Winter Bird Walks – Hosted by The Clifton Institute, January and February

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Image: Courtesy of the Clifton Institute

Join The Clifton Institute for a series of Winter bird walks starting this January and February. They will be held on the second Wednesday and fourth Saturday of the month. Please click on the links below for additional details and registration information.

1 – 3 pm
8: 30 – 10:30 am
8 – 10 am
8:30 – 10:30 am
Cost: Free
Registration is required!

The Clifton Institute
6712 Blantyre Road
Warrenton, Virginia 20187

 

 

Pollinator Habitat 101 – 5-week webinar recordings

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 Photo by Dr. Jim Cane, USDA ARS Bee Biology and Systematics Laboratory, Logan, Utah.

A 5-session webinar series held from October 14th through November 11th, 2022

Find readings, links and resources for each session under the Learn With Us tab.

Doug Tallamy, University of Delaware
Pollinators’ Best Hope: A New Approach to Pollinator Habitat That Starts in Your Yard

Harland Patch, Penn State University
Creating Pollinator Gardens: The Role of Plant Choice and Design

Heather Holm, Author and Biologist
Creating and Managing Habitat for Native Bees

Matthew Shepherd, The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
Deciding To Create a Pollinator Garden Is the Easy Step — What To Do Next?

Shana Byrd, The Dawes Arboretum
Getting Started with Wildflower Patches, Flower Strips, and Meadows

All webinars were recorded and posted on the PH101 website Recordings tab.

This program is funded in part by a USDA/NIFA Integrated Pest Management Pollinator Health grant. The webinars will be presented with automated closed captions. If you wish to request traditional CART services or other accommodations, please contact Denise Ellsworth at [email protected].

Learn Through Nature Journaling, January and February Classes

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Photo: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI

Saturday, January 14, 2023
Saturdays, February 4, 11 & 18, 2023
Hidden Oaks Nature Center
7701 Royce Street, Annandale
To sign up: Call 703-222-4664 weekdays 9am- 4pm or log into Parktakes by using www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/parktakes.  The codes can be helpful in locating the classes.

Improve your naturalist observation skills and add excitement to your nature journals! Naturalist and artist Avery Gunther presents her popular nature drawing classes.

Sat. January 14, 2023- 10am-12pm – Drawing Outer Space with Oil Pastels (adults 16 and up) $20  Code: MIK.WW3E

Have you been inspired by the James Webb Telescope pictures?  Learn some fun facts about outer space and moon craters.  Learn how moon craters form with a hands-on science activity.  Learn about oil pastels, then try your hand at drawing nebulas, planets, comets, galaxies and more on black paper.  All materials included.

Sat. Feb 4, 11 & 18 – 9:30-11:30am- Drawing Weather and Skies (adults age 16 and up) $60  Code: 22N.19UM
The sky is dynamic and ever changing. Learn how to creatively add weather data and information to your journal. Discover techniques for drawing and painting skyscapes, clouds , snowflakes, frost and more. Media discussed will include: watercolor, oil pastel, watercolor and regular colored pencils, ink and gel pen. Many materials will be available to borrow in class.
If the county closes due to bad weather, you would receive a credit on your account.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email Avery, [email protected].

FMNs: These classes are approved FMN CE.  Record hours in Better Impact under Continuing Education > All Continuing Education.  For Approved CE Organization, choose Fairfax County Park Authority training.  In Description, include the name of the class.

Make Room for Turkeys! November 20th

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Photo courtesy of the National Wild Turkey Federation, A female (hen) wild turkey in front of a male (tom)

Sunday, November 20, 2022
3-4 pm

ELLANOR C. LAWRENCE PARK LOCATION
Visitor Center & Amphitheater
5040 Walney Road
Chantilly, VA, 20151


Fee: $8.00
Register here.

Turkeys are native to the Americas and have been everything from decorative to Thanksgiving centerpiece. They’ve been here for 10 million years but how can you make sure they have a place here for a million more? Find out more about the role of turkeys in different cultures and how important habitat restoration will make room for turkeys!

Beginner Lichen Identification Workshop, December 17th

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Photo/Image: Clifton Institute Beginner Lichen Identification Workshop

Saturday, December 17, 2022
1-3 pm

The Clifton Institute
6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA
38.775154, -77.798197

$10 ($8 for Friends of the Clifton Institute)
Register here.

