different forms of volunteering at community events, nature walks, or presentations, with each group engaging in interactive training. The groups will rotate so each participant will have a chance to learn about each kind of volunteer activity.

Experienced volunteers will provide new volunteers support after the training session. Before striking out on their own, new volunteers will have the chance to shadow experienced volunteers, to make sure they are comfortable before they take the lead in an activity such as leading a nature walk.