Lichens: part algae, part fungi, all mystery! Did you know that we have more than 400 species of lichens in our region and that many of them can be identified with a little practice and a hand lens? Lichens in our area are diverse in their appearance, in where they grow, and in how they reproduce. The northern Piedmont is a great place to learn lichens because we have a fascinating blend of mountain and coastal plain species. The 900-acre Clifton Institute hosts at least 75 species, including some mature forest specialists like the Shaggy Fringe Lichen.

In this program, lichenologist and mycology teacher at George Mason UN Dr. Natalie Howe will teach us the basics of lichen biology and then lead us on a walk around the field station to see how many species we can find. No experience with lichens is necessary.

ASNV Project FeederWatch Workshop with Greg Butcher, November 22nd

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Photo: Northern Cardinal by Alexis Hayes

Tuesday, November 22,2022
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Workshop is virtual
Workshop is FREE

Please click here to register. 


Project FeederWatch is the easiest citizen science you will ever do!

From the comfort of your home, you simply count the winter birds that visit your feeders and report your data to Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

This FREE workshop will cover a bit of Project FeederWatch history, its purpose, tips for identifying birds, and the protocols to be followed while counting. After the presentation, your identification skills will be tested with a Kahoot!

Greg Butcher is a Ph.D. ornithologist and Audubon Society of Northern Virginia (ASNV) board member. In addition to the U.S. Forest Service, Greg has worked for the National Audubon Society, American Birding Association, Partners in Flight, Birder’s World magazine, and Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Greg is a lively and informative public speaker and interpreter for bird conservation and ecology worldwide.

Beginner Grass Identification Workshop, December 10th

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Image: Courtesy of Clifton Institute

Saturday, December 10, 2022
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Fee: $8.00 – $10.00
Click here for registration.

The Clifton Institute
6712 Blantyre Road, Warrenton, VA
38.775154, -77.798197

At first glance, it might seem like grasses all look the same and that they don’t offer the same beauty that showy flowers do. But you may find it’s worth taking the time to learn to tell grasses apart and to appreciate their unique beauty. And winter is a great time to do it because the grasses have gone to seed and are easy to see in an otherwise quiescent landscape. In this workshop for beginners, Executive Director Bert Harris will take participants on a walk through some of the Institute’s fields and teach participants how to identify common grasses.

 

Songbird Research: Prothonotary Warblers with Shirley Devan, Webinar December 15th

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Photo: Prothonotary Warbler, Heather Orkis/Audubon Photography Awards

Thursday, December 15, 2022
7-8 pm
Webinar
ASNV Members $15/Nonmembers $25
Register here.

Cure your winter blues with a pop of yellow! Learn all about the Prothonotary Warbler, the only Eastern warbler species that nests in cavities. Populations of this striking bird, affectionately described by some as a “flying lemon,” have declined by 34 percent since 1970. It is a watch list species for Partners in Flight. The Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory (CVWO) has been studying the species since 1995 by banding and monitoring nestlings at 130+ nesting boxes along Virginia’s coast. Shirley Devan, a member of the board of directors for the CVWO, will provide a brief life history of the Prothonotary Warbler. She also will describe CVWO’s banding efforts and what the organization has learned in the process. You also can expect to see some great photos. Brought to you by Audubon Society of Northern Virginia.

Rock Hound 101 – The Hole Story

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FMVA roadshow booth display; photo Jerry Nissley

As previously announced, FMN recently established a partnership with Friends of Mineralogy Virginia (FMVA). During the summer of 2022 FMN Katy Johnson completed their Rock Hound 101 course and subsequently initiated an introduction of FMVA to FMN. FMN president, Marilyn Parks, then solidified an understanding with FMVA, which resulted in our educational and service partnership. In October 2022, FMN Jessi Tong and I also completed their Rock Hound 101 course.

Mt. Athos Quarry;  photo Jerry Nissley

The objective of FMVA is to promote and expand the study of mineralogy and the hobby of mineral collecting. Their mission is to promote and preserve Virginia mineral and mining heritage while expanding the knowledge of minerals more broadly through community programs and industry partnerships. FMN and FMVA share many mission values so the partnership is a natural opportunity to exchange service hours and continuing educational programs. To that end, FMN approved FMVA as a CE partner; and service hours obtained while working collaborative projects with FMVA may be entered using Community Outreach – E543: Educational and Outreach – – FMN.

Epidote, quartz, ilmenite, actinolite, magnetite collected from Mt. Athos; photo Jerry Nissley

The 101 course consists of five online learning sessions and two field trips to big holes in the ground – also known as quarries. The field trips for this cohort were to the Dale quarry in Chesterfield county, Virginia and to Mt. Athos quarry in Lynchburg, Virginia. The course curriculum consists, in part, of an introduction to basic Geology and in-depth discussions on geological characteristics specific to Virginia formations. Once the basics of Virginia geology are covered the students learn basic skills required to Rock Hound. This includes how and where to hunt for rocks and minerals, an introduction to a vast library of online resource material/databases, and an overview of some basic rock hound tools. Must haves and nice-to-haves.

Rock Hounds in action at Dale Quarry, Chesterfield, Va; photo Jerry Nissley

The field trips provide students active experience using tried and true field techniques on how to safely discover rocks and minerals and how to extract what is found. Safety is stressed at every turn. Rock hounds are given pre-trip safety instructions and inspections by the instructor and each quarry is required to provide a mandatory safety session to go over active ‘day-of’ quarry operations and instructions.

Smokey Quartz with garnets and beryl collected from Dale Quarry; photo Jerry Nissley

Rock hounding in quarries with an experienced instructor provides a controlled learning environment that facilitates the educational value of the day. In addition, fresh samples are essentially scattered all around ready for discovery with minimal digging required. Once honed, rock hound skills may be used in the field of your choice – on hikes, while camping or kayaking, on the beach, in the mountains, or in your local cave. Always be respectful of the land you are on and cognizant of prevailing governance while on private or public lands.

Please contact FMN Jerry Nissley at [email protected] for details on how to register for future FMVA Rock Hound courses.

Rock Hound tools; photo Jerry Nissley

Thomas Hale, President of FMVA and our Rock Hound 101 instructor, authored the first book published under FMVA titled, ‘The Northern Virginia Trap Rock Quarries”, Primedia eLaunch LLC, July 2022. This is the first major publication on Virginia Minerals in thirty years and the book includes color photography.

Available through [email protected].

FMN Annual Meeting, Elections and Graduation of Fall 2022 Class, December 12th

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Monday, December 12, 2022
7 pm
Zoom (email [email protected] for link if you are not an FMN member)

We will be holding our Annual Meeting on Zoom, Monday, December 19th at 7 pm. We will be celebrating the graduation of the Fall 2022 Basic Training Class and have a short business meeting.

In addition, our own FMN Jerry Peters will speak on “Skolithos, Early Cambrian Fossils in Northern Virginia”. Skolithos linearis is a trace fossil (ichnofossil) that is the most common fossil found in Fairfax County. The animal that formed the fossils thrived in ocean beaches on the east side of the continent around 540 million years ago, about the time of the Cambrian revolution when all major animal phyla started appearing in the fossil record. Jerry will discuss the source of these fossils (Antietam formation outcropping on the western slopes of the Blue Ridge) and the several sinks (places they can be found today) in Fairfax County. He will also review key events in the 540 million years of geologic history that these fossils trace.

Jerry Peters is retired from a career as a consulting environmental scientist – conducting Environmental Impact Statements, municipal wastewater facilities planning, hazardous waste management, pollution prevention, hazardous waste site remediation and program guidance, etc. He has a Master’s degree from Virginia Tech in Environmental Science and Engineering (Water Resources) and a Bachelor of Arts degree, biology major, from University of Virginia. Jerry serves as an elected Director of the Northern Virginia Soil & Water Conservation District (NVSWCD), working with the organization for the past 13 years in a variety of positions. He also serves as the District representative to the Fairfax County Tree Commission and helped draft the 2019 Tree Action Plan. Jerry is also Founder of Green Fire, a non-profit to improve wildlife habitats in Fairfax County – and has been active in the Environment and Parks Committee of the Great Falls Citizen’s Association, leading a project to naturalize an oak grove in Great Falls Grange. Finally, many of us know Jerry from his work over many years for the Fairfax Master Naturalists. He helped start up Fairfax Master Naturalists in 2007 as a volunteer on the Coordinating Committee and served as Advanced Training chair. He was awarded Honorary FMN membership in 2007. In 2008 he completed the FMN Basic Training and became a regular member. He has been a member of the FMN Training Committee since 2007, instructing new Master Naturalists in Biogeography, Land Use, and Urban Systems